The topic of “work” has been in the news a lot lately since Mississippi has record low unemployment and the lowest labor force participation rate in the nation. So, this week host, Grant Callen sat down with author, David Bahnsen, to discuss his most recent book “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.” David makes the case that America is in a crisis of despair and much of that malaise is rooted in the reality that vast swaths of able-bodied adults have left the workforce. Nationally, the workforce participation rate for prime-aged men (aged 25-54) this last decade is lower than it was during the Great Depression, and it’s even worse in Mississippi. The sad reality is that during the Great Depression it was largely a problem of finding jobs, while today the issue is finding workers. This fast-paced conversation covered the importance of productive work to human flourishing, the benefits of work on the worker, changing cultural attitudes towards work, public policy implications, potential solutions for increasing labor force participation, and much more. Tune in! 

 

Show notes:

“Why Aren’t more Mississippians Working?”

David Bahnsen’s Book “Full- Time: Work and the Meaning of Life”