🔝 C-suite dreams

Show of hands: Who wants to be the boss? Few people, as it turns out. 

Just 3 in 10 Americans say they aspire to a C-suite role, according to new research from Empower, with Millennials showing the highest interest in becoming a top executive (39%). In fact, 31% of people don’t want their job description to change – even if it means sacrificing a promotion or raise. 

Money is the number one driver of job satisfaction (67%), trumping the value people place on being an inspiring leader and leading by example (32%). Ironically, many are stressed about working with an incompetent manager (24%) or colleagues (26%).

So if less focus is placed on moving up, what’s at the top of the wishlist? Financial coaching and advice are high up the chain. Check out our study findings, and this week’s headlines.

— The Editors

Money

💰 A million, million reasons: Over half of people are banking that they’ll continue to make more money (58%) in the year ahead. How does a trillion dollars sound? A new report predicts the first trillionaire could emerge within the next 10 years.* The personal wealth of the world’s top five richest people – Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault of luxury company LVMH, Jeff Bezos, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, and Warren Buffett – has more than doubled since 2020.

🏝️ Passive income…in paradise: Over a third of Americans (32%) plan to spend their bonus on booking a vacation. How about some relaxation and “ai registrations” in the Caribbean island of Anguilla? The sunny stretch of beach is benefiting from new artificial intelligence startups leveraging “.ai” websites. In the 1980s, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) gave out two-letter domains to nations and territories, and Anguilla got “.ai,” which is now earning around $3 million* per month.

🥤 Top up on perks: 38% of people say company benefits and perks drive their job satisfaction. Need a soda with that free lunch? Coca-Cola Spiced, a mix of raspberry and spices, is the first new addition to Coke’s lineup in three years.* The brand’s revenue is expected to bubble up 4.7%* to $10.68 billion. Variety is the spice of life: the vending machine industry is expected to slot $37.2 billion* within the next 10 years.

🏢 A 4-day workweek: Is less more? 48% of Americans say they'd be willing to go back to the office if their employer offered a four-day workweek. Some companies are leasing less space and betting higher-quality offices in prime locations will get workers in the door. In 2023, 58%* of the 100 largest office leases by size were renewals, 26% more than in 2019. 

Life

No shade to these productivity boosters

A total solar eclipse is on the horizon, a rare occurrence that finds the moon passing between Earth and the sun, entirely blocking its rays. The last one took place back in 2017, and some reports estimate that the two-and-a-half minute event cost the U.S. economy about $694 million* in lost productivity when everyone paused their work to look up at the sky.

Everyone except perhaps American Paper Optics, the largest supplier of solar eclipse glasses, which sold 45 million pairs* that year. The company is projecting sales up to 75 million before this year’s solar eclipse dazzles on April 8. 

If employers are looking for ways to increase productivity and employee engagement (rare celestial events excluded), they may want to turn their sights on financial education instead: 39% of Americans say their employer doesn't offer enough financial planning support. Half (48%) say financial coaching is a major must-have, and 52% wish their job would provide more financial literacy opportunities. 

Play

A race for retirement readiness 

Bring a Trailer, a popular online auction site for collectible cars, saw sales rev up 2%, crossing the finish line with a record $1.4 billion.* The company sold over 30,000 cars in 2023, an increase of 19% year-over-year.

But don’t count on classic cars to cash in on financial security, as the average selling price on the site fell to $54,000 from $59,500 a year ago. A better bet: Seven in 10 Americans (71%) say retirement plan matching is an important employee benefit, and over half (54%) wish their job automatically enrolled them into a 401(k) plan.

This year, more Americans plan to increase their contributions to their retirement savings (34%) than ask for a promotion (23%) or quit to find a higher paying job (14%).  

__

🤑 It’s bonus szn. These money windfalls are important to 75% of American workers. How do you plan on spending yours?

• Buying something nice 

• Putting it toward a mortgage payment 

• Adding it to retirement savings 

• Emergency fund 

• Going on vacation 

• Investing it

Sauce boss: 25% of you might be spending some of your bonus on a bottle of BBQ sauce, based on last week’s poll.

__

Work

A slice of the (pizza) pie for influencers 

Do you love pizza? Are you good at scrolling while you snack? Then listen up.   

Slice, an ordering app for independent pizzerias, is looking to hire a pizza influencer to create social media content in celebration of the ‘za and the chefs behind it – and, of course, taste-test the occasional pie.  

Foodies could make a career out of their love for this American staple, as the job listing offers a salary up to $110,000 a year* plus a weekly pizza stipend.  

Outside their local brick oven bistro, Americans are focused on making enough dough to pay their bills on time (45%) and to retire when they want to (39%). Over 1 in 4 want to make enough to avoid working multiple jobs.