Say goodbye to that steady job.
The week's news at a glance.
Austria
Matthias Horx
Die Presse
European youth are living in the past, said Matthias Horx in Vienna’s Die Presse. Just look at the French students, “rising up in revolt, hippie-like, with their red flags and their kaffiyehs,” demanding “guaranteed employment.” They think they are radicals, battling the forces of soulless capitalism. They may even think they’re on the side of progress, especially now that they have forced the French government to repeal a law that would have reduced job security. Still, the students are misapplying 19th- and 20th-century concepts to a completely new model of labor. In the 21st century, the very idea of holding a position in a company is becoming obsolete. Soon enough, there will be no “permanent staff positions,” but rather, shifting “challenges and tasks.” Workers will be free agents, taking on the tasks that suit them. It’s the opposite of the “industrial model, which kept workers secure but also dependent on the company.” Sure it’s scary to be responsible for oneself. But when they grow up a little, European kids will realize that it’s also “freeing.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82