User submission

195.8K

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

About 4.3 million Americans left their jobs in August. “Quits”, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls them, are rising in almost every industry, especially in retail, food services, and hospitality.

We are living in what labor economist Lawrence Katz calls “a once-in-a-generation ‘take this job and shove it’ moment.”

Katz says there’s no perfect way of measuring what’s driving it but “what we do see is a lot of people asking about getting remote work, for example, and a lot of people questioning low-wage, high-turnover situations, and employers starting to respond, but pretty slowly relative to the expectations of workers.”

And while the economist thinks we still can’t know if it’s temporary or not, New York Times bestselling author, Kurt Eichenwald, believes it’s been long in the making.

In August, the number of workers who quit their job in a single month broke the all-time U.S. record

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: supersport1104

The Great Resignation is, in fact, great

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: fightfor15

In a recent Twitter thread, Eichenwald theorized that younger generations no longer have any faith in the idea of “the American dream” because for so many, it’s become too far out of reach.

The term “American Dream” was coined by writer and historian James Truslow Adams in his 1391 book The Epic of America. According to Adams, it’s a promise that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

But the idea of the American Dream has been around for much longer. You could probably even build a case that it’s inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, which says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But Eichenwald claimed that Americans no longer have the inspiration of working toward a better future for themselves. Because there is none.

And bestselling author Kurt Eichenwald thinks it was long in the making

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: kurteichenwald

So what happens now? While companies are scrambling to keep and attract workers, they are offering retention bonuses, allowing employees to work remotely forever, and providing new benefits to support workers’ personal and professional development.

Some are also saying they’re drawing up policies to help workers recover from burnout, whether it is a sabbatical, closing the business for a week, or shrinking the workweek from five days to four.

“Companies have to bend,” recruiting consultant Abby Kohut, founder, and president of Staffing Symphony, which focuses on the pharmaceutical industry, told CNBC.

Eichenwald’s thread sparked an interesting discussion

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: TheAlbion7

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: NooChanges

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: liiona24

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: joseph9867

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: CapeCodCricket

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: FourthCrow

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: Kimmiemac21

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

Image credits: Makburn1

Author Explains Why So Many Young People Resign From Their Jobs And His Twitter Thread Goes Viral

196Kviews

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

Read less »

Denis is a photo editor at Bored Panda. After getting his bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design, he tried to succeed in digital design, advertising, and branding. Also, Denis really enjoys sports and loves everything related to board sports and water.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Caro Caro 3 years ago

What really really makes me furious is hearing wealthy people calling the poor lazy. I've seen how others are struggling. How can you sit by your pool in your beautiful garden, sip way too expensive booze knowing that you will be on your yacht tomorrow and actually think that others slaving away to make aaaaaall of this possible are lazy? Shame on you.

67points

Elsie 3 years ago

Yes I agree. Also the rich would never see them selves working at McDonald's or Walmart or any other job in service

26points

Load More Replies...

Kylli Anttila 3 years ago

While sipping the booze also declare "I don't buy 4$ coffee! I save and invest!"

10points

DC 3 years ago

I hate to have to agree with you, but not doing so would be dishonest to a degree making me physically sick. It's worse enough in europe these days ... but I wouldn't even wanna be better off then I am now in the US! "The american dream is called so because ... you have to be asleep to believe it!" (George Carlin). He was right about this, and I bet he hated being so.

5points

Daniel Marsh 3 years ago

I recently read that an astonishing proportion of CEOs are on anti-depressants. Think of what's really going on: their bodies are telling them their work habits are unnatural, and they are jamming pennies in the fuse boxes to keep going. Survival means the working class isn't driven by anti-depressants (even if they need them too for various reasons -- I don't mean to join in the chorus of idiots who think attack anti-depressant usage).

2points

Carol Emory 3 years ago

They call the poor lazy while they sip wine on their boast and planes...playing rounds of golf and going on 4 week vacations to exotic places never worried about whether or not they will have a job to come back to. Gee...guess those poor people that are putting up with all the Karen's and getting spat on by anti-maskers just have it too damn good. (Sarcasm)

1point

Kai 3 years ago

I work in customer service and discovered having a car was too expensive. I could only afford use, but they constantly needed repairs. We are constantly saying we are going to move out of rough neighborhood, buy it always ends up being next year...Working 40 hours leaves me with no sense of personal fulfillment.

32points

Elsie 3 years ago

I agree with you. Without hope of a better future the present is not good.

12points

Load More Replies...

Danny Meeks 3 years ago

Kai your story is sadly all too common. I don’t understand this humanity that keeps humans down and values wealth over people, animals, and the planet. I hope you find a way to personal fulfilment - have you considered some online qualifications?

5points

butthurtAmerican 3 years ago

You only work 40 hours a week? That's your problem right there, prole. Get back to work and work 2 jobs you pleb. /s

2points

Carol Emory 3 years ago

Hey Kai, I feel you. I worked customer service and it sucks and the pay is horrible. I might suggest taking classes at a community college. You can go part time, take all your classes online and get help in paying for it. It's cheaper than Universities and, if you get on a good rapport with your professors, they will often recommend you for jobs once you graduate. I struggled for year living paycheck to paycheck. I'm now out of that hole. I've also had friends that started side hobbies that took off and made them more money than their regular jobs...like the accountant I knew that took bulk Legos and combined them into sets for collectors and clients that participated in competitions. She did so well, she hired her son to help and he earned enough to pay for college outright.

0points

Otter 3 years ago (edited)

He says people are now "...working just for survival...", but he doesn't mean "people", because the vast majority of the world's people work just for survival and have since work was invented... he means "middle-class people are now working just for survival". Anyone who has ever been able to take survival for granted and just work to attain personal goals is incredibly fortunate, and if that was taken as the norm for a while... we didn't appreciate how lucky we were.

26points

Kate Baker 3 years ago

The U.S. us the wealthiest, most powerful nation. American citizens shouldn't be struggling when billionaires can afford to have a space race.

45points

Load More Replies...

Daniel Marsh 3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Aliquid 3 years ago

Historical "working class" people had a much better quality of life than people think. It is propaganda that tells us that "things used to be worse". The average American worker takes less vacation time than a medieval peasant

16points

Kylli Anttila 3 years ago

I'd like to offer an observation that I find interesting. I come from a poor southeast Asian country. Very big economic inequality, many policies ripping off the poor and middle class alike, welfare almost non-existent, and employers are free to exploit as they please. However, life in my small home town somehow remains far from that extreme. People wake up, spend like 30mins - 1 hour on coffee and breakfast, go to work, go home at lunch time to cook and eat and probably nap, come back to work, get off work at 5pm, pick up the kids, go home to cook and eat dinner or conveniently go to an affordable restaurant, then watch some TV or read a book or meet some friends before retreating to bed. A working class (except the ones in extreme poverty who are still a minority) or lower middle class person or family can live like this. Some have left for the American dream and swiftly came back because even though the dollars are a fortune when sent home, they just couldn't bear the pressure in the US. More and more people are realizing that despite everything, working just for survival is way too miserable compared to the humble life in my hometown. Large cities are a completely different story though.

16points