salary increases instead of hiring more people?

Unfortunately, these days you're either employed and grossly overworked or unemployed.

Gone, it seems, are the days of having a healthy work/life balance, not to mention a healthy workload balance while AT work.

japan went through this long time ago. now the more looked after jobs for those in their 20s and 30s are public jobs, postman at the top.

interesting how the labor mkt has its own cycles on the suppy side too. the rat race/workaholism leads to take it easy/hippy/walden mentality.

Matt, a healthy work/life balance is one of top priorities. In fact, I would not consider myself to be successful unless I have achieved that.

There are actually plenty of people who are not overworked. Usually only the ones with good work ethics are overworked. That appears to be true even when unemployment rate is high.

...one of [my] top priorities.

When I went to my 20-year high school reunion, I ran into two classmates, one now living in California, the other in Illinois. Both had been in high-paying (200K-ish) jobs, one in computers, the other in sales. Both are now mailmen. They chucked the 60-80 hour workweeks and huge (but volatile) paychecks and bonuses mostly for the guaranteed pension and health benefits and the guaranteed 40-hour workweek.

> "Usually only the ones with good work ethics are overworked."

work ethics = willingness to be overworked on behalf of the owners of the company.

> for the guaranteed pension and health benefits and the guaranteed 40-hour workweek.

i don't see that pensions and health care being there (totally underfunded), but the benefits of normal hours and being able to be outdoors, to walk, ... are real. in japan even those in their 80s doubt their pension benefits will be there for them. that's the reason they hold onto their savings. they know exactly how unfunded the pensions are and how much debt their country is in. big difference with usa, but we will be there in 10 years imho.

So they 'went postal' to reduce stress and for more stability/hours? :)

matt..it may be true..but do you not see how incredible that story sounds,as in hard to believe?

One high school. Two different people living in two different states. They take huge pay cuts for the same reason. Both earned 200k a large component of which were bonuses (that is not always the case with such salary levels). Both worked 60-80 hours.

Even having two mailmen in your hs class, no matter how they started, sounds dubious.

did you get carried away in your enthusiasm to tell a good tale?

by the way, you can respond, "yeah i know it sounds incredible,but it's true"...or do you not think it sounds incredible?

Matt, how many different careers have you had over the years? I bet there's an interesting story there.

I didn't get a chance to go to my HS reunion a few years ago, but based on the comments from the reunion website, they were all over the country in various fields. I think my graduating class had over 500 students.

"Even having two mailmen in your hs class, no matter how they started, sounds dubious."

Don't hate me because I'm remarkable.

There's also a trend in increasing base salary while reducing bonus. This might encourage these people to get/afford larger loans...