The End of Work?

Twenty years ago the coming of ICTs was threatening the end of work...The 'death of work' is certainly not reflected in the data on the labour force. The growth of new technologies has in many areas compressed time through the expansion of work, and changed the nature of space, rather than eliminating it, by diffusing the spatiality of work into other zones. The unleashing of an embarassing excess of leisure opportunities forecast in the 1970s and 1980s is now confronted by evidence of both longer working hours and an increase, particularly among women, of participation rates.....As the efficiencies of the new ICTs displace traditional occupations, instead of the triumph of leisure we obtain both increases in unemployment but also expansion of insecure, low-paid and largely female paid employment in a labour market expanded to embrace work previously located in the informal or service sectors.' ( Golding, P. 2000)

Should we be optimistic or pessimistic with regard to these developments? Will you work less or more than your parents' generation? If so, at what cost?

The End of Work?photoshop

Well according to the models I've looked at, you'll get a varying answers because of geography. In North America....it certainly seems like we're working more than our parents. But some countries in Europe, are enjoying more leisure days than their parents.