Careers Are Dead. Welcome To Your Low Wage, Temp Work Future

[gazhekwe]

We were just talking this evening after listening to some folk music, Greenback Dollar, Kingston Trio. It's about traveling and making money however you can. Traveling from low wage short term job to low wage short term job. Sounds romantic in a folk song maybe, but in real life it is depressing. The song celebrates the lifestyle during the Depression, traveling the roads for agrarian jobs paying a dollar a day. What has happened to the American Dream of a career that will raise a family, buy a home, send the kids to college?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmWXlLxcOlU

[Hermod]

We were just talking this evening after listening to some folk music, Greenback Dollar, Kingston Trio. It's about traveling and making money however you can. Traveling from low wage short term job to low wage short term job. Sounds romantic in a folk song maybe, but in real life it is depressing. The song celebrates the lifestyle during the Depression, traveling the roads for agrarian jobs paying a dollar a day. What has happened to the American Dream of a career that will raise a family, buy a home, send the kids to college?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmWXlLxcOlU

1. The US had a labor shortage caused by three population factors, the stringent and well enforced immigration laws of the 1920s, a very low birthrate during the depression years, and a very large [[in manpower terms) military.

2. Now the US has a labor surplus caused by entry of the baby boomers into the work force, uncontrolled immigration [[both legal and illegal), and downsizing of the military in the 70s and 90s.

3. Add to this job losses from off-shoring and automation.

4. Most of the jobs being created are "low value added" and low productivity though necessary jobs.

[TKshreve]

1. The US had a labor shortage caused by three population factors, the stringent and well enforced immigration laws of the 1920s, a very low birthrate during the depression years, and a very large [[in manpower terms) military.

2. Now the US has a labor surplus caused by entry of the baby boomers into the work force, uncontrolled immigration [[both legal and illegal), and downsizing of the military in the 70s and 90s.

3. Add to this job losses from off-shoring and automation.

4. Most of the jobs being created are "low value added" and low productivity though necessary jobs.

5. The onset of women into the workforce.

[ghettopalmetto]

1. The US had a labor shortage caused by three population factors, the stringent and well enforced immigration laws of the 1920s, a very low birthrate during the depression years, and a very large [[in manpower terms) military.

2. Now the US has a labor surplus caused by entry of the baby boomers into the work force, uncontrolled immigration [[both legal and illegal), and downsizing of the military in the 70s and 90s.

3. Add to this job losses from off-shoring and automation.

4. Most of the jobs being created are "low value added" and low productivity though necessary jobs.

6. The "R" lever in the voting booth: where unions are crushed, education is defunded and inaccessible, subsidies are thrown at low-wage employers like Walmart, minorities are thrown into prison, taxes are raised on the poor and cut for the wealthy, social controls are instituted, and the hordes of the unwashed masses scrap over crumbs to the entertainment of the Masters.

I don't know why anyone is so shocked. Welcome to the Plantation.

[oladub]

6. The "R" lever in the voting booth: where unions are crushed, education is defunded and inaccessible, subsidies are thrown at low-wage employers like Walmart, minorities are thrown into prison, taxes are raised on the poor and cut for the wealthy, social controls are instituted, and the hordes of the unwashed masses scrap over crumbs to the entertainment of the Masters.

I don't know why anyone is so shocked. Welcome to the Plantation.

Non governmental unions have been crushed by both parties sending jobs abroad and allowing in too many foreign workers, both legal and illegal, to compete for remaining US jobs. Expanding the supply of workers meant that US workers and their unions cannot demand higher wages and benefits. Formerly union meat packing plants have been replaced by non-union plants employing third world labor, some Buick engines are made in China, GM just dedicated another $12B of its profits to invest in China, and plane loads of Pakistani programmers are brought in to work for less. Our national leaders of both parties and corporate leaders have no loyalty to US workers. President Obama's attempt to fast track the TPP won't help.

[ghettopalmetto]

Non governmental unions have been crushed by both parties sending jobs abroad and allowing in too many foreign workers, both legal and illegal, to compete for remaining US jobs. Expanding the supply of workers meant that US workers and their unions cannot demand higher wages and benefits. Formerly union meat packing plants have been replaced by non-union plants employing third world labor, some Buick engines are made in China, GM just dedicated another $12B of its profits to invest in China, and plane loads of Pakistani programmers are brought in to work for less. Our national leaders of both parties and corporate leaders have no loyalty to US workers. President Obama's attempt to fast track the TPP won't help.

I actually agree with you on this point. Both major political parties have failed working Americans in this regard. Unions were the reason we have a 40 hour work week, sick leave, paid vacations, overtime, and safety regulations--things that are now standard in any industry. By claiming that unions are now "irrelevant", we have done our working people a disservice. All I know is that Japan and Germany--two of the largest manufacturing nations--have very powerful unions. It's ironic, then, that companies from those nations use the Deep South as their Third World labor force.

I'm not arguing that people should be forced to join a union against their will. But the data show that wages and benefits have fallen as unions have decreased in strength. That's not an accident. But then again, we vote for the politicians who come up with magical elixirs like "Right to Work" that drive us right down into the economic crapper.

