--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems no one is guaranteed a job…" description: "\"“It seems no one is guaranteed a job anywhere anymore. These are troubled times for workers. The creeping sense that no one’s job is safe, even as the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/daniel-goleman-1599_fear_it-seems-no-one-is-guaranteed-a-job-anyw_2821730.jpg" --- # It seems no one is guaranteed a job anywhere anymore… ![“It seems no one is guaranteed a job anywhere anymore. These are troubled times for workers. The creeping sense that no one’s job is safe, even as the companies they work for are thriving, means the spread of fear, apprehension, and confusion. One sign of this growing unease: An American…” quote by Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/daniel-goleman-1599_fear_it-seems-no-one-is-guaranteed-a-job-anyw_2821730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/daniel-goleman-1599_fear_it-seems-no-one-is-guaranteed-a-job-anyw_2821730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/daniel-goleman-1599_fear_it-seems-no-one-is-guaranteed-a-job-anyw_2821730.jpg) > ““It seems no one is guaranteed a job anywhere anymore. These are troubled times for workers. The creeping sense that no one’s job is safe, even as the companies they work for are thriving, means the spread of fear, apprehension, and confusion. One sign of this growing unease: An American headhunting firm reported that more than half of callers making inquiries about jobs were still employed—but were so fearful of losing those jobs that they had already started to look for another.5 The day that AT&T began notifying the first of forty thousand workers to be laid off—in a year when its profits were a record $4.7 billion—a poll reported that a third of Americans feared that someone in their household would soon lose a job. Such fears persist at a time when the American economy is creating more jobs than it is losing. The churning of jobs—what economists euphemistically call “labor market flexibility”—is now a troubling fact of work life. And it is part of a global tidal wave sweeping through all the leading economies of the developed world, whether in Europe, Asia, or the Americas. Prosperity is no guarantee of jobs; layoffs continue even amidst a booming economy. This paradox, as Paul Krugman, an MIT economist, puts it, is “the unfortunate price we have to pay for having as dynamic an economy as we do.”6 There is now a palpable bleakness about the new landscape of work. “We work in what amounts to a quiet war zone” is the way one midlevel executive at a multinational firm put it to me. “There’s no way to give your loyalty to a company and expect it to be returned anymore. So each person is becoming their own little shop within the company—you have to be able to be part of a team, but also ready to move on and be self-sufficient.” For many older workers—children of the meritocracy, who were taught that education and technical skills were a permanent ticket to success—this new way of thinking may come as a shock. People are beginning to realize that success takes more than intellectual excellence or technical prowess, and that we need another sort of skill just to survive—and certainly to thrive—in the increasingly turbulent job market of the future. Internal qualities such as resilience, initiative, optimism, and adaptability are taking on a new valuation. A”” [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Job security erodes despite economic growth, creating widespread anxiety and prompting workers to become self‑reliant. **In simple terms:** Jobs feel unsafe even in booming economies. Key Takeaway Cultivate adaptability and personal brand. Themes job security economic uncertainty self‑reliance Mood anxious thoughtful Type analytical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - skill development - financial planning Key Concepts labor market dynamics psychology of fear career resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance loyalty and self‑protection? - What skills make you resilient in a volatile market? A Different Perspective Self‑reliance may increase stress and competition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Technical skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technical-skills/) [Troubled times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troubled-times/) [War zone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-zone/) [Way of thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-thinking/) [Work Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-life/) ## Related quotes > [Our businesses can't create jobs when they're losing revenue, and the unemployed can't apply for jobs when they can't pay their phone bill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellie-pingree/our-businesses-can-t-create-jobs-when-they-re-losing-revenue-and-the/) [Chellie Pingree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellie-pingree/) > [We're losing all our jobs. Look at Indiana. One of the reasons I won Indiana is because Carrier just announced they are leaving for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-losing-all-our-jobs-look-at-indiana-one-of-the-reasons-i-won/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [People were dying. People were losing jobs, had no money to pay for food. When you have a general problem like this, you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/people-were-dying-people-were-losing-jobs-had-no-money-to-pay-for/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [The United States cannot continue to lose vast amounts of business, vast amounts of companies, and millions and millions of people losing their jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-united-states-cannot-continue-to-lose-vast-amounts-of-business/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Loggers losing their jobs because of Spotted Owl legislation is, in my eyes, no different than people being out of work after the furnaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/loggers-losing-their-jobs-because-of-spotted-owl-legislation-is-in-my/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [If you were an elected member of Congress and people in your constituency were losing jobs and shutting businesses and everybody in the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-you-were-an-elected-member-of-congress-and-people-in-your/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Your people are losing your jobs to your machines. You put mechanizing everything and making it efficient above your people's happiness, and you wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekaterina-sedia/your-people-are-losing-your-jobs-to-your-machines-you-put-mechanizing/) [Ekaterina Sedia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ekaterina-sedia/) > [The United States and Arizona are both losing jobs to offshore locations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/the-united-states-and-arizona-are-both-losing-jobs-to-offshore/) [Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/) > [I could sit around and cry about losing jobs because I'm not a TV star, or I could go and take something into my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-hilty/i-could-sit-around-and-cry-about-losing-jobs-because-i-m-not-a-tv/) [Megan Hilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-hilty/) > [When American workers are losing their jobs to people in other countries, Washington cannot afford to ignore this disturbing trend any longer. While Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brady/when-american-workers-are-losing-their-jobs-to-people-in-other/) [Kevin Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brady/) > [We've got people, our friends and neighbors, who are losing their jobs, factories being closed. We have to get America moving