Two work and job-related articles jumped out at us recently.
The first is Buzzfeed News' The Fantasy of the Dream Job is Gone covers the growing number of layoffs in tech and finance. Key quote:
Layoffs at some of the country's most prestigious companies are the latest sign that no one's job is ever safe.
The second is Fast Company's From the Great Resignation to the Great Refusal—here's what the 5 'Great Rs' mean for the future of work. Key quote:
We are no longer centered on where we work, but rather on where work fits in our lives, and there is no putting this genie back in the bottle.
Because we study why people choose to be independent workers and small business owners, we spend a lot of time on how workers compare traditional jobs with independent work.
We've found the teeter-totter is a good metaphor for how workers compare and choose between traditional jobs and independent work.
At a high level, workers choosing between the two balance the security, predictable income, benefits, and career paths of traditional work versus the autonomy, control, and flexibility of working independently.
The recent tech and finance industry layoffs and the massive pandemic-related layoffs have made it clear that no job - and the predictable income and benefits that come with it - is completely secure.
Also, the pandemic accelerated existing trends toward people wanting more flexibility, autonomy, and control over their lives and work.
Both of these shifts make traditional jobs less attractive - tilting worker decisions towards independent work. This is true even for "dream jobs."
And this likely means more people will choose independent work, and the recent surge in independent workers will continue.
