美國的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)正處于進(jìn)退兩難的境地,一來他們?cè)谛鹿谝咔槠陂g積蓄的財(cái)富正在消失,二來經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退即將到來,預(yù)期會(huì)出現(xiàn)裁員。
它帶來的后果就是岌岌可危的美國夢(mèng)。
在新冠疫情的低谷過后,經(jīng)濟(jì)出現(xiàn)了反彈,受此鼓舞的企業(yè)紛紛招攬人才,將有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的中層管理人員納入麾下?!豆鹕虡I(yè)評(píng)論》(Harvard Business Review)甚至寫道,中層管理人員現(xiàn)在比以往任何時(shí)候都更重要(《財(cái)富》雜志也在11月13日從六個(gè)方面講述了這一故事)。但一場潛伏的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退目前正在威脅著白領(lǐng)的生計(jì):那些高薪的管理職位——這些工作在美國社會(huì)曾經(jīng)被標(biāo)榜為實(shí)現(xiàn)中產(chǎn)階級(jí)美國夢(mèng)的關(guān)鍵——可能會(huì)被一波波地砍掉。
據(jù)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》(The Financial Times)報(bào)道,由于企業(yè)更傾向于招聘成本更可控的藍(lán)領(lǐng),白領(lǐng)工作崗位會(huì)消失,那么通往中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的通道可能會(huì)被攔腰斬?cái)唷?/p>
軟件制造商UKG的人力資源部副總裁戴夫·吉爾伯森在接受《金融時(shí)報(bào)》采訪時(shí)說:“有很大一部分人將不得不推遲實(shí)現(xiàn)美國夢(mèng),因?yàn)樗麄冋也坏阶约豪硐氲墓ぷ??!?/p>
美國各大公司對(duì)全面衰退的擔(dān)憂深植心底,同時(shí),這也是各大公司的盈虧底線,因此,裁員已經(jīng)全面展開。藍(lán)領(lǐng)工人通常是在經(jīng)濟(jì)低迷時(shí)期最先失業(yè)的人,但在新冠疫情期間,情況卻相反,藍(lán)領(lǐng)工人,例如服務(wù)、零售和建筑行業(yè)的工人,仍然供不應(yīng)求。在2020年之前,藍(lán)領(lǐng)勞動(dòng)力市場已經(jīng)很緊張了,就像許多事情一樣,新冠疫情只會(huì)加劇這一緊張局面。
另一方面,白領(lǐng)們的前路艱難。幾個(gè)月來,專家們一直預(yù)測(cè),這一次白領(lǐng)工作崗位將首當(dāng)其沖。對(duì)沖基金Scion Asset Management的負(fù)責(zé)人邁克爾·伯里在今年6月特斯拉(Tesla)宣布將裁減10%的白領(lǐng)員工,以增加藍(lán)領(lǐng)工作崗位后表示,在新冠疫情期間,辦公室工作人員確為冗員而被裁減。
事實(shí)證明,在某些行業(yè),他的這一觀點(diǎn)一針見血——科技行業(yè)的大規(guī)模裁員再明顯不過了。Facebook的母公司Meta于11月9日宣布,將裁員約13%,首席執(zhí)行官馬克·扎克伯格承認(rèn),他對(duì)新冠疫情后的最初繁榮判讀失誤。埃隆·馬斯克在上周接管社交媒體平臺(tái)推特(Twitter)后,解雇了數(shù)千名員工。
沃爾瑪(Warmart)和Gap等零售商,以及住房龍頭企業(yè)Compass、Redfin和Zillow等公司也出現(xiàn)了裁員。
此外,據(jù)畢馬威會(huì)計(jì)師事務(wù)所(KPMG)最近的一份報(bào)告,近一半的美國首席執(zhí)行官正在考慮在未來六個(gè)月內(nèi)裁員。
除了持續(xù)的通貨膨脹之外,最近的裁員潮——主要是重新思考白領(lǐng)與藍(lán)領(lǐng)工作崗位存在的合理性——可能成為中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的拐點(diǎn),這個(gè)階級(jí)在新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前很久就在萎縮,目前岌岌可危。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
美國的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)正處于進(jìn)退兩難的境地,一來他們?cè)谛鹿谝咔槠陂g積蓄的財(cái)富正在消失,二來經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退即將到來,預(yù)期會(huì)出現(xiàn)裁員。
它帶來的后果就是岌岌可危的美國夢(mèng)。
在新冠疫情的低谷過后,經(jīng)濟(jì)出現(xiàn)了反彈,受此鼓舞的企業(yè)紛紛招攬人才,將有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的中層管理人員納入麾下?!豆鹕虡I(yè)評(píng)論》(Harvard Business Review)甚至寫道,中層管理人員現(xiàn)在比以往任何時(shí)候都更重要(《財(cái)富》雜志也在11月13日從六個(gè)方面講述了這一故事)。但一場潛伏的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退目前正在威脅著白領(lǐng)的生計(jì):那些高薪的管理職位——這些工作在美國社會(huì)曾經(jīng)被標(biāo)榜為實(shí)現(xiàn)中產(chǎn)階級(jí)美國夢(mèng)的關(guān)鍵——可能會(huì)被一波波地砍掉。
據(jù)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》(The Financial Times)報(bào)道,由于企業(yè)更傾向于招聘成本更可控的藍(lán)領(lǐng),白領(lǐng)工作崗位會(huì)消失,那么通往中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的通道可能會(huì)被攔腰斬?cái)唷?/p>
軟件制造商UKG的人力資源部副總裁戴夫·吉爾伯森在接受《金融時(shí)報(bào)》采訪時(shí)說:“有很大一部分人將不得不推遲實(shí)現(xiàn)美國夢(mèng),因?yàn)樗麄冋也坏阶约豪硐氲墓ぷ??!?/p>
美國各大公司對(duì)全面衰退的擔(dān)憂深植心底,同時(shí),這也是各大公司的盈虧底線,因此,裁員已經(jīng)全面展開。藍(lán)領(lǐng)工人通常是在經(jīng)濟(jì)低迷時(shí)期最先失業(yè)的人,但在新冠疫情期間,情況卻相反,藍(lán)領(lǐng)工人,例如服務(wù)、零售和建筑行業(yè)的工人,仍然供不應(yīng)求。在2020年之前,藍(lán)領(lǐng)勞動(dòng)力市場已經(jīng)很緊張了,就像許多事情一樣,新冠疫情只會(huì)加劇這一緊張局面。
另一方面,白領(lǐng)們的前路艱難。幾個(gè)月來,專家們一直預(yù)測(cè),這一次白領(lǐng)工作崗位將首當(dāng)其沖。對(duì)沖基金Scion Asset Management的負(fù)責(zé)人邁克爾·伯里在今年6月特斯拉(Tesla)宣布將裁減10%的白領(lǐng)員工,以增加藍(lán)領(lǐng)工作崗位后表示,在新冠疫情期間,辦公室工作人員確為冗員而被裁減。
