Working conditions improved in 1900s

Was that a great century, or what?

Yes, the 20th century was very, very good to most U.S. workers.

You can argue that worker bee income didn't grow commensurate with corporate profits and CEO pay.

You can note that wages lag for women and minorities. You can point to layoffs that ruined lives.

On balance, though, the 1900s were a worker's fairy godmother. Her magic wand:

Zapped 15 hours from the average workweek. In 1909, U.S. workers spent 50 hours a week on the job. Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the typical workweek at about 35 hours.

Set a minimum wage. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 made 25 cents an hour the mandatory minimum wage. Since then, the wage floor has risen incrementally and now is $5.15. Market conditions have pushed entry-level wages higher in many industries and locations.

Made the workplace safer. We chafe under OSHA paperwork, but regulatory agencies and responsible businesses have reduced work- related casualties. Seventy years ago, 38 out of 100,000 workers were killed at work; today, the rate is four in 100,000.

Plumped up a financial cushion for retirement. The Social Security Act of 1935 began paying benefits in 1940. Now, 95 percent of U.S. jobs pay into the fund. Its future is controversial, but it has kept millions of seniors from having to work until they died.

Protected benefits promised to employees. The Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 gave federal oversight to private-sector employee benefit plans such as health insurance and retirement funds. ERISA also created individual retirement accounts to give workers without pension plans a way to save for retirement.

Saw an explosion of private pension plans. American Express created the first such fund in 1875, but the concept didn't catch fire until the 1900s. According to a Hewitt Associates report on the century's workplace improvements, 87 million employees now are enrolled in 693,000 private pension plans.

Introduced anti-discrimination laws that improved job access for women and minorities. Overall, women and blacks still earn just three- fourths of white men's income, but, according to the Cato Institute, pay parity is close (98 cents to $1) for those in the same jobs with the same characteristics.

Delivered immeasurable technological innovations that made work and home lives more productive and easy. Leisure hours nearly doubled for the typical worker from the beginning of the century to the end.

Filled a cornucopia of benefits options. Flexible benefit plans, 401(k) deferred compensation plans, employee stock ownership programs and stock bonus plans improved many workers' financial condition. Similarly, flex time, telecommuting, job sharing and compressed workweeks allowed some workers to make quality-of-life choices.

This is hardly an exhaustive list of the century's work-related pros or cons, but there's no question the lot of the U.S. worker is much improved. Work is easier now.

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