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Power to the workers? What historical trends suggest about newfound employee influence

Power to the Workers? What Historical Trends Suggest About Newfound Employee Influence | GZERO World

During the initial stages of COVID, Americans responded to shortages of basic items by making them domestically.

That's a blip that'll likely end once the economy (really) goes back to normal, says economist and University of Chicago professor Austan Goolsbee.

"Why," he asks Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, "do we have a giant warehouse full of socks that we made here that we could buy on the open market for one third the price, and we could just have shipped here when we need them?"

The same can be said of workers having more bargaining power with corporations. Goolsbee believes that sooner or later employers will regain the upper hand, while remote work will come with strings attached.

Watch the GZERO World episode: Explaining inflation & what's next for the US economy

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Participants hold placards during a protest to condemn the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and commemorate students killed in a strike on a girls' primary school in Minab in southern Iran on February 28, in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, March 12, 2026.
REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon

175: The number of people killed at an Iranian girls’ school in a strike on Feb. 28. Initial intelligence reports suggest that the US was to blame for the strike, per the New York Times, after the military used a now-defunct set of coordinates to deploy the hit.

Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.