From millennials’ apparent passion for avocado toast to their “refusal” to buy homes, we’re used to hearing about how the younger generation’s new values (read: dwindling economic mobility) confounds and frustrates their older peers. Now that Gen Z has entered workforce, they’re the topic of the latest hand-wringing op-eds about how nobody knows how to work (read: stoically suffer exploitation on the job) these days.
A fearmongering headline from Yahoo News just made the rounds online: Gen Z isn't ashamed of 'job-hopping' and will even quit unfulfilling jobs without a backup plan, study finds. For mainstream news outlets looking to scare up more labor-related stories from a conservative angle, reporting like this is bread and butter. We might get so wrapped up in asking “Are young people really quitting jobs they don’t like?” and considering differences in generational attitudes that we skip over the most important question: What’s wrong with that? What’s commendable about sticking to a job that makes you feel unhappy and unfulfilled? When low-wage work leaves you struggling to make ends meet and leaves you wanting more, where’s the shame in taking a better offer when it comes along?
On the other hand, if we’ve observed anything over the past few years, it’s that young people also aren’t ashamed of organizing to improve their workplaces when jobs fail to pay the bills, provide good healthcare, and create safe environments for their workers. Younger workers played a central role in the first unionization campaigns at Starbucks locations, and they have ever since. A Gallup poll from 2021 showed support for unions among people ages 18 to 34 at 77 percent. Young people are far from the only ones responsible for the incredible current momentum in the labor movement. But they’ve had an essential part in it already — and they’re just getting started.
Welcome back to another week of Krystal Kyle & Friends. This week, we’re reuniting the Kyle & Corin Show: Corin is joining us for a convo about the latest in this week’s updates on politics, culture, and current events. Paying subscribers can watch the video of our discussion when it’s released Friday night; everyone else can tune in Saturday through Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and more. See you soon!
Quiet quoting also know as fulfilling the requirements of your job ahhhhh panic
Excited to hear from Corin, he’s always light hearted and fun! Please have on more guests that are women, and focus more on Climate Issues and keep up the Labor reporting please!