Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Jobs

lately, there has been a lot of talk about how the jobs market is improving.
It is, no doubt.
But the way in which is improving marks a societal shift in what it means to have a job.

Let's look. Fifty years ago, all jobs came with something we laughingly call "job security." These days, anyone who has stayed in the same job for more than five years is considered damaged goods once they find themselves on the market. Also, there is the matter of pensions and other forms of corporate support for families. Mention any such thing in an interview now, and they don't even laugh (laughter would have been so two decades ago); now it's just an admission that you can't handle your affairs well enough to be a little worker bee.

This sounds caustic, and it is. But to dismiss the idea of meaningful employment is short-sighted; some few companies still do care about their workers. And no, not all of these companies are on ethe West Coast. Some do still invest in their communities, understanding that the best climate for a business is one in which a community is thriving.

Let's do more.
Together.