For over 100 years, keeping Americans safe on the job has challenged the country's free-market economy. Businesses often preferred to regulate their workplaces without government oversight. But that track record is mixed. And federal efforts at safeguarding job sites at times have fallen short. Host Katherine Sullivan explores how far we've come since Frances Perkins helped put employee safety in the spotlight and what American workers still face now when they go to work. 

This episode is part of The Wall Street Journal’s USA250: The Story of the World’s Greatest Economy, a collection of articles, videos and podcasts aiming to offer a deeper understanding of how America has evolved.

Additional reading and listening:

A Timeline of Key Moments in the History of Work in America 

Coal Miners’ Trade Off: Trump Boosts Production but Slashes Safety Programs 

An Economy Built on Speculation—for Better and for Worse 

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