“We don’t make stuff anymore.” It’s one of the most common refrains of contemporary popular discourse, and it reflects the widespread nostalgia for an era in which workers with little formal education could get a well-paying job in the factory down the street. It’s an attractive vision for sure, but it’s one that bears little resemblance to our actual history.

Many women and people of color faced huge barriers to winning that kind of life for themselves and their families. Despite popular perceptions, employment in the service sector has always exceeded employment in manufacturing throughout the entire course of US history – even in the nineteenth century.

Today, as agricultural and industrial employment continue their long decline, ever-growing numbers of workers find themselves employed in the highly stratified service economy. While a relatively small number of workers at the top of the scale are very skilled and highly paid, conditions for many service workers are pretty miserable.