Why limit yourself to western countries? In fact, why limit it to countries at all? Isn't it the most popular trope of all time to decry the state of today and romanticise yesterday? People have "not been wanting to work anymore" for at least 150 years, things were always better in the olden days, people don't make 'em like they used to, etm.

There's very little value in a statement like yours. It's a truism that has never been correct.

> things were always better in the olden days, people don't make 'em like they used to.

Just because successive generations make the same observations about <X> doesn't mean that <X> hasn't actually been steadily declining, you know.