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A recent post on Reddit’s r/Millennials struck a nerve: “Anyone else feel like job security doesn’t exist anymore?” wrote one user.
The post quickly gained traction, with hundreds of upvotes and a flood of responses from people who echoed the same concerns.
“Being the best or hardest worker will not save you from a c-suite affording themselves a bonus,” the original poster added.
That line captured what many workers feel: hard work and loyalty no longer matter when executive bonuses and shareholder value take priority.
A Long Decline Since 2008
Many users agreed that job security has been eroding for decades, with the 2008 financial crisis marking a definitive turning point. “I think it died (it was dying before) in 2008,” one user said.
Another added, “I graduated college in 2007, never seen job security. It’s odd people are just now noticing.”
Even those in historically stable roles are starting to feel the instability. One federal worker shared, “All of us in my office feeling unstable here. Even those who have been here 10+ years.”
Another noted how being in a “permanent” role now means little.
A college sociology professor pointed to real-world data. Referencing “The Precariat” by Guy Standing, they explained the rise of precarious employment and the erosion of secure, full-time work as part of a broader systemic trend.
Industry Makes a Difference
The type of job matters. Many Redditors pointed out that certain industries still offer some degree of stability.
Skilled trades, healthcare, and essential services like water treatment continue to be relatively secure, but even those come with warning signs.
“We definitely have more job security than a lot of people, but I absolutely do not trust my employer not to ‘eliminate the position’ I work in,” one nurse wrote.
Other healthcare workers described being laid off despite years of service, as financial mismanagement or policy changes left them vulnerable.
Jobs that are physically demanding, dangerous or undesirable—like wind turbine maintenance or wastewater treatment—are often safer simply because fewer people want to do them.
Meanwhile, people in tech, education, corporate jobs, and even some government roles described wave after wave of layoffs.
One user noted that even the once-coveted federal jobs are no longer immune from instability, shutdowns or restructuring.
The Loyalty Disconnect
Many users recounted watching their parents give decades to the same company, only to be laid off or pushed into retirement with little recognition.
One shared that their father had a stroke after being worked into the ground by a private equity-owned company. “He wasn’t sure if honesty and hard work ever really mattered,” they wrote.
Others said their own experiences taught them to do only what’s required. “I have had a pretty shitty work ethic my whole life because I work for people who dream of the ability to get rid of me,” one user commented.
It’s hard to care when caring doesn’t result in stability.
Hoping for Stability, Settling for Strategy
Instead of expecting long-term security, many now focus on staying agile. Job hopping is no longer a red flag but a necessity.
“It’s usually the only way to get a meaningful pay raise or advance role,” the original poster noted.
The idea of job security has shifted. For some, it’s less about staying in one role and more about being in a field that stays in demand.
“Job security as in being irreplaceable is long gone,” one commenter wrote. “But job security as in you will always be able to get work is still alive and well in the correct fields.”
Some users said they’ve accepted the volatility and adjusted accordingly. Others emphasized building a strong resume, networking often and never getting too comfortable.
The Bigger Picture
Zooming out, several commenters tied the lack of security to deeper economic issues.
The decline of unions, the rise of private equity, the erosion of worker protections, and the prioritization of short-term profits have all contributed.
“It didn’t exist. It’s all been a lie for a long time,” one Redditor wrote. “All those ‘fun’ companies like Meta to work for 5+ years ago are now hellscapes like everywhere else.”
Others noted that executive pay has skyrocketed while regular workers are treated as disposable.
The reward structure incentivizes mass layoffs and cuts, not long-term investment in people.
Even some government contractors and longtime employees said they now feel like expendable labor.
A few argued that the only solution is widespread unionization or rethinking capitalism itself.
A Common Thread
From trade workers to temp employees, tech veterans to healthcare professionals, the overwhelming sentiment is clear: job security feels like a relic of the past.
Millennials came of age during one crisis after another, from the Great Recession to COVID-19 to mass layoffs in today’s economy.
Loyalty has been replaced by pragmatism. Optimism has given way to caution.
Many feel like the system is built to benefit the few at the top, while everyone else is left to scramble for their next paycheck.
Or as one user summed it up: “Job security is the new urban legend.”
And yet, amid the frustration, there is a kind of shared wisdom emerging. Workers are more aware, more strategic, and perhaps more vocal than ever before.
Whether that results in real change remains to be seen, but no one seems to be waiting around for the system to fix itself.
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