[armada651]

When your labor force makes gains in productivity you can choose to do one of two things:

1. Reduce working hours 2. Grow the economy

Guess which option was last picked in 1868 and never again despite massive gains in productivity?

[majormajor]

Are we really so sure that reducing working hours can't, itself, lead to improved economic health? Such as by increasing distribution of income flows, and increasing time available for economic consumption?

One of the greatest tricks of the modern era in the US has been to convince everyone that making the slice of pie bigger for the richest people is necessary to grow the economy.

[danaris]

In fact, we now know, with a fairly high degree of certainty, that it can.

There have been numerous experiments with four-day work weeks or six-hour work days that have almost uniformly shown increases in overall productivity.

Not just productivity per hour at work. Overall productivity.

The resistance to this is clearly not based in financial concerns, but rather in control, and classism.

[Aurornis]

> and increasing time available for economic consumption?

Where is that additional money going to come from? I think you’re missing some important factors in your analysis.

[Timon3]

1. Not everyone is spending all their "spending money" every month, and 2. more free time allows people to get more value for their money (e.g. by comparing more alternative options).