ECONOMY

Say Goodbye To Your High-Paying Pretend Jobs

What will America look like when even ‘college towns’ aren’t insulated from despair?

Citizen Reader
Minds Without Borders
5 min readSep 17, 2024

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Dark-haired man dressed in black suit with white shirt and blue tie, sitting at a modernist desk with laptop, black lamp, and plant, against a bright blue background.
Photo by Moose Photos: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-sitting-with-laptop-computer-on-desk-and-lamp-1586996/

The other day a friend told me in an email, “I’m glad I live in a college and government town. It’s kind of recession-proof,” and I found myself wondering if that is still true. If it is, how long will it be true?

The labor situation in America is hugely different than it was 50 or even 25 years ago. Manufacturing is dead and it’s most likely not coming back.

I get the feeling lots of other industries are about to follow manufacturing into that not-so-good night.

With the advent of AI, will mid-level university (and other middle-manager type) jobs be the next to disappear? What will all our prosperous, “recession-proof” towns look like then?

I don’t respect pretend jobs, but how else are people supposed to make a living?

I’m kind of an asshole.

If you’ve read any of my writing you’ve probably already learned that. But I can also tell you about one of my little habits that will solidify my reputation as a jerk.

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Citizen Reader
Minds Without Borders

"Money makes people lose their humanity." from Zeke Faux's "Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall"