John Keynes and the 15 hour work week make the news rounds every now and then: http://www.npr.org/2015/08/13/432122637/keynes-predicted-we-...
Perhaps we were wrong in predicting that he was entirely wrong. Obviously, companies themselves aren't going to be huge proponents of providing "part time" workers with full time benefits or providing opportunities for occasional employment, but people are finding ways through more creative methods that may not quite register as "in the workforce" according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. People stay in school for much longer because they can afford to (okay, yes, student loans are a problem, but there's also not a critical "you must be in the workforce otherwise your family farm will fail and everyone will starve" motivation), how hard they work is more often seen as an "option" rather than a survival need.
Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
11–20 of 94 posts
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#12It shouldn't be called retirement. It is probably more like a temporary hiatus. Also, it isn't just 20-somethings. US employment has been somewhat of a raw deal in the last 15 years for all age groups. Some people have realized that working to live just isn't worth it. There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job, and this 'impedance mismatch' forces some people with financial strength to quit a…
> There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job
yeah its called being young and being inexperienced. Gotta put the time in before you're qualified to enjoy the meat..
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#13It shouldn't be called retirement. It is probably more like a temporary hiatus. Also, it isn't just 20-somethings. US employment has been somewhat of a raw deal in the last 15 years for all age groups. Some people have realized that working to live just isn't worth it. There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job, and this 'impedance mismatch' forces some people with financial strength to quit a…
They're defining retirement as "you don't have a job and aren't looking for one", which is an egregious stretch of a definition. They're not financially independent or retired, they've given up looking for work worth doing.
No, that's not it - of the people 20-24 who "don't have a job and aren't looking for them", the number of people who said it was because they were retired doubled. Other answers were "disabled" and "staying at home". That being said, I don't see how anyone can retire at 20-24 - if it was 30-34 it'd make a lot more sense. . .
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#14It shouldn't be called retirement. It is probably more like a temporary hiatus. Also, it isn't just 20-somethings. US employment has been somewhat of a raw deal in the last 15 years for all age groups. Some people have realized that working to live just isn't worth it. There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job, and this 'impedance mismatch' forces some people with financial strength to quit a…
They're defining retirement as "you don't have a job and aren't looking for one", which is an egregious stretch of a definition. They're not financially independent or retired, they've given up looking for work worth doing.
Nope, that's the definition for being out of the workforce. They asked those people why they weren't looking, and 2% of them said that they were retired.
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
They're defining retirement as "you don't have a job and aren't looking for one", which is an egregious stretch of a definition. They're not financially independent or retired, they've given up looking for work worth doing.
If they're neither working nor financially independent, what are they living on? Not a rhetorical question; I don't live in the US, and am a bit vague about its welfare system. Is this essentially about people moving back in with family?
We have nothing approaching basic income or housing that anybody could live off reasonably. Either these kids are living with parents, living off parent's money, or are living out of their cars. There is no in between here. I suspect that it's the former, which is really giving an awful impression about what is possible in the States. The vast majority of Americans need to work their asses off just to make rent. If you don't do that, you are either living off someone else's money, or don't have a house. End of story.
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#16It shouldn't be called retirement. It is probably more like a temporary hiatus. Also, it isn't just 20-somethings. US employment has been somewhat of a raw deal in the last 15 years for all age groups. Some people have realized that working to live just isn't worth it. There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job, and this 'impedance mismatch' forces some people with financial strength to quit a…
> There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job yeah its called being young and being inexperienced. Gotta put the time in before you're qualified to enjoy the meat..
And with no guarantee of upward mobility, why would someone put up with it?
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#17It shouldn't be called retirement. It is probably more like a temporary hiatus. Also, it isn't just 20-somethings. US employment has been somewhat of a raw deal in the last 15 years for all age groups. Some people have realized that working to live just isn't worth it. There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job, and this 'impedance mismatch' forces some people with financial strength to quit a…
> There's a lot of bullshit work assigned in a typical corporate job yeah its called being young and being inexperienced. Gotta put the time in before you're qualified to enjoy the meat..
Which was true for the last generation, when you were supposed – and did – put up with the bullshit, because the company would care for you and offer you employment until retirement, and afterwards offer an adequate pension.
Nowadays, in far too many companies all you get for hard work is getting downsized. I can't blame people for not wanting to put up with that, and there's not nearly enough reasonable companies around.
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#18Yea, I am sure the percentage of 20-somethings who are actually financially independent is less than .0001%. Everyone else inherited money or gave up all hope of finding a real job.
300e6*.0001/100 = 300 people in the USA.
There's probably more than 300, 20 year olds who are living off private incomes.
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#19> When you're in your twenties you should be spending that time really exploring and thinking about the things that give you meaning. Once you start growing up and living a life more you won't be able to do that again. -Digit CEO (from video)
I hate the idea that once you leave college and get a job your life of having fun is over. As though fiscal irresponsibility is necessary for finding your life's "meaning" and you can only do that in the four years you spend at college. I really have to question someone that found their life's meaning at a point in their life where they couldn't bother to be financially responsible for themselves.
Re: Why Are 20-Somethings Retiring?
#20The article did a poor job of explaining its titular premise, imo