[davidw]

I wonder if perhaps it's time for the pendulum to swing back the other way some. I mean, I'm pretty happy doing my own thing, but there are plenty of people who just want to have some security in life, and in a world where there's little of that, a company that provides some might be able to attract people. Maybe not in an industry like ours, but who knows... just a random thought.

[nathan_long]

To me, "job security" means having marketable skills. It means I don't depend on a single company. It does not mean I trust that my company will take care of me.

This is easy to say as a software developer because of the nature of our industry. Niche jobs are probably different, but a smart worker would recognize such a job as a personal risk ("if this company tanks, I have no marketable skills") and require more compensation in exchange for assuming that risk.

[codegeek]

Definitely. "Investing in me" should not just be about doing your own thing necessarily. For me, it is more about "looking out for self interest". If a company provides the things I want in a good way, nothing wrong staying with it for the long haul i guess.

[opminion]

That's what having a job means to most people in southern Europe. Everything that falls short of that, which are most jobs nowadays, is considered negative.

That's one reason why many people think it is normal that one of the roles of the state is to be a main provider of jobs.

Not saying that's good or bad, just what the general feeling is, which is very difficult to understand if your baseline is pure capitalism.

[davidw]

Yeah, I was talking more about the US. Here in Italy, I think people still need to get more used to not having jobs for life.