The great reinvention

COVID brought us many iterations of the “new normal.” We learned to identify our friends and neighbors from the eyes up, give other shoppers in the grocery store a wide berth, and find creative ways to connect with others in a time of mass isolation. We spent time in solitude or in close quarters with our families. The hustle and bustle of the world slowed to a halt during lengthy shutdowns. We lost people we loved. We lost people we couldn’t afford to lose.

Over the past few years, many people invested time in self-reflection. Some discovered a discontent that they hadn’t taken the time to fully explore before the pandemic. After experiencing tremendous loss, the urgency to live a fulfilling life became crystal clear. There had been time to explore new hobbies or pick up old ones. To imagine all the places we would go when the world reopened. To finally put together that business plan and make a go of it. Thus began the great reinvention.

For some, the time had come to pursue entrepreneurship. Mirroring national data, Iowa saw a record number of new businesses registered in fiscal year 2022, expedited by the Fast Track Filing system that brought the timeline for off-site registration from around 30 days to approximately six hours. (As I understand, you can also still show up with your paperwork in person, head across the street for some Tasty Tacos, and pick up your completed filed documents when you’re finished.)

Others left the workforce to become stay-home parents. The data are particularly interesting when you account for gender; more and more, men are taking on caretaker and household duties. While research has demonstrated positive outcomes for both children with working parents and those with a parent who stays home, there is more consistency in the data surrounding happier parents raising happier and more well adjusted kids. There is an aspect of privilege to be considered here; in some households, parents don’t have the ability to choose to stay home. In others, parents may not have the ability to choose otherwise — particularly in the event that appropriate child care is out of reach financially or if they are serving as caretaker for a high-needs child living with disability.

Employers are pushing for a return to the office, but a labor force now accustomed to and with a preference to work remotely on their own terms is pushing back. Hyer, Fiverr, Upwork and a slew of other options provide a technological solution to those who cannot bear another 9 to 5 in the cubicle. Conveniences we became accustomed to — restaurant delivery, online shopping, and the ability to hire someone to put together your Ikea console table have driven up demand for gig labor. Despite widespread grumbling about staff reluctance to return to in-person work, over 80 percent of U.S. based large employers acknowledge that they fully intend to “substantially increase their use of a flexible workforce.” This desire to both require rigid schedules and decrease cost by relying on part-time gig workers betrays the “want my cake and eat it too” corporate mentality leading to a lack of trust and buy-in among a workforce no longer committed to decades of toil in a single industry, let alone a single company. By 2027, it is projected that over half of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers rather than employees. (As an aside, this is probably a good time to consider implications for the future of universal health care policy in the U.S., among other things)

An industry that continues to struggle despite the shuffle of people seeking a new passion is higher education. With student loan forgiveness still dangling in judicial limbo, potential students can be forgiven for hesitating. Both community colleges and four year institutions are still suffering from low enrollment that hasn’t let up since 2020. Information has never been cheaper or more accessible than it is right now — and with free classes available from Khan Academy, Coursera, and several other sources it is possible to grow your knowledge base and skill set without the crushing debt that often accompany a traditional education (Although you are also unlikely to walk away with an actual degree). Coursera reported over 21 million new users in 2020.

Of course, not everyone has chosen to pursue a new venture of their own accord. Some of these life changes have been forced by the closure of businesses, involuntary layoffs, and reductions in the higher paid long-term workforce. Still more are the result of advancements in technology. It should come as no surprise that many of the jobs we know today will become obsolete. Think about the massive technological shifts that took place in the timespan between the Wright brothers’ first successful flight in 1903 and the release of the iPhone in 2007. There were dramatic changes in how we lived, worked, ate, and traveled in that time. The average employee in 1903 worked nearly twice as many hours per year as the average employee in 2007. The loss of obsolete jobs was offset by new opportunities.

Today, many people are worried about change. Few travel agents remain; we book our own flights. Our checkout lanes (in the stores that still require them) are now largely unmanned. As chatbots take over, the call centers are no longer filled with activity. What does it all mean? Potentially, the opportunity to pursue something different. Something more. We can choose to view the approaching future with fear, or we can evolve.

Sofia DeMartino is a Gazette editorial fellow. Comments: sofia.demartino@thegazette.com

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