On social media, everyone's in their funemployment era

""Laid off in June and the job market is so bad I decided to have a funemployed summer," one TikTok creator posted earlier this year. Another wrote: "a weekday as a funemployed millennial." In the video they wake up at 11 a.m. and scroll TikTok for an hour; after breakfast at 1 p.m., they journal, read, think about life, hit the gym, and then call it a day."

"Some funemployed were laid off. Some quit, lured by voluntary buyout programs. Some simply crave a career break or are in-between jobs. "I got laid off four months ago, y'all wanna know what I learned," one TikTok creator posted. "Life goes on." Instead of spending their days poring over job listings or firing out résumés, they're embracing the time off and using it to travel, pursue a passion project, or simply rest. (At least until the severance pay runs out.)"

American workers face widespread layoffs and an unsettled job market, prompting some to embrace "funemployment" as intentional time off for rest, travel, or passion projects. Some people were laid off, others quit for voluntary buyouts, and others sought career breaks or transitional periods between jobs. Social media creators share routines that include late wake-ups, journaling, reading, exercise and reflection. Layoff announcements have surpassed 1.1 million this year, the highest since the 2020 pandemic according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Younger generations often place less central importance on work and report higher disengagement, contributing to this trend.

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