Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
User submission
4.8K
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.
RELATED:
In August, the number of workers who quit their job in a single month broke the all-time U.S. record
Image credits: supersport1104
The Great Resignation is, in fact, great
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
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
Image credits: kurteichenwald
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
Image credits: TheAlbion7
Image credits: NooChanges
Image credits: liiona24
Image credits: joseph9867
Image credits: CapeCodCricket
Image credits: FourthCrow
Image credits: Kimmiemac21
Image credits: Makburn1
196Kviews
Share on Facebook
What do you think ?
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.
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
Load More Replies...
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.
Elsie 3 years ago
I agree with you. Without hope of a better future the present is not good.
Load More Replies...
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.
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.
Load More Replies...
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.
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
Load More Replies... 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.
Elsie 3 years ago
I agree with you. Without hope of a better future the present is not good.
Load More Replies... 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.
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.
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
244
209