---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American worker is more productive…"
description: "\"The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got more people to do it. We've got all the ingredients for a sensational future. It'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg"
---

#  The American worker is more productive than he's ever…

![“The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got more people to do it. We've got all the ingredients for a sensational future. It's just that right now the athlete's on the floor. This is a super athlete.” quote by Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg)

> “The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got more people to do it. We've got all the ingredients for a sensational future. It's just that right now the athlete's on the floor. This is a super athlete.”

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Productivity has risen, but the workforce feels underutilized, as if talent is idle despite abundant resources.

**In simple terms:** Workers are more productive but not fully engaged.

Key Takeaway

Leverage idle talent for growth.

Themes

productivity economy potential

Mood

optimistic concerned

Type

motivational analytical

When to use this quote

- business strategy
- policy planning
- career development
- team management

Key Concepts

human capital resource allocation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can organizations better engage idle talent?
- What policies unlock full economic potential?

A Different Perspective

Even with high productivity, systemic barriers can keep talent underused.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American Worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-worker-781061/) [American workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-workers/) [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Ingredients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingredients/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productive/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Sensational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensational/) [Super Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/super-athlete-2103587/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worker/) [Worker Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worker-productive-2339328/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/)

## Related quotes

> [The American worker is more productive than he's ever been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-american-worker-is-more-productive-than-he-s-ever-been/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [a quiet worker but a very productive one and a great one for the state of Georgia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/a-quiet-worker-but-a-very-productive-one-and-a-great-one-for-the/)

[Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/)

> [We can get America moving again, put on top of that the kind of trade deals that'll put the American worker first, and you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/we-can-get-america-moving-again-put-on-top-of-that-the-kind-of-trade/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [Every American worker should be able to save for retirement via payroll deductions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/every-american-worker-should-be-able-to-save-for-retirement-via/)

[Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/)

> [The average American worker enjoys amenities for which Croesus, Crassus, the Medici, and Louis XIV would have envied him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-average-american-worker-enjoys-amenities-for-which-croesus/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [What the American worker needs is more of what WalMart offers and less of what the government offers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/llewellyn-rockwell/what-the-american-worker-needs-is-more-of-what-walmart-offers-and/)

[Llewellyn Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/llewellyn-rockwell/)

> [If Mr. Trump wants to work with us to make sure that trade works for the American worker, not just CEOs of corporate America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/if-mr-trump-wants-to-work-with-us-to-make-sure-that-trade-works-for/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [ You are never going to have, in a country as rich as ours \[the USA\], that borders a country as poor as Mexico, an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/you-are-never-going-to-have-in-a-country-as-rich-as-ours-the-usa-that/)

[Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/)

> [I do not imply that in the U.S plants, industrial plants, are places of exploitation where man is oppressed. 1 know that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-do-not-imply-that-in-the-u-s-plants-industrial-plants-are-places-of/)

[Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/)

> [According to the Tax Foundation, the average American worker works 127 days of the year just to pay his taxes. That means that government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/according-to-the-tax-foundation-the-average-american-worker-works-127/)

[Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/)

> [I want to make sure that the American worker has an opportunity to see their wages rise and their incomes increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-want-to-make-sure-that-the-american-worker-has-an-opportunity-to/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [But on the other hand, there are many corporations who have turned their backs on the American worker, who have said, if I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/but-on-the-other-hand-there-are-many-corporations-who-have-turned/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [We must give the American worker the first option of ownership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/we-must-give-the-american-worker-the-first-option-of-ownership/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Look the, the American worker has been losing - for decades now. We've seen manufacturing in decline here in the industrial Midwest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/look-the-the-american-worker-has-been-losing-for-decades-now-we-ve/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [Let me make our goal in this program very clear: jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Our policy has been and will continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/let-me-make-our-goal-in-this-program-very-clear-jobs-jobs-jobs-and/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## More by Howard Warren Buffett

> [Somebody's buying these treasury bills at 1/20th of one percent. I mean we consuming about $2 billion a day of goods and services beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/somebody-s-buying-these-treasury-bills-at-1-20th-of-one-percent-i/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [If you owe money, you can't pay them out. You just pay for everything, you do smart things, you eventually get very rich. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/if-you-owe-money-you-can-t-pay-them-out-you-just-pay-for-everything/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [There are more living organisms in a tablespoon of highly organic soil than there are people on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/there-are-more-living-organisms-in-a-tablespoon-of-highly-organic/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [You get in a lot of trouble when you start putting fictitious numbers on value. I think to just say, we're going to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/you-get-in-a-lot-of-trouble-when-you-start-putting-fictitious-numbers/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [If you really think that houses prices are going to go up next year and the year after, you feel if I don't buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/if-you-really-think-that-houses-prices-are-going-to-go-up-next-year/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [People love leverage when it's working. I mean, it's so easy to borrow money from a guy at X and put it out at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/people-love-leverage-when-it-s-working-i-mean-it-s-so-easy-to-borrow/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [I've spent so much time with my dad traveling and seeing the ground-level change that we've been able to make through philanthropy and trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/i-ve-spent-so-much-time-with-my-dad-traveling-and-seeing-the-ground/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [The ingredients that made this country, you know, the miracle of the world - I mean we had a seven for one improvement in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/the-ingredients-that-made-this-country-you-know-the-miracle-of-the/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [I mean, the job is Pearl Harbor. And you better not spends weeks and weeks and weeks trying to assign blame or deciding on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/i-mean-the-job-is-pearl-harbor-and-you-better-not-spends-weeks-and/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [I mean people -- people don't get -- they don't get smarter about things that get as basic as greed and you can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/i-mean-people-people-don-t-get-they-don-t-get-smarter-about-things/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [Somebody's buying these treasury bills at 1/20th of one percent. I mean we consuming about $2 billion a day of goods and services beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/somebody-s-buying-these-treasury-bills-at-1-20th-of-one-percent-i-2/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [As long as you have markets, you'll have excesses. People went crazy with tulip bulbs. They went crazy with the South Sea Bubble, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/as-long-as-you-have-markets-you-ll-have-excesses-people-went-crazy/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [We had the great depression, we had two world wars, we had the flu epidemic. We had oil shock. We had all these terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/we-had-the-great-depression-we-had-two-world-wars-we-had-the-flu/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [Any time I can be of help to the government in terms of giving advice -I've given a little advice, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/any-time-i-can-be-of-help-to-the-government-in-terms-of-giving-advice/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