事實(shí)證明,在某些行業(yè),他的這一觀點(diǎn)一針見血——科技行業(yè)的大規(guī)模裁員再明顯不過了。Facebook的母公司Meta于11月9日宣布,將裁員約13%,首席執(zhí)行官馬克·扎克伯格承認(rèn),他對(duì)新冠疫情后的最初繁榮判讀失誤。埃隆·馬斯克在上周接管社交媒體平臺(tái)推特(Twitter)后,解雇了數(shù)千名員工。
沃爾瑪(Warmart)和Gap等零售商,以及住房龍頭企業(yè)Compass、Redfin和Zillow等公司也出現(xiàn)了裁員。
此外,據(jù)畢馬威會(huì)計(jì)師事務(wù)所(KPMG)最近的一份報(bào)告,近一半的美國首席執(zhí)行官正在考慮在未來六個(gè)月內(nèi)裁員。
除了持續(xù)的通貨膨脹之外,最近的裁員潮——主要是重新思考白領(lǐng)與藍(lán)領(lǐng)工作崗位存在的合理性——可能成為中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的拐點(diǎn),這個(gè)階級(jí)在新冠疫情爆發(fā)之前很久就在萎縮,目前岌岌可危。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
America’s middle class is in a tight spot, squeezed between the disappearing wealth Americans squirreled away during the pandemic and projected layoffs at the hands of a looming recession.
At stake: the American Dream.
Companies, emboldened by an economic rebound after the nadir of the pandemic, rushed to acquire talent and fill their ranks with skilled middle managers. The?Harvard Business Review even wrote that middle managers are more important now than ever (Fortune?wrote that story six ways to November 13 as well). But a lurking recession is now threatening the livelihoods of white-collar workers: Those higher-salaried management roles—the jobs once heralded in American society as the key to obtaining the middle-class American Dream—may be axed in waves.
As these jobs vanish in favor of blue-collar workers at more manageable costs, that pipeline to the middle class could be chopped at the knees, reports The Financial Times.
“There’s a significant portion of the population who will have to delay the American Dream because they can’t find the role that they want,” Dave Gilbertson, a vice president at HR software maker UKG, told the publication.
With continued fears of a full-blown recession in the hearts and minds—and on the bottom lines—of American companies, layoffs have been in full swing. Blue-collar workers are typically first to be out of a job in an economic downturn, but the pandemic created a contrasting wrinkle where those workers, such as those in the service, retail, and construction industries, remain a sought-after commodity. There was already a drought in the blue-collar labor force before 2020 that, like so many things, the pandemic only intensified.
White-collar workers, on the other hand, have a rough road ahead. Experts have projected for months that white-collar jobs will be first to be put to the sword this time around. Michael Burry, who runs hedge fund Scion Asset Management, said on the heels of Tesla announcing a 10% reduction in white-collar staff in favor of more blue-collar jobs back in June that office workers had proven themselves redundant during the pandemic.
He’s been proven right in some industries—look no further than the mass layoffs in tech. Facebook parent company Meta announced on November 9 it was laying off roughly 13% of its workforce, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitting he miscalculated the initial boom post-pandemic. Elon Musk laid off thousands of workers at Twitter after taking over the social media platform last week.
Corporate layoffs, too, have come for the likes of retailers like Walmart and Gap, as well as housing leaders Compass, Redfin, and Zillow.
On top of that, nearly half of U.S. chief executives are considering downsizing their workforce over the next six months, according to a recent report from accounting firm KPMG.
The recent spate of layoffs—and primarily a reconsideration of the validity of white-collar vs. blue-collar workers—on top of continued inflation could serve as an inflection point for a middle class that was shrinking long before the pandemic and is now hanging on by a thread.