The working landscape in the United States has rapidly changed in the last 30 years. The one job-for-life model is vanishing and younger workers are trading in stability and security for flexibility and autonomy. 

GBH and PBS Digital Studios present the Future of Work digital series, a six-part docuseries chronicling six mid-career adults as they navigate the rapidly changing work landscape covering topics such as debt, the gig economy, remote working, career identity, and more.

Through intimate portraits of millennials, the series explores how the fundamental shifts in work are impacting workers' well-being, stability, sense of identity, and community. Each of the six digital episodes focuses on a key theme from the Future of Work documentaries series —the rise of the precariat, the gig economy, working to live, digital nomads, new opportunities — and through cross-generational conversations, illustrates its past, present, and future.
 

Future of Work: The Next Generation is a production of Spotzen for GBH Studio Six. 

Ten years after graduating from chiropractic school, Courtney Acree has $400,000 in student debt. She stays busy managing her hours as a chiropractor, as well as the time and travel that comes with her second job as a flight attendant. Courtney is one of approximately 13 million Americans with two jobs, but the reason she works almost 60 hours a week isn’t purely financial.

Jake 28, from Los Angeles, CA lives, works, and sleeps in his Honda sedan. By day, he drives all over Los Angeles, delivering food for companies like DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. At night, he sleeps on a custom-made bed that unfolds over the passenger seat. As a recovering addict with social anxiety disorder, Jake could never see himself trapped behind a desk or in a crowded kitchen.

Annette & Daniel Fortner are Digital Nomads, people who embrace a location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle that allows them to travel and work anywhere in the internet-connected world. In 2017, they sold all their possessions and became full time world travelers picking up odd jobs online. With the low cost of living, they work fewer hours; but is the digital nomad life sustainable?

Rob Abasolo was a copywriter at an ad agency who was struggling to find the creative freedom that initially attracted him to the industry. So, he decided to quit. His career pivot? It turns out big life changes can sometimes come in small packages. Find out how Rob is thriving as a short-term rental entrepreneur building tiny homes all across the country.

Katherine Berry was living out her dream life - or so she thought. After graduating a year early from USC Business School, Katherine landed a big-time sales gig at a well-known tech company in San Francisco. But then the pandemic hit. Suddenly, new roommates (her parents) and the inability to unplug  (60-70 hour work weeks) had Katherine’s anxiety levels at an all-time high.

Luis Santiago went from working at McDonald’s in the “Badlands” neighborhood of Philadelphia to running his own company and pulling in six figures. And he got from Point A to Point B without a four-year college degree. The secret? Luis is a master HVAC technician in a skilled trades industry which has grown less and less popular as a career path in the U.S. over the last few decades.

Producers/Directors: Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews
Senior Editor: Andrew Matthews
Editor: Aaron Schillinger
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Hosts: Julia Lorenz-Olson and Phillip Olson