The 20th century has seen the creation of colossal wealth and exploding economies. But the days of industry providing mass employment are over. In the global economy, human resources are being replaced by technology. We are moving from a mass labor force to an elite corps concentrated in the knowledge sector. Will this change result in a sort of economic apartheid in which a third of humanity is made redundant? Will this revolution mean the end of work as we know it?

FOR MAN MUST WORK raises crucial questions and suggests rethinking the future. Filmed in the United States, Canada, France and Mexico, the film shows how living and working conditions are deteriorating for many people. Besides personal stories, we also hear from experts such as Vivianne Forrester, author of The Economic Horror; Jeremy Rifkin, American economist and author of The End of Work; sociologist Ricardo Petrella; Ignacio Ramonet, editor-in-chief of Le Monde diplomatique; and Jacques Attali, author of Dictionary of the 21st Century and former president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. They have no illusions - they think the 21st century is getting off to a very bad start.

"A very disturbing portrait of the future. Deftly weaves together interviews with half a dozen leading minds on employment trends with a wide-ranging set of interviews with various people of the frontlines of change... An extraordinarily provocative examination of where we are headed. The forceful position the film takes should make a particularly find one for launching a debate on the future of the global political economy with students."—Labor History Journal

"Highly Recommended. This is a superb piece of work that gives a thorough assessment of globalization in the context of supply and demand for labor. Rarely does a documentary less than an hour in length give such a full, practical and theoretical treatment of a complex subject as this film has. The arguments and evidence presented by speakers are taken to the next progressive step by each following speaker. Its breadth of treatment of this timely topic earns it top marks."—Educational Media Reviews Online