Gen Z is saying “no thanks” minimum wage ✋

Hey hey! Which would you rather join: a Slack/Gmail/MacBook company or a Teams/Outlook/PC company? Personally, I prefer the former—but I’d be lying if I said that Slack’s “knock brush” notification didn’t spike my stress levels each time it goes off. 🫠

 1   Workplaces still have progress to make 🏳️‍🌈

June is Pride Month, which is a perfect time to take stock of how the fight for workplace equality is shaping up. Although more companies than ever are investing resources into their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination is still a problem.  

By the numbers:

Seeking an inclusive workplace? Look for jobs with LGBTQ+ employee resource groups, benefits, and inclusive language in their job listings. Or go straight to the source: Google, Microsoft, and H-E-B are ranked as the best places to work by LGBTQ+ employees.

 2   Gen Z is saying “no thanks” to minimum wage ✋

The tight labor market has given Gen Z a wide variety of job opportunities. With 1.6 job openings for every unemployed person, Gen Z teens have lots of options…which makes them likely to swipe left on most minimum wage gigs.

The reason for the job surplus? Supply and demand—there are fewer available workers than open jobs, especially for teens. Two factors why:

1. Summer visa immigration to resort towns (which rely heavily on immigrants to staff their businesses) fell ~19% due to COVID restrictions. This immigration drop has cost the U.S. nearly 1 million workers, according to The Federal Reserve.

2. Baby Boomers are approaching retirement age, leaving the economy with ~1.6 million fewer employees.

So? Some states are saying “nvm” to previous federal restrictions so teens can work longer hours and riskier jobs. Labor rights groups are concerned, but in the meantime, Gen Z is happy that they no longer rely on their parents' allowance.

 3   Amazon workers are taking a stand 🚶

From return-to-office mandates to mass layoffs to a less-than-stellar environmental record, Amazon isn’t winning many points with its workers.

That’s why last Wednesday, over 2,000 Amazon employees walked off the job to protest. Organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice and Amazon's Remote Advocacy group, the protesters demanded that Amazon 1) prioritize climate change in its decision-making and 2) let employees WFH (Amazon currently requires employees to go to the office at least three times a week 🫠).

If Amazon wants to be “Earth’s best employer and Earth’s safest place to work” (yep, Jeff Bezos really said that), it’s likely in the company’s best interest to hear these employees out.

Sponsored by Indeed 

How to Disclose Your Salary Expectations During an Interview

What are your salary expectations? While this question is tricky to navigate during a job interview, the video above will teach you how to craft an answer so you can get paid what you’re worth—and not feel awkward about asking for it! Need more help? Prep for your next interview here with Indeed's interview help services.

What city does this 🔔 emoji remind you of? That’s right—it’s Philadelphia (shoutout to the Liberty Bell, AKA the top destination for every middle school field trip). Our team visited Philly to get to know its citizens, their jobs, and their salaries.

For context, Philadelphia’s cost of living is about 5% higher than the national average. However, its minimum wage is $7.25—despite Philadelphia voters’ overwhelming support for a $15 minimum wage.

But before watching the video, can you guess which profession earns how much? Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to see if you matched the profession to the salary correctly. 👀

• Entering the “real world” for the first time can be scary. These six tips on how to manage your money as a new grad will help you feel more in control. 🤝

• The story of a Waffle House waitress who earned $2.92 per hour sheds light on the realities of the hospitality industry.

• Considering becoming a freelancer? Read this to decide if you’re ready to take the leap.

• According to Vox, teenagers aren’t thinking enough about their future aspirations—and that comes at a big professional cost.

• Here’s a list of affirmations for when you’re at work. Our favorite? “I am confident in the value that I bring to the table.” 👏

Thanks for reading! Last week, we asked you: Would you take a pay cut in order to keep working from home? 72% of you were in favor of the WFH life. 🏡 However, we received some fascinating responses that show this issue isn’t so black and white:

→ For some, it’s all about choice. “I would like the option to work occasionally from the office. I would take the pay cut to have the choice.”

→ For others, WFH helps with burnout. “My commute is currently 45 mins each way. I work from home on Fridays and would love to make it 2 days a week. I also work in mental health so working from home helps with burnout. ”

→ But some people are adamant that WFH isn’t the way to go. “Flexibility is great but people who are full-time WFH will fall behind.”

One thing is for sure—there is no clear right or wrong answer on this one.

See you next Tuesday!

Quiz Answer: A - 2, B - 3, C - 1