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I guess it comes down to a matter of preference, for some people due to various mitigating circumstances it may not be worth their while to take a couple part time jobs vs collecting unemployment.
You are right, everyone is unique. I enjoyed working with my hands, being a barista in one part time (with no experience) and baking in a German bakery (with no experience) in another. Plus free coffee and German pastries/pretzels didn't hurt!
I have a slightly different idea for the long term unemployed.
Government should provide tax credits for hiring the bona fide long term unemployed. Not the currently employed, not someone's brother in law. True long term unemployed. Have this tax credit available for up to 5 yrs.
If the now newly hired employee loses their job again, the tax credits would need to be PAID back in full.
I have a number of friends and relatives who have been unemployed for over a year. These are middle aged people who up to 2008 were hard working professional college educated people who appeared to have a good life ahead of them. But in late 2008- early 2009 each of these people were laid off their jobs and ever since they have not been able to find anything.
These are people with good communications skills, an attractive professional appearance and highly intelligent. But for a variety of reasons they just can't seem to find a job. They live in a major metropolitan area where the economy is considered relatively average (Minneapolis area). They have got some interviews but someone else was hired or the job was put on hold.
So far these people have survived because of the generous unemployment insurance payments in Minnesota and the seemingly endless State and Federal Extensions of unemployment benefits. They have collected for over a year and still have some time left.
But eventually there is going to be an end to the benefits and their situation will likely be the same. If you can not find a job in 60 weeks, how will things be better in 80 weeks?
What is the responsibility of society and the taxpayers for these unemployed ex professionals. When should the government cut off the benefits for these people and what then?
I would love to see something like the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) reinstated to "employ" long term unemployed people. However, I get the feeling from your post that the friends and relatives that you are talking about would think that common labor would be beneath them.
Fact of the matter is that there are only a precious few places where there are absolutely, positively NO jobs to be had. My philosophy is that there are always SOME kind of jobs out there, whether it is working at a convenience store, or cleaning motel rooms or waiting tables. The problem is NOT that your friends and relatives cannot find a job. The problem is that your friends and relatives are being too particular about how low they are willing to stoop to get a job.
Personally, I would love to see all unemployment compensation require 40 hours of labor to receive. Whether that labor be painting government housing or weed eating by the side of the road or whatever. There is PLENTY of work in this country that needs to be done (have you counted the pot holes in your city?). The hard part seems to be that everybody thinks they are too good to do them. Mind you, these are the same people who think that Welfare Mothers should "get off their butts" and do something for their checks. It's a tidy little double standard if you ask me.
There is a reason why many people who are unemployed are long-term unemployed. Many of them either have skills that are not in demand anymore, factories look for "cheap" labor elsewhere or don't have any skills at all. For instance, some of the factories started moving South/overseas and/or got automated. Jobs were created in other places for a lesser pay scale and the automation of certain factory sectors put alot of people out of their jobs. Example: Milwaukee,WI and Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson started to automate and it put alot of people out of jobs, rendering their skills useless for the most part. One would argue that the service economy should be the next best thing. One problem, there are only so many service jobs to go around, including government jobs. There are still alot of people who will be out of jobs. The amount of jobs available depends on the amount of merchandise sold/in demand. That means trying to lure people in from other places to buy things. If the economy goes sour, people will buy less. Buying less means less demand for employees in the service sector.
The question is: What kinds of skills are in demand today?
There is a reason why many people who are unemployed are long-term unemployed. Many of them either have skills that are not in demand anymore, factories look for "cheap" labor elsewhere or don't have any skills at all. For instance, some of the factories started moving South/overseas and/or got automated. Jobs were created in other places for a lesser pay scale and the automation of certain factory sectors put alot of people out of their jobs. Example: Milwaukee,WI and Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson started to automate and it put alot of people out of jobs, rendering their skills useless for the most part. One would argue that the service economy should be the next best thing. One problem, there are only so many service jobs to go around, including government jobs. There are still alot of people who will be out of jobs. The amount of jobs available depends on the amount of merchandise sold/in demand. That means trying to lure people in from other places to buy things. If the economy goes sour, people will buy less. Buying less means less demand for employees in the service sector.
The question is: What kinds of skills are in demand today?
In America people are expected to be adults. You know if your "skills" are growing obsolete, if your industry is moving overseas., etc., and it is up to YOU, to som something about it. Get new skills in up and coming industries and fields. Be a grownup and look after yourself. Take your face out of the beer can and act like an American.
I used to go to the library, and then bookstores to get and read books on computers, operating systems, applications, programming environments, networking infrastructures etc.
It served me well. Now I have an IT job near $100k and own an Internet biz with sales over $500,000 annually and growing. I never cried that I didn't have skills, I assessed myself and played to my strengths. If you are unemployed with absolete skills, and aren't man enough to do something similar, well, we probably can do without you anyway.
According to most posters it is obvious that the unemployed are not working because they do not want to. Tell you what. Just add 30% to my current expected pension and give this job to someone else.
According to most posters it is obvious that the unemployed are not working because they do not want to. Tell you what. Just add 30% to my current expected pension and give this job to someone else.
depending on what the job is and if I am qualified to do it, this "lazy unemployed bum" will happily take it.
According to most posters it is obvious that the unemployed are not working because they do not want to. Tell you what. Just add 30% to my current expected pension and give this job to someone else.
Why should we pay you not to work? If you don't work, you shouldn't get any income at all.
In America people are expected to be adults. You know if your "skills" are growing obsolete, if your industry is moving overseas., etc., and it is up to YOU, to som something about it. Get new skills in up and coming industries and fields. Be a grownup and look after yourself. Take your face out of the beer can and act like an American.
I used to go to the library, and then bookstores to get and read books on computers, operating systems, applications, programming environments, networking infrastructures etc.
It served me well. Now I have an IT job near $100k and own an Internet biz with sales over $500,000 annually and growing. I never cried that I didn't have skills, I assessed myself and played to my strengths. If you are unemployed with absolete skills, and aren't man enough to do something similar, well, we probably can do without you anyway.
Man-up, America, man-up
That is why I was asking "what are the new skills in demand"?
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