For many months now financial analysts have been perplexed with how stocks and bonds have been contracting and expanding in the same directions. They usually do the opposite of each other. Then another paradox occurred last week with reports on lower then expected job growth while consumer confidence rose to its highest level in a year.
Like stocks and bonds, its counter-intuitive that our collective expectations on our personal financial future would go up when there are less jobs to be had. Where is this confidence coming from with fewer jobs to go around?
Great study has been done on what we value in work and it turns out there is a lot more important things then money. Dan Ariely is just one expert that has demonstrated that we care as much or more about contribution, flexibility, collaboration and independence.
So could the recent disconnect between confidence and jobs be a reflection of how we see a job as more than a payroll? If our value on work goes beyond money then it stands to reason that what attracts us to a job is more then the wage. Amazon’s new experiment with a 30-hour work week provides further recognition of the demand for more flexible and entrepreneurial models.
The nature of things is changing dramatically and nowhere more so then in the way work gets done. But if you just look at measures traditionally, then you’ll miss it.
