For forty years, the U.S.-led global economy has produced an enormous improvement in human welfare. The percentage of the world’s population living on less than $1.90 per day fallings from 42% to 10%.
At the same time, income inequality has surged in countries with advanced economics. Nowhere has it surged more than the United States, where reliance on free-market forces magnifies rewards for those at the top while leaving others behind.
Career success in the USA: Five years ago, family man Guido Schmitz emigrated to New Jersey in the USA with his wife and daughter for his job. Professionally, things couldn’t be better, but the family still struggles with the idea of returning to their old homeland of Germany.
YouTube comments:
“I think people are so cool! Why can’t Germans be like that? Simply unconditionally warm, open, friendly. That gives you a completely different attitude towards life.”
“I’ve been to the US three times now. In total over a period of almost 3 months. During this time I was always on the move, trying to make contacts, observing, imagining living there. The USA is not a country for undecided people. Whoever hesitates or is scared loses. I’ve been to 149 cities, from the East Coast to the West Coast, with over 25 days in Texas in between, according to my Google timeline. People are often only friendly if they get money for it (locals). The rules in the US are not for Germans because we are too uptight. It is actually the case that the colleague in the video lives a classic stroke of luck of the American dream. That’s not the case for many others. The USA is a grand master in the topographical change of business locations. There is enough documentation for this. The odds of finding an employer that will make you satisfied to work for a full decade is hit and miss. Are you not performing, have you had a career break, is it hard to recover, social hammocks?”
“Just watched a report about American prisons, at least in part, then switched off… 🙁
How people, sometimes children, are treated there, violently. This is no longer a land of freedom. I never set foot there.”
YouTube comments:
“I’m surprised that Google have such aggressive deadlines, considering them not having any noticeable new products the past few years, in addition to the closure of many of their products.”
“I disagree with this. My experience at Google was awesome. It was like working on a cruise ship and in my two years I can only remember having to stay late 2-3 times. I only left because once you work at Google other tech companies want you really bad and will pay more to get you.”
“As a current Software Engineer @ Google that started on 02/28/2022, I can see why Googlers quit! It’s hard to past the yearly perk review as a rookie, Junior SWE and if you don’t show steady progression within your role, you will continue to barely pass your yearly perk or even fail! The 5 reasons you mention on here are factual but I would add not passing the yearly perk review or getting a “meet expectations”, then you will most likely quit, because you will feel the pressure to perform at a much higher level. This takes a tole on your mental and emotional health big time! No amount of money is worth your mental and emotional health and feel like you’re going crazy!”
The United States is seeing its highest “quit rate” since the government started keeping track two decades ago. Bill Whitaker speaks with employers who are scrambling to find help and people who left their jobs and aren’t looking back.
YouTube comments:
“I’ve worked in the food industry since I was 16, I am 30 now. I’ve never been offered a management position or any other kind of supervisory role so I opened my own restaurant in 2020. I got tired of being overlooked so I took my fellow co-workers and gave them a job at my restaurant with great pay, great benefits and I really did for them what my former jobs refused to do which is giving them “respect”. So far I’ve had not one employee leave my business.”
“Bad environment, low pay, employers are demanding more and paying less. I quit my job because I was expected to do the job of 3 people and constantly reprimanded for not being able to keep up. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gone through this. A lot of businesses, corporations treat their employees like dirt, unimportant. They are way too many managers out there that have absolutely no people skills and are high on a power trip.”
“I’ve worked since I was 13. I walked the day I turned 55. It was always the plan. Nobody ever gave me a dime. I kept telling everyone at work I was going to leave. No one believed me. I left everything at my desk. Got up and left. I’m now 62. Just started S.S. All those years I worked my way up the ladder. When I got there I realized there was just more work. Get out early if you can.”
“Also let’s take some social responsbility for ourselves- it’s not JUST the companies that make jobs miserable. I talk to people in the service and retail industries and I personally spent years in IT. On the customer end, people are often entitled, impatient, and rude. It’s far worse that what I remember it 20 years ago. Don’t make your own workplace or that of someone else, needlessly toxic. Your Amazon package being a day late or waiting in line a little longer at the supermarket are not the end of the world. You will survive, I promise.”
YouTube comments:
“I always thought after I graduated college and got my first job at corporate I thought finally got a job I could never lose. Boy was I wrong. I’ve seen some of the best coworkers I had get laid off because the company decided the department was no longer needed. You really need to take charge of your personal interests because no one else will.”
“You see, jobs are temporary, they come and they go. Your skills, personality and attitude stay. So smile, take a step forward, and do whatever you love. Thanks Matt! :)”
About his father being laid off from his “safe” desk job: “You can fail at what you don’t want, so why not take a chance on doing what you love?” – Commedian Jim Carrey
Yves quit his job even though he had it all: a big salary, health benefits and a pension plan. He sold his downtown condo, too. Why did he decide to drastically simplify his life? Because he was unhappy and unfulfilled. A couple of years ago, he went on a 10-day silent retreat and, after much soul-searching, realized that his job and his stressful lifestyle needed to go.
