Bait and Switch - Barbara Ehrenreich

A few days ago I reviewed Nickled and Dimed by Ehnreich, about her investigation into the lives of the working poor in the U.S. In Bait and Switch Ehnreich turns her attention to the plight of the growing population of unemployed white collar workers, and finds that being an executive in modern America is no guarantee of employment security.

Ehrenreich budgeted ten months for her experiment, just over half of which was intended as development of her executive persona (Barbara Alexander), resume creation (tailoring her actual skills and experience to more attractive entries), training and networking etc. She was prepared to take the first eligible (white collar, not morally repugnant) job, in any industry and in any US location, and estimated working there for three to four months.
Ehrenreich writes that, compared with her other research experiences, she expected this experience to be comparatively straight forward and even dull. She also thought that she'd have more freedom and have less need to be servile than she did when researching Nickled and Dimed.
What she found was an industry designed around 'helping' this population be 'more employable' - career coaching, job fairs, networking groups, self help gurus, pop psychology and personality tests that are slavishly relied upon despite their lack of scientific rigor or reliability - and precious few jobs.
A fascinating insight into a world far removed from my own, and happily so. - Alex