In Europe figures like Bauman and Offe are arguing that the contemporary form of capitalist industrialization has rendered a large part of the potentially employable population surplus, even as a reserve army of labour. When confronted with the effective reality of full employment in the US they argue that much of this is simply concealed unemployment - the workhouse on the employers' premises if you like (although of course the workhouse was always a disciplining mechanism for the reserve army). I would welcome any comments anyone might have on this issue and would be particularly interested in information and argument about the rates of exploitation in the US in relation to the new low waged service sectors. So far as I can establish the rates of profit in these sectors, and particularly health and social care (mixed wage profile but much of it low) are particularly high. My own view is that what the US labour market represents is the use of a flexible labour system in which the combination of harsh social security, weak trade unions (although getting stronger see UPS), and a divided system of employment, permits a combination of combined and uneven development internally. To use Harry Cleaver's language it shows underdevelopment. David Byrne Dept of Sociology and Social Policy University of Durham Elvet Riverside New Elvet Durham DH1 3JT 0191-374-2319 0191-0374-4743 fax
