Workforce attitude shift in the last 25 years

Here's an interesting study that takes a look at American workforce changes in the last 25 years in regards to job satisfaction, work-life support, gender roles and attitudes. Some of the results of the study sound promising.

The study, conducted with nationally representative samples of the U.S. workforce, found that younger workers are more likely to be "family-centric" or "dual-centric" (with equal priorities on both career and family) and less "work-centric" (putting higher priority on their jobs than family) compared to members of the Boomer generation.

...Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute says, “What we found was striking--specifically because it uncovers a marked shift in the attitudes of both women and men who are redefining their priorities in life and in work."

The study revealed that children of Gen-X parents receive more attention than children did in 1977, with Gen-X fathers spending over an hour more per day with their children than Boomer fathers. The study also finds that both women and men have become more conscious of the personal tradeoffs they have to make to advance in their careers and that an increasing number are choosing to stay at the same levels, rather than continue moving up the career ladder.

Curt Rosengren
Passion Catalyst  ^SM

Career passion e-books

Comments

[Troy Worman]

Interesting indeed. I think we saw this coming. But with the insane competition brought on by globalization, I am afraid balance has a downside.

[Barbara Saunders]

Personally, I'm ver work-centric. Sometimes I'm even a workaholic. This attiude has never really extended to my JOB, though. I can't quite penetrate the logic of people who are very devoted to a particular employer relationship or even specific career path. Jobs and careers come and go -- even when one stays in the same work domain.

[Raymond Ford]

I am afraid that even after generation - x that we won't have anything even resembling ver work-centric because we tend to give our kids way to much and don't instill a good work ethic.