Flagpole wrote:
ceylaveee wrote:the time for a minimum wage for ALL adults working or not is here.
millions of Americans are giving up even looking for a job. Lets not make it a bad thing, the time of Star Trek is here, work for those that want it. Robots, computers, etc. for other tasks.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/10/news/economy/jobless-job-market-dropouts/The idea that people WHO NEED TO WORK just throw up their hands and "give up" (and what, live under a bridge?) is ludicrous...and stupid really; anyone who really believes that is flat out stupid.
People are dropping out of the workforce for many reasons:
1) RETIREMENT. 10,000 Americans every single day now turn 67 years old, or what is considered "full retirement" for them (an odd term since they payouts in SS will continue to grow until they are 70.
2) The article you linked said only a third of teenagers are working or looking for work. True. That is the result of two things: affluence, and tougher academic standards in both high school and college. In my teenage daughter's case, she has never had a regular job...she has volunteered and she has dog sat, but that's it. The reason? Affluence (my wife and I make enough money to give her a decent allowance so that she can buy the things a teenager needs and wants), and tougher academic standards (and athletic standards). In order to leave room for more difficult classes during the school year, she took a summer class each of the last three summers. Couple that with cross country practice that starts the day after school ends (not officially, but the girls all get together to run 5 days a week and then lift 2 mornings a week too, and if you want to do well in the fall, you need to put in the work over the summer), and all the studying she does, and she just has no time for a job. I recognize the downside. Having to work for someone else is an important lesson, but it's one she will have to wait for.
3) NOT NEEDING TO WORK. In 2008, the job market was in a very bad way. People were losing jobs left and right, so when some jobs started to come back, BOTH adults in a household took jobs when they could find them, then eventually one of them found a better job, one that could support them and their kids, so the other one stepped out of the workforce to be home with the kids or take care of an elderly parent, etc. That's the result of an ever-improving economy.
No one ever answers me when I ask them this, but what the hell do you think these people are doing for money who have thrown up their hands and stopped looking for work? Where are they? Are landlords letting them live rent free? NO...they are out of the workforce because they don't need to be in it.
America must be a lot different than it is in the UK (or you have a very blinkered view on the current economic and employment situation)....here in the UK very ,very few couples can afford for either to be at home, both need to work......this idea that people are throwing up their hands and stopping looking for work. That doesn't happen here. Sure, employment figures are massaged/manipulated, people on zero hour contracts are taken off the unemployment register even though they don't get enough hours work each week.....and lots of people are not finding work and depending on the other partner's wage and living a hand to mouth existence.......over here a much larger proportion of the population than ever are on a minimum wage , which is below the so called 'living wage.
I think when you ask the question ' where are all these people who have thrown up their hands and stopped looking for work' , you might try asking it of people outside your immediate friends and family, people not so 'affluent'. you need to get out more.