again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-douglas/we-ve-got-people-our-friends-and-neighbors-who-are-losing-their-jobs/) [James Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-douglas/) > [We're going to take on the big media, big business, and big donors that are bleeding our country dry. We're losing our jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-going-to-take-on-the-big-media-big-business-and-big-donors-that/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The unemployment rate went down as I was governor of Massachusetts. We were losing jobs every month when I came into the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/the-unemployment-rate-went-down-as-i-was-governor-of-massachusetts-we/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [No matter who it is, I hate to see people losing their jobs. I really do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-kimmel/no-matter-who-it-is-i-hate-to-see-people-losing-their-jobs-i-really-do/) [Jimmy Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-kimmel/) > [When people have lost their jobs or are afraid of losing their jobs in the future, they lash out. They want others to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/when-people-have-lost-their-jobs-or-are-afraid-of-losing-their-jobs/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) ## More by Daniel Goleman > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [When the darkness is seen as a necessary prelude to the creative light, one is less likely to ascribe frustration to personal inadequacy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/when-the-darkness-is-seen-as-a-necessary-prelude-to-the-creative/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [All the classical meditation traditions, in one way or another, stress nonattachment to the self as a goal of practice. Oddly, this dimension is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/all-the-classical-meditation-traditions-in-one-way-or-another-stress/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Feelings are self-justifying, with a set of perceptions and "proofs" all their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/feelings-are-self-justifying-with-a-set-of-perceptions-and-proofs-all/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Overloading attention shrinks mental control. Life immersed in digital distractions creates a near constant cognitive overload. And that overload wears out self-control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/overloading-attention-shrinks-mental-control-life-immersed-in-digital/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [What seems to set apart those at the very top of competitive pursuits from others of roughly equal ability is the degree to which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/what-seems-to-set-apart-those-at-the-very-top-of-competitive-pursuits/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“What distinguishes leaders in medicine goes far beyond that knowledge, into interpersonal skills like empathy, conflict resolution, and people development.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/what-distinguishes-leaders-in-medicine-goes-far-beyond-that-knowledge/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“Richard Davidson, a University of Wisconsin psychologist. He discovered that people who have greater activity in the left frontal lobe, compared to the right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/richard-davidson-a-university-of-wisconsin-psychologist-he-discovered/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Emotional 'literacy' implies an expanded responsibility for schools in helping to socialize children. This daunting task requires two major changes: that teachers go beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/emotional-literacy-implies-an-expanded-responsibility-for-schools-in/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The social brain is in its natural habitat when we're talking with someone face-to-face in real time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-social-brain-is-in-its-natural-habitat-when-we-re-talking-with/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The ability to handle stress increases with the practice of meditation. In a culture like ours in which inner, spiritual growth is totally neglected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-ability-to-handle-stress-increases-with-the-practice-of/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Research shows that for jobs of all kinds, emotional intelligence is twice as important an ingredient of outstanding performance as cognitive ability and technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/research-shows-that-for-jobs-of-all-kinds-emotional-intelligence-is/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-emotional-brain-responds-to-an-event-more-quickly-than-the/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Positive work environments outperform negative work environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/positive-work-environments-outperform-negative-work-environments/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Who does not recall school at least in part as endless dreary hours of boredom punctuated by moments of high anxiety?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/who-does-not-recall-school-at-least-in-part-as-endless-dreary-hours/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) [Explore all 200 Daniel Goleman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. 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But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It seems no one is guaranteed a job anywhere anymore. These are troubled times for workers. The creeping sense that no one’s job is safe, even as the companies they work for are thriving, means the spread of fear, apprehension, and confusion. One sign of this growing unease: An American headhunting firm reported that more than half of callers making inquiries about jobs were still employed—but were so fearful of losing those jobs that they had already started to look for another.5 The day that AT&T began notifying the first of forty thousand workers to be laid off—in a year when its profits were a record $4.7 billion—a poll reported that a third of Americans feared that someone in their household would soon lose a job. Such fears persist at a time when the American economy is creating more jobs than it is losing. The churning of jobs—what economists euphemistically call “labor market flexibility”—is now a troubling fact of work life. And it is part of a global tidal wave sweeping through all the leading economies of the developed world, whether in Europe, Asia, or the Americas. Prosperity is no guarantee of jobs; layoffs continue even amidst a booming economy. This paradox, as Paul Krugman, an MIT economist, puts it, is “the unfortunate price we have to pay for having as dynamic an economy as we do.”6 There is now a palpable bleakness about the new landscape of work. “We work in what amounts to a quiet war zone” is the way one midlevel executive at a multinational firm put it to me. “There’s no way to give your loyalty to a company and expect it to be returned anymore. So each person is becoming their own little shop within the company—you have to be able to be part of a team, but also ready to move on and be self-sufficient.” For many older workers—children of the meritocracy, who were taught that education and technical skills were a permanent ticket to success—this new way of thinking may come as a shock. People are beginning to realize that success takes more than intellectual excellence or technical prowess, and that we need another sort of skill just to survive—and certainly to thrive—in the increasingly turbulent job market of the future. Internal qualities such as resilience, initiative, optimism, and adaptability are taking on a new valuation. 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