In 2010 when my business had its largest number of employees and permanent contractors, unemployment was at 10% and "workforce participation"* was at an all-time low of ~65%. I could hire/keep employees at staggeringly low pay (my highest paid full time employee made $1k/month).

I had workers worked for my company for YEARS during the recession at very low pay, and I knew for a fact that at least a couple of them were actively looking for other jobs and resenting working for me but couldn't get any other opportunities anywhere.

I had 20-30+ resumes coming in every week with people who had years, even decades of experience competing for work that paid extremely little. My business was struggling but one thing I NEVER worried about was finding cheap labor.

How could anyone possibly, in good faith, say that this was not a coercive relationship? How could anyone say that this was a truly voluntary exchange of labor for (very low) wages?

I have to imagine things are even worse now than they were in 2010, considering the dire situation an unemployed worker would find themself in during this pandemic.

So please don't talk to me about how capitalism is "voluntary" because I know EXACTLY how I coerced my workers.

*Participation rate is people who describe themselves as working or job hunting. Perversely, if a large number of people simply give up hope and stop looking for work the unemployment rate will drop because "participation" drops which was the case in 2010.

Now look at this:

Prosecution rests.