Even as western economies globalise, it can be a shock to discover how little resemblance the working world bears to the folkloric economy of children’s books and politicians’ rhetoric. These are not economies of butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers. The US has more graphic designers (191,000) than bakers (157,000), according to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I was taken aback to discover, during the 2008 presidential campaign, that the country also has more choreographers than metal casters. National politicians, though, almost always campaign as if “the economy” is something found only in factories and on farms. A president with a real interest in the economy would also visit some of the nation’s 202,000 sports coaches or its 80,000 substance-abuse counsellors.
在西方經濟已經全球化之際，人們仍震驚地發現，就業市場與兒童書籍和政客口中的民間經濟幾乎毫無相似之處。西方經濟不是屠夫、面包師和燭臺匠的經濟。美國勞工統計局(BLS)不久前發布的數據顯示，美國平面設計師人數（19.1萬）超過了面包師（15.7萬）。我驚訝地發現，在2008年美國總統大選期間，美國舞蹈設計人員人數超過了金屬鑄造工。然而，政界人士在競選中始終留下這樣的印象：“經濟”似乎只存工廠和農場之中。真正對經濟感興趣的總統也會拜訪一些體育教練或者為癮君子提供咨詢服務的顧問。美國從事這兩種職業的人數分別為20.2萬和8萬。