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McJob was in use at least as early as
1986, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines it as "An unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector."[1] It was popularised in
1991 in Douglas Coupland's novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture as one of the margin definitions. It was described as "a low-pay, low-prestige, low-dignity, low benefit, no-future job in the service sector. Frequently considered a satisfying career choice by people who have never held one".[2] The novel never uses the term in reference to McDonald's, though; Andy, the book's narrator, uses the term only once, in reference to the bartending job that his friend Dag does.[2]
The term is used to emphasize the perception that many desirable middle-class jobs are being eliminated[citation needed], either due to productivity gains (often the result of automation[citation needed]) or due to the shifting of operations to second- or third-world countries where labour costs are cheaper. For example, manufacturing, call-centre, accounting, and computer programming jobs are not as abundant in developed countries as they used to be[citation needed], as firms have looked abroad to meet these needs, frustrating many people who used to work in these industries. Such displaced workers often spent many years gaining specialized education, training, and experience, and are reluctant to start over in a new industry at the bottom rung.
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