In Depth spoke with Tom to discuss his new column for Bloomberg about the nature of work in America.
You recently launched a new column about work in America. What’s the back story there? Where did this idea come from originally, and how did you go about developing it?
I have always been interested in the kind of journalism that goes deep into the personality of those at the center of stories. Why people do what they do has always been a source of great fascination for me. Work is, for many of us, the most important thing we do. It defines our day, it defines who we are. I can’t think of a more important topic.
In the introduction to your column, you write about the 2008 recession and its long-term impact on Americans with respect to work. How much do you think we’re still feeling the effects of 2008 now?
I think those at the top of the economic ladder are doing quite nicely, and the data points to the idea that as a nation we have climbed out of the hole. However, if you talk to people who don’t have much, you discover things aren’t quite as good as the headlines suggest. As the cost of most everything continues to go up, there are plenty of people still in pain. A majority of jobs created after 2008 are low-paying, and people with skills are still finding it difficult to land in a good spot.
What types of stories do you explore in your column? Why do you think they’re so important to tell?
The real stars of my column — the people I look for — are those who understand things are difficult and yet persist. While experts say things like the American Dream is dead or that this is the first generation graduating from college who won’t be better off than their parents, the people I write about aren’t buying it. In that sense, they are preserving a very important piece of the American character: the can-do spirit of never giving up, of creating their own opportunity — the energy that made the nation the envy of the world. That’s pretty important stuff.