Co-written with Opal Wagnac
This one started in the comments of Post 3.5, The Rise of the Modern Workforce – From Fringe Benefits to the Era of Security.
Opal Wagnac added to the conversation – how the public sector shaped an entire generation’s view of stability and benefits.
After World War II, there was a deep sense of respect for government service – and far more trust than there is today.
For many, getting a good government job was the dream. It meant security, medical coverage, and a pension you could count on. And we’re talking a defined benefits pension plan, not a 401(k) plan. You worked hard, stayed long, and the system took care of you. The unspoken social contract of the time.
In Washington D.C., especially, public-sector loyalty became its own culture. People left private industry for richer benefits and the assurance of stability in the public sector. Government roles modeled what private employers had been trying to replicate, job stability, rich benefits, and the confidence that you wouldn’t lose either overnight.
The “good government job” wasn’t just a social contract – it was psychological.
Families built entire belief systems around it, passing down the idea that stability and pride came from public service. These roles were limited – a finite supply that made landing one feel like winning the lottery.
But as trust in institutions declined, that certainty started to fade.
Fast-forward to today, and that sense of government stability feels shaky. We’ve experienced government shutdowns, missed paychecks, and even job firings in the public eye. Reminders that the systems once known for security are no longer immune to disruption.
Security ≠ stability anymore.
Maybe it never really was.
If I use my country of origin (Kenya) as an example, stability doesn’t come from the government or a job. It comes from what you build for yourself. I’m not saying that this is necessarily all good or all bad. It’s just the reality.
And maybe that’s part of the shift we’re seeing now: the systems that once defined security are changing. The new version might look more like self-reliance. With smarter tools and access to better data, we now have the ability to create our own safety nets.
So how do we rebuild trust in the modern workforce? How do we create systems that protect people and evolve with them?
Imagine if AI helped organizations rebuild that trust — not just simplify complexity, but re-humanize it. Making benefits portable, predictable, and personal again. That might just be the modern version of a “good gubment job.”
Question for You
What do you think — should companies and governments still be responsible for our sense of security, or is that era over? And if you grew up somewhere else, how was it for you? What did stability mean where you’re from?
Next Up:
The Promise of Security – How Pensions Shaped the Social Contract.
