Blame it largely on the pandemic, which weakened the hold the workplace held on people’s psyches
By outward appearances, the labor market today looks much as it did before the pandemic. The unemployment rate is just as low, the share of adults in the labor force is just as high, and wages are growing at roughly the same pace after inflation.
But beneath the surface, the nature of labor has changed profoundly. Career and work aren’t nearly as central to the lives of Americans. They want more time for their families and themselves, and more flexibility about when, where and how they work.
The impact of this change can already be seen in both individual companies and the broader economy. It has led to a persistent shortage of workers, especially in jobs that seem less desirable because, for example, they require in-person work or fixed hours. That, in turn, has altered the bargaining position of employers and employees—forcing employers to adapt, not just by paying more but giving priority to quality of life in job offers.
To be sure, some of these changes arise from an exceptionally tight labor market. If unemployment rises, some of employees’ newfound leverage may evaporate.
People need to have the courage to tank the existing economy and rebuild without the feudalistic tendencies built in. We really ought not to be maintaining the peasant/lord dynamic at this point in history.
I care about having a stable income.
And I prefer to do something not too abusive to get it.
If that’s “not caring about work”, then I guess that headline has always been true for me.
Work is less valuable to us because it has literally become less valuable. We get much less in terms of real purchasing power.
You want me to care more about my job? Make it more valuable to me.
Also any job one might be passionate about pays the bare minimum it can, because not hating your job is basically a rare perk now.
Absolute bullshit.
Loyalty is paid in cash, want me to be loyal, then pay me what I feel keeps me loyal.
Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care.
Bob Porter: Don’t… don’t care?
Peter Gibbons: It’s a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don’t see another dime; so where’s the motivation? And here’s something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
Bob Slydell: Eight?
Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That’s my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.
Plus ça change…
This movie has defined my working life.
The fact that nothing much has changed about this in 25 years is an indictment of both our economy and society.
It was Marxisim 101 stuff that goes back well over a century. Peter was basically reinventing the premises on the spot.
Oh it’s definitely changed. For the worse.
They saw it and said, “how can we do this, exploit it, and pay them less?”
“How much more can we steal from them without getting our building burned down?”
I don’t have a Swingline…
“Just make sure they don’t have enough money to buy gas or matches and we’re golden!”
Compared to an open office the cubicles in Office Space look amazing.
Talk to some older folks.
As late as 1980, $20.00 made you feel like a big shot. You could buy yourself something fancy, or go out for a nice night on the town, or throw a great party.
You can have $20,000.00 in your hand today and feel like a chump. It won’t get you a new car, or make a downpayment on a house, Might let you rent a tiny room for a year, but you’ll be eating a lot of ramen.
That’s because people already had cars and houses then. So the $20 was extra. You could spend it on a nice meal, or some gas to go on a road trip. You could have seen the Rolling Stones in San Francisco for $15.50 in 1981:
Life is “better” now, because communications are essentially free. But basic things cost way more.
It sounds like you’re making the same point I am.
Back in the day a front row ticket was the best seat in the house. Now if a regular person spends the money for the front row they know that the really rich folks are having a real party in the sky box.
Gen Z here. I have a house, (its small, i wouldn’t want a bigger one, because there is no need for it,) a decent car, am married, dont have any debt other than a mortgage, and i can comfortably pay everything i need to now and save a bit for the future. Why would I want to work harder for a better car? I don’t have a desire to show off or anything. Instead of working hard for someone else, I want to create things. Stories, games, art, I want to be creative, i dont want to work my ass of for someone else, doing menial labor.
About 90% of all jobs produce useless nonsense like enterprise software, cars and all sorts of clothes. We could’ve lived in a paradise wearing togas to spaceports by now if not for all the vanity.
People care less because their money buys less. Why work harder when for most people it wont mean they make any more money? Seems pretty simple to me.
They say blame the pandemic. I say blame the companies that bitch when people finally realize how important their time was.
People finally realized what is important and got a taste of life without constantly being overworked. Good for them. Most of modern work is totally ridiculous bullshit in the big scheme of things.
Indeed. Death is approaching us all at a pretty respectable pace, so it’s not really worth toiling your life away for next to nothing
It’s not worth it regardless of the pay.
I say blame the lack of enforcement of antitrust law for eroding the value of work.
Won’t somebody think of the shareholders!
Me while holding my firearm
1 in 5 Executive leaders agree with this statement…
Imagine lie so bad that even executives have hard time agreeing xD
This comment offers such great perspective that I wish more people were aware of. The problem with the youngest generation is always there same. Maybe Gen Z will remember where the rest of us have forgotten, but historically the odds are long.
Eh, I have faith that the wide availability of knowledge will lead to a better result
Eh, I have faith that the wide availability of knowledge will lead to a better result
You wouldn’t want anything to happen to them Tik Toks now, would you?
Racks shotgun Republicanly
Once we get over killing each other about it, it’s gonna be great
Plus less lead doesn’t hurt the odds.
It’s telling that the people who push this narrative are the people whose jobs pay the most money for the least amount of actual work.
Yeah but they deserve it because they are the guilded class and also fuck you.
Nobody should ever want to work, work should be the thing we work on minimising to maximise our living.
Work to live, don’t live to work.
Americans are being treated like shit by their bosses and are finally starting to realize that the fantasy of “anyone can be rich” they’ve been promised all their lives is a total sham. Of course they’re not working as hard.
My read on this is we are readjusting the deal, seems like a good thing. Let’s keep going. We don’t need more rich people who never need to work while there are still people who must work their whole lives just to survive.
I personally was tired of working my ass off for some rich ceo douche bag so looking for something better
It’s really hard to give a shit about working when doing so only barely keeps you from being homeless, meanwhile the CEO drives to work every day in his Ferrari.
Can confirm
That’s a Texas sized ten-four from me too