Now, a year and a half later, he’s living a minimalist lifestyle in a small bachelor apartment, riding his bike to work, and working 3 days a week at a grocery store. He has more time to spend with the people he loves, and a lot less stress. Does he regret his downshifting decision? Watch this video to find out!
YouTube comments:
“I can relate to this guy. I worked in a gov job for 20 years and was in the same situation. I was miserable all the time. Unlike him though, I have a wife and kids to take care of, and cannot simply walk away.”
“I’m 26. I quit my stressful job this year, lowered my expenses, and work 3 days/week at a hospital now. Not a single regret!”
“Saw this 2 yrs ago and i laughed at him thinking he was a chump. 2 yrs later after being in a toxic environment i realize i’m the chump.”
“This guy is telling my story. The only difference is, he actually had the courage to leave once he hit his breaking point. I just made 26 years at my job this past Friday and have been suffering in silence the whole time. Bravo sir for acknowledging your inner voice and taking charge of your life! Thanks for sharing his story.”
2018. American workers struggle with massive layoffs and the stress of an unknown future.
YouTube comments:
“$70k + Benefits? YOU MAKE ENOUGH MONEY. How can you not survive on that? They expect a job for life where they never have to save or plan or invest or learn any new skills. And they say millenials are entitled?”
“The US needs a union revival. This is disgusting to watch.”
“I you’re making 70 grand a year, you should be saving at least 20 thousand a year, but Americans like to buy their toys and squander their money like there’s no tomorrow. Just do the math: 20 thou/year over 15 years that’s 300 thou, house paid off plus compounded interest. just saying.”
Jordan Peterson on the dangers of meaningless jobs and the importance of pursuing what is meaningful in work and life.
YouTube comments:
“One day I said ‘I don’t want to follow his stupid rules’ to my boss’s boss speaking about my boss who was also in the room. This guy didn’t even follow his own rules because he knew they were stupid. He was not stupid and I knew that. It was a smart play by him to take me out (fire me) because I had a different way of thinking that didn’t suit his vision. I had enough money in the bank at the time to act naturally like this though.”
December 2022. The German cabinet agreed in principle to immigration reform in a bid to secure more skilled workers. Europe’s biggest economy is currently experiencing a lack of roughly half a million people to its workforce and wants to make up for the shortfall.
The federal government said it wanted to boost immigration and training to tackle a skills shortage which is hampering the country’s economy at a time of weakening growth. Meanwhile, an aging population is increasing pressure on the public pension system.
Germany is also keen on granting immigrants from the Western Balkan countries that are not in the EU, such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, access to their job market for an unlimited amount of time. The proposals to amend the Skilled Immigration Act, first introduced in March 2020, include an “opportunity card” for jobseekers.
YouTube comments:
“Germany is a great country to move — But living in Germany is difficult, salary is relatively low, bureaucrats, high taxes, immigrants can never feel german even of they acquire citizenship. In Canada you feel Canadian right after you arrive there. Germans are not that open minded as people from English speaking countries. Language barrier is real!”
“The title should be the shortage of CHEAP labor shortage.”
“That is fantastic news for US citizens, cuz i don’t think any US citizen want to give up their citizenship for any other country. US allows dual citizenship. I am sure many Americans would love to live in a social democratic country.”
“The solution is simple, make English the 2nd official language along with German. It would facilitate literally EVERYTHING in an instant. Plus, It would be a safe bet that skilled workers would come in droves! What happens is, understandbly so, most workers prefer to exclusively migrate to countries in whom they don’t have to start to study a new language from scratch to be able to integrate and maybe after a decade will be successful at filing their tax reports in German. Examples are Malta, Singapore and a few others. It would make Germany 50 times as attractive for international job seekers who would traditionally rather opt for Canada or UK….or if they happen to be plastic surgeons or Astronauts with half a mil in the bank: the US.”
YouTube comments:
“The old man used to always tell me that being afraid to talk about money was a great way to not have any.”
“This is spot on. Went from $70k per year to $100k then to $115k then to $147k then $170k and now to $230k over the span of 10 years. If I had that stupid “quitters never win” mindset, I probably wouldn’t be making over $100k today. Oh, and did I mention that I have a history degree?”
“I work as an advanced practice nurse practitioner making 140K in a medium sized-city in Texas. I started nursing making 60K 8 years ago, never stayed with a company more than 2 years, and always left for hospitals that offered better pay. I had hospital admin ask me to stay for the ‘patients, friends and staff’ because they could not afford to pay me another raise. I had a new job within 2 weeks with a 10% salary increase – it took them nearly 2 years to fill the position I left behind. Those ‘friends, staff, and patients’ don’t contribute a single thing to my salary and they do not pay my bills – no thank you. Do not blindly think your organization cares about you, know your worth, and leave for the organizations that can afford to pay you what you are really worth.”