The choices to be made.

Abstract

If we are to avoid unemployment when technology increases productivity, we have two choices. We must increase our level of material living (more private luxury gadgets or more public luxury services) and/or decrease our total working time. These choices reflect social power relations. Capital owners and leaders of labour unions normally endorse the standard increase solution. The unemployed are for the reduction in hours, hoping to get a share of the labour time. Studies reported here indicate that a solid majority of ordinary men and women also seem to prefer the reduction in working time solution.