It seems like hardly a week goes by without the introduction of a buzzy term to encapsulate our evolving relationship with working. Since 2020, we’ve been talking about essential workers, remote work, working parents, the great resignation, unionization, quiet quitting, the gig economy, and how, despite all this talk of work, supposedly no one wants to work anymore.
With the cost of living still outpacing wage growth, many workers are dissatisfied with their prospects and experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout. So how are we to balance earning a living with, well, living?
Some folks are organizing their workplaces, calling for higher pay, opportunities to advance, more time off, and the ability to continue remote work.
Others see quiet quitting not as slacking off, but as establishing healthy boundaries between their jobs and the rest of their lives, refusing to take on additional responsibilities and work hours they aren’t being paid for.
Many have enrolled in graduate programs, presumably to embark on new career paths or boost earning potential. Increases in enrollment were highest among students of color.
Alternatively, most of us are taking some time away from work: more Americans are vacationing in 2022 than before the pandemic.
Whether the goal is labor organizing, optimizing productivity to have more leisure time, avoiding burnout, or getting a raise to try and stay ahead of inflation, these books speak to the challenges facing today’s labor force.
See a few selections below, or click here for the full title list.