[MizMotown]

Poverty Skyrockets in Oakland County

http://www.freep.com/article/20140424/NEWS06/304240132/poverty-skyrockets-in-Oakland-County

[bailey]

I actually agree with you on this point. Both major political parties have failed working Americans in this regard. Unions were the reason we have a 40 hour work week, sick leave, paid vacations, overtime, and safety regulations--things that are now standard in any industry. By claiming that unions are now "irrelevant", we have done our working people a disservice. All I know is that Japan and Germany--two of the largest manufacturing nations--have very powerful unions. It's ironic, then, that companies from those nations use the Deep South as their Third World labor force.
.....

up to a point I'm with you...but the ol' AFL-CIO isn't JUST shrinking because of RTW... there are just fewer jobs due to gains in efficiency and mechanization. It takes far fewer to make much more... and those "fewer" are using the most menial of skill to do it, which is why it can be off shored or eliminated. It's not just manufacturing, we don't need a Steno pool anymore either...fuck you Bill Gates and your WORD/EXCEL/Windows killing all those AFSCME jobs! Bringing back unions to 1950s levels isn't ever going to happen.

The disappearance of jobs is a hit, but add that to American's rampant consumerism, pathological aversion to education [[so that you have a skill set above buggy whip assembly), American's bi polar hatred of government in general[[decry Socialism and entitlements, but demand it "does something" when they need assistance) ... I mean you can't compare a socialized systems like Germany and Japan with the US... and cap it all off with a delusional belief that if we just work hard enough, there is no need to save now or live with our means, we'll all be rich one day, CHARGE IT!

Americans are just stupid, easily led, self centered assholes. Look, there would be no wal mart if the vast majority of american's WERE NOT cheap, fat, lazy, stupid, slobs.

The problem is not the Rs pulling the lever or that both parties have been in cahoots here, the problem is way too many people vote [[both at the ballot box and with their wallet) directly against their interests and have zero ability to think 5 minutes into the future.

No way on gods green earth any macomb county jobbie should be voting for a R [[or a Clinton) or shopping at a Wal Mart or eating at a McDonalds [[or patronizing any anti worker or anti american manufacturing corporation) but they do because 'MERICA![[tm) and FREEDOMS![[R) . they do so because they think they DESERVE that 50 inch flat panel/ipad/cell phone/whatever is the latest "must-have" thing made by Chinese workers for slave wage ....they think they DESERVE that dollar menu supersized McPinkslime burger.... and they think they DESERVE that infinite amount of weeks of unemployment because BARACK HUSSIEN OBUMMER tuk their jahbss! No motherfuckers, you tuk YOUR OWN jahbs by being fucking retarded. We americans are morons who vote based on wedge social issues instead of important things like who is going to make sure American's have access to jobs that pay a living wage.

We get the government, the economy and the employment picture we deserve. Stupid should be painful, there is a lot of pain out there because of a lot of really stupid decisions, maybe it'll wake enough people up to do something about it. But I doubt it because 2014 is going to be about Obamacare and amnesty and abortion and gay marriage and whether a welfare queen rancher in Nevada is hero or a racist....

[old guy]

Non governmental unions have been crushed by both parties sending jobs abroad and allowing in too many foreign workers, both legal and illegal, to compete for remaining US jobs. Expanding the supply of workers meant that US workers and their unions cannot demand higher wages and benefits. Formerly union meat packing plants have been replaced by non-union plants employing third world labor, some Buick engines are made in China, GM just dedicated another $12B of its profits to invest in China, and plane loads of Pakistani programmers are brought in to work for less. Our national leaders of both parties and corporate leaders have no loyalty to US workers. President Obama's attempt to fast track the TPP won't help.

Oladub, I understand what you're saying and agree with most of it. My problem is, and I''m not dealing with union workers, is that I can't find any unskilled entry level workers. I mean almost zero. A company that I did work for before I was in the newspaper business and went back to in semi- retirement can't recruit locals. They don't offer great wages but they are good wages for people entering the work force with little or no skills. I've worked for companies that had people working as interns and paying the company to do so, simply to ad their job to their resume. This summer I had Hispanic people, people from Kazakhstan who were Muslims whose favorite movie was Forrest Gump, and people from the Ukraine whose parents urged them to take asylum in the U.S. because Putin was such a nut case. These were all extremely polite, hard working people. I don't know what to say. People that live several blocks from this business that are out of work don't even apply for jobs. People come from half way across the planet and work their butt's off and are so polite it's almost strange. I don't what to think. I would hire American employees, but they don't apply.

[oladub]

old guy, I'm sure you are right about not being able to attract workers but I suspect if the pay was high enough you would. Let's say that the minimum wage rose to $15-$20/hour. Then, i suspect, more Americans would get off of their couches. After all, consider all the disgusting, smelly things doctors and nurses have to do but they are paid well. Americans, until quite recently worked in meat plants but, as I mentioned before, they were being paid union wages and benefits. Americans are not willing to work at foreign caste wage scales. Americans, often blacks, until 20-30 years ago picked our produce but they too were replaced by cheaper labor. As long as an inexhaustible supply of foreign labor is made available, wages won't go up. It might be a very good idea to significantly raise the minimum wage so there would be less advantage to hiring foreigners. It would probably get some Americans off of their couches, reduce unemployment and welfare, reduce the number of bureaucrats managing such programs, and stimulate technology to replace minimum wage workers thereby increasing productivity.

Higher minimum wages would also help finance college educations. Today, i see a lot of McDonald's and landscaping businesses hiring people who can't speak English. Whether or not they are illegal aliens I don't know but those jobs used to be done by high school and college students. Now, they go deep into debt taking student loan money being shoved at them. I think that it makes more sense to recalibrate our system to encourage our students to earn money instead of leading them into debt.

The best friend of American labor would be to create a labor shortage. To do this, just replace middle class income taxes, to the extent possible, and replace them with import taxes levied on corporations profiting from cheap foreign labor an send illegal aliens home by going after their employers. These two things would create a shortage of labor and we would see a consequent regrowth of the labor union movement and otherwise allow workers to demand a larger share of the national economic pie. That's basic supply and demand. Minimum wages wouldn't even be needed.