Reddit’s “Antiwork” Forum Booms As Millions Of Americans Refuse Traditional Employment

The unprecedented economic ructions caused by the pandemic (and, more importantly, the lockdowns and job-destroying restrictions on business that governments ordered in response to the pandemic) have forced many of Americans to dramatically rethink their relationship with work.

Clearly, there’s something going on with the labor market. While JOLTS data show that millions of workers in the US continue to quit their jobs (and it’s not just low-paying jobs in retail and hospitality; increasingly white collar jobs are being left open), the last three months have yielded jobs creation numbers that have disappointed expectations (but are apparently still strong enough to justify a March rate hike by the Fed).

Massive gains in crypto and equity markets since the start of the pandemic have given many Americans breathing room allowing them to pursue “alternative” lifestyles (be it “vanlife” or taking a stab at starting a small business of their own, even if that business is a simple dog-walking business). But not everyone who has left “traditional” work over the past two years is a crypto millionaire. Some have simply been so attracted to the DIY ethos that they’ve decided to take the leap, aided by generous federal stimulus benefits).

With so many people branching out into the unknown, social media and communities like Reddit have become important digital gathering spaces for people to compare  notes and share stories (both encouraging, and discouraging) about their forays into what some are calling the “antiwork” movement.

Now, there’s a whole subreddit dedicated to it.

As the FT reports, as the labor force participation rate in the US flatlines below pre-pandemic levels, some of the millions of Americans who quit their jobs last year are finding their way to the “antiwork” subreddit. – READ MORE