ABSTRACT
Most high school textbooks first describe labor markets in terms of neoclassical theory based on supply and demand, and then go on to interesting and real-world topics including discrimination, unions, and negotiations. Unfortunately, the treatment of each is usually brief and out of context, so students will have difficulty seeing the connection to their own lives or controversies they see in the news. In addition, few textbooks have much to say about the distribution of wealth and income—an unfortunate gap, since this, too, is highly relevant to students’ everyday experience. Nor do textbooks cover unpaid labor such as care for children or other family members, even though it is a large portion of many people's “work” day and of increasing interest to economists. This chapter provides resources for filling these gaps. Because the issues are critical to understanding the economy and likely of relevance to your students, you might consider spending more time on these topics than is allocated in your textbook.