> [When I was 5, my father was very much my hero. And he ran for political office in a very thankless campaign for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/when-i-was-5-my-father-was-very-much-my-hero-and-he-ran-for-political/)

[Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

[Explore all 40 Howard Warren Buffett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/)

## More American workers quotes

> [Less than 8 percent of private sector workers belonged to a union in 2004, and, overall, only 12.5 percent of American workers carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/less-than-8-percent-of-private-sector-workers-belonged-to-a-union-in/)

[Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/)

> [During three decades from 1947 to 1977, the nation implemented what might be called a basic bargain with American workers. Employers paid them enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/during-three-decades-from-1947-to-1977-the-nation-implemented-what/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [I am all in favor of growing the American economy and engaging in trade with the world, but not at the expense of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-yoho/i-am-all-in-favor-of-growing-the-american-economy-and-engaging-in/)

[Ted Yoho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-yoho/)

> [We will end the politics of profit. We will end the rule of special interests. We will end the raiding of our jobs by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-end-the-politics-of-profit-we-will-end-the-rule-of-special/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The TPP is another corporate-backed agreement that is the latest in a series of trade policies which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-tpp-is-another-corporate-backed-agreement-that-is-the-latest-in-a/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [“The country built on the virtue and the character and the strength of the American workingman circa 1955–65 was the ideal he meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-country-built-on-the-virtue-and-the-character-and-the-strength-of/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [American workers are first rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/american-workers-are-first-rate/)

[Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/)

> [Apparently, union bosses are so distraught about declining enrollments they will stoop to exploiting illegal workers. There is no doubt that this would hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-s-smith/apparently-union-bosses-are-so-distraught-about-declining-enrollments/)

[Lamar S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-s-smith/)

> [The Trump administration is dedicated to helping build, certify, and defend the Made in America brand so that American products can reach every shore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-huckabee-sanders/the-trump-administration-is-dedicated-to-helping-build-certify-and/)

[Sarah Huckabee Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-huckabee-sanders/)

> [Globalization has delivered many benefits for international donors, but it's the job of politicians to represent the people - and to put American workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/globalization-has-delivered-many-benefits-for-international-donors/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [While there are many illegal immigrants in America who are good people, many, many, this doesn't change the fact that most illegal immigrants are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/while-there-are-many-illegal-immigrants-in-america-who-are-good/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Besides taking jobs from American workers, illegal immigration creates huge economic burdens on our health care system, our education system, our criminal justice system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/besides-taking-jobs-from-american-workers-illegal-immigration-creates/)

[Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/)

> [Through good times and bad, American workers and their families have been able to rely on Social Security to provide guaranteed protection against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sander-levin/through-good-times-and-bad-american-workers-and-their-families-have/)

[Sander Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sander-levin/)

> [American workers have faced serious difficulties in the labor market since the first oil shock in 1973. Since that time, the pace of productivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/american-workers-have-faced-serious-difficulties-in-the-labor-market/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

> [Getting fired can produce a particularly bountiful payday for a CEO. Indeed, he can 'earn' more in that single day, while cleaning out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/getting-fired-can-produce-a-particularly-bountiful-payday-for-a-ceo/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

[Browse all 130 American workers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-workers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got more people to do it. We've got all the ingredients for a sensational future. It's just that right now the athlete's on the floor. This is a super athlete.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Howard Warren Buffett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/the-american-worker-is-more-productive-than-he-s-ever-been-we-ve-got/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American workers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/the-american-worker-is-more-productive-than-he-s-ever-been-we-ve-got/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/howard-warren-buffett-16158_american-workers_the-american-worker-is-more-productive-t_1379437.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got more people to do it. We've got all…” — Howard Warren Buffett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Howard Warren Buffett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The American worker is more productive...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/the-american-worker-is-more-productive-than-he-s-ever-been-we-ve-got/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/the-american-worker-is-more-productive-than-he-s-ever-been-we-ve-got/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
