The American economy, the nature of work, and the nature of the workforce all have changed over time in America. Some recent changes in the economy that are detrimental to many Americans are corporate downsizing, increased use of temporary workers, declining union strength, reduced corporate tax obligations, and decline in income for some families. The labor force and the division of labor have increased substantially. The educational level and the proportion of females in the labor force are also increasing. The work ethic remains strong, but workers now insist that their jobs be a source of fulfillment and not solely a source of income.

Work is a social problem because of unemployment and underemployment, work hazards, and dissatisfaction and alienation. Each year millions of Americans are unemployed, though the rate varies for different groups and different occupations. Many Americans are not deeply dissatisfied with or alienated from work, but many also desire a job different from the one they have. Among the hazards of work are work-induced stress and work-related injuries and illnesses.

Work is intimately related to the quality of life because it involves the worker's health. Work-induced stress, injuries and illnesses, and job dissatisfaction can all adversely affect the worker's health. Unemployment tends to be a traumatic, stressful experience that adversely affects the worker's interpersonal relationships and health.

Capitalism with its emphasis on profit is one of the factors that contributes to problems in the American economy. Subservience of workers' needs to organizational needs, union-busting, downsizing, and increased numbers of temporary jobs all reflect the drive for profit. Structural unemployment is also a product of the capitalistic system, which includes the natural swings of the economy, technological change, government spending priorities, and the growth of multinational corporations. The nature of work roles in the American technological, bureaucratic society produces much dissatisfaction, stress, and conflict. Work hazards are frequently more common than necessary because companies give priority to profit, not to worker health and safety.

Among social psychological factors that add to the problems of work are the attitudes of Americans toward unions and toward other Americans whose jobs they regard as inferior to their own. The contradiction between the ideology and reality of work is another contributing factor. The ideology glorifies work and working and places an equal value on all work. The reality is disparagement of some work and a political-economic system that guarantees a certain amount of unemployment.