Thread by @BusinessInsider

The "antiwork" trend is growing, as people — particularly Gen Zers — opt out of working.

Here's what's going on. 👇

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In America, "antiwork" looks similar to youth-led movements against work in other countries, especially China, where young people are "lying flat" by decentering a drive to constantly be more productive and competitive at work.

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Larry, 52, is part of the movement.

When he got laid off from a seasonal job in Colorado, he moved back to South Carolina to be with his mother.

Now he lives simply, in a 20-foot trailer in her backyard.

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A rising disillusion with the state of work has spawned millions of Larrys over the last year.

People have been quitting their jobs at record rates for six months in a row now — and many aren't going back to work.

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For some, work doesn't seem worth it anymore.

Wages have been declining for decades while student debt rises.

The number of people with low-wage jobs has grown since the Great Recession, as salaries that support a middle-class life have cratered.

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The stories of those in the "antiwork" movement provide some answers to why there's an ongoing labor shortage.

Whether bosses realize it or not, workers are effectively striking for better conditions — and it might just work.

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The Reddit group "r/antiwork" began in 2013 and now has a million followers; half joined in October alone.

It shows "antiwork" is about embracing a work-free lifestyle, and finding community in pushing back against exploitative working conditions.

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Kade, a Gen Z worker in Kansas, said he started seeing posts from "r/antiwork" a few months ago.

Reading people's accounts of quitting — and learning how they're rethinking work — factored into his own decision to quit his job as a service worker.

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Like many aspects of the economy, the rising sentiment against working in exploitative conditions has been jolted by the pandemic.

Low-wage workers were labeled essential, but even their small hazard pay hikes ended after a few months.

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Some employers seem shocked by shortages, and by workers turning the table and ghosting them.

Insider's Grace Dean reported that a BBQ restaurant in Florida shuttered after only being able to retain four employees.

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The newest generation reshaping the workforce may also play a pivotal role in the rise of demanding better conditions.

Workers say that employers should take heed.

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