We were recently lucky enough to conduct a short interview with former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Reich is the co-founder and editor of The American Prospect and the author of eight books, including his most recent: Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America.

On Sunday, October 16, Reich and author Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed, Bait and Switch) will be appearing at the 92nd Street Y to discuss American jobs, labor issues and the state of the economy. Both are astute speakers and sharp social critics—it should an interesting evening.

Robert Reich on white-collar unemployment, globalization and what the future holds after the jump.

Do you think white-collar unemployment will be on the rise in the near future?

There will always be a business cycle, and white-collar workers will get hit in the next recession like they always do in recessions. But apart from the business cycle, no, I don’t believe white-collar unemployment will be on the rise.


In your last book Reason, you argue that liberals need to reclaim their political clout from “radical conservatives” and that the economy is being harmed by the duo of tax breaks for the rich and cuts to social programs. What do you think would be the most efficient way of reducing unemployment, both blue-collar and white-collar, in 2006?

The Fed should stop raising short-term interest rates and we need reemployment insurance instead of unemployment insurance—get people into new jobs quickly, through job training, income support and wage insurance.

Even though the economy is expanding and new jobs are being created at a steady rate, wages aren’t increasing as they did in previous periods of growth. Why is this?

Wages are increasing for the top 5 percent [of the population]. Median wages of production workers, who comprise 80 percent of the workforce, haven’t risen in 30 years, adjusted for inflation.

The reason is globalization and technological displacement. That is, employers can get cheaper labor either by going abroad or getting software to do it.

You recently toured the country to speak about globalization. Do you think that globalization and free trade will become a boon for American workers, if they aren’t already?

Globalization and free trade do spur economic growth, and they lead to lower prices on many goods. But unless or until the benefits of that growth start trickling down to the average worker in the form of higher wages, most Americans will turn against free trade and globalization, as they already are.

What do you think your most significant experience(s) as Secretary of Labor were?

[My] most significant achievements were implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act, getting the Pension Protection Act, raising the minimum wage, improving workplace safety and mounting a national campaign against sweatshop labor. Most significant experience? Running an agency of 20,000 people and a $35 billion annual budget.

Tickets for Robert B. Reich and Barbara Ehrenreich on American Jobs are currently available.