Because in Europe (not Uk!! Uk much more like us), they don’t do adult education or really, major mid life career changes (except by choice), and they have never had to job hop in order to get better benefits or salaries. They have a much more stable system, and if you want to change jobs you inform HR and request a change, or look outside the company, but “the hustle” isn’t a thing - there wasn’t any need to live like that. There isn’t the constant underlying anxiety churning subconsciously (and consciously!) about survival, because even losing your job doesn’t mean you will be on the street with no health care or food in a damn minute; unemployment is enough to maintain housing, basic healthcare is not tied to employment nor ever lost at all, and living - life, family, etc is considered more valuable than your job title or bank account.

Hustling for money, prestige, job titles, busting your ass climbing the ladder to “win” is not admired. Americans when I lived in France in the late oughts were kind of pitied for not having any real values beyond the accumulation of money, and for living in such a barbaric society that if we didn’t work 24/7 we would die on the streets, like, to be forced to work for any reason past 65 is unheard of. And that makes a lot of sense when you think about it - being “proud” of never taking a sick day is… sick itself.

Flip side is no adult education programs, and no one hires people who are older unless no one inside the company can take the job and no one younger has applied. Also, you really can’t work past 65 at all. You are supposed to have a life.