American politicians often talk about full-time work as if it were a precondition for dignity. It’s the same ethos behind policies that require people to be employed in order to receive welfare benefits. And although I agree that work can give people a sense of independence and purpose, paid labor is not the only means to that end. There are millions of parents and caregivers whose work is no less dignified because it is unpaid. There are millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic who are no less worthy of respect because they were let go—often through no fault of their own.
