Social inequality: what has work got to do with it?

Although the length of their long term analyses differs, they all aim to explain tipping points in the increase or decrease of social inequality. One element that remains relatively underexplored in these largely economic (and partly demographic) studies, however, is the significance of the organization of work for the distribution of wealth, income and social opportunities.

In economic and economic history approaches to inequality, as far as labour as a factor of production is factored in, it is limited to the quantity (offer) and quality (skills) of labour, with migration as a mediating mechanism to bring labour power where it is most needed. The often unspoken assumption is that workers react to the demand for labour and are rewarded depending on its scarcity. Reality, however, is much more complex, and if we want to better understand large inequalities in the remuneration and valuation of various kinds of work, between periods, regions, sectors and types of work, we need to move beyond basic supply and demand mechanisms.