Ehrenreich issue 3

3. In 1996 the number of persons holding two or more jobs averaged 7.8 million, or 6.2 percent of the workforce (page 45).

Ehrenreich issue 2

Here is the second issue from Nickel and Dimed. See the post below for instructions on how to respond.

2. Nearly one-fifth of all homeless people [in 29 American cities] are employed in full- or part-time jobs (Page 26).

Nickel and Dimed questions

To avoid interrupting her narrative, Barbara Ehrenreich frequently places statistical information in footnotes at the bottom of the page. This set of three posts asks that you respond to some of this information. You are not required to do independent research to determine for certain whether her statistics are accurate. You are asked only to respond by considering such questions as: Do her numbers sound credible? If they are accurate, is the issue she describes a matter that should be of concern? Does it represent a good or a bad business practice? Does it represent an ethical practice? Would you willingly work for a company that carried on such practices?

You need not answer each of those questions for each issue raised; they are included simply to try to help you find suitable ways to respond.

The first issue appears below. The other two are in separate posts to make it easier for you to respond.

1. Eighty-one percent of large employers now require preemployment drug testing, up from 21 percent in 1987 (Page 14).