Wage stagnation in Pittsburgh hits blue-collar, service workers hardest (for rent, student loan)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

Well, there are other reasons besides automation...other parts of the world caught up, developed formidable middle classes, and have made it economical to have foreign companies invest in their labor markets. Generally speaking.

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I agree as well, a lot of factors. The jobs that were available to guys like me in the 70's are no longer there. Get out of college now and chances are you will have debt. I got out with zip, started at 12k in a bs job and had a couple of good years goofing off, just like college, but with money! I would hate to be starting out now in today's market.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I agree with your friend, that definitely applied to me. Got out of college in the mid-70's during a mild recession. Took a labor job at US Steel in the Monroeville Research Lab starting at 12K with every benefit you can think of. Even got a bonus 120 bucks for taking my vacation in April, Spring Break, Baby!




$12,000.00 in 1974 had the same buying power as $62,709.61 in 2017
Annual inflation over this period was about 3.92%




Try finding a job like that today as a laborer basically just cleaning up after people, not gonna happen. The steel industry is never coming back to what it once was, automation will see to that.

Finally, a Baby Boomer who doesn't just shake his fist and scream "F*S&S lazy Millennials!"

It seems as if the number of career paths available to finance the "American Dream" has contracted in 2017 vs. the 1960's-1990's. Automation has really ramped up, real wages for the working-class have stagnated for years, student loan debt is crushing many in my generation, and rents are rising rapidly.

Also, to address what BrassTracksGal told me in another thread, I'd like to indicate that my current office is shorthanded and can't find enough applicants, yet wages aren't budging. I was always told that when there's a labor shortage wages rise to entice more to enter the labor pool to fill vacancies. Then again I've also been told on here that rents won't rise if supply outpaces demand for rentals, yet even as our city's population continues to decline rents continue to rise. I guess Pittsburgh is just "in a league of its own"?

Maybe the minimum wage doesn't need to go from $7.25/hr. to $15/hr., but if rents and interest rates on debts are going to continue to rise, then wages need to increase SOMEWHAT.

An article just came out saying that 50% of the country's workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck. 54% of those 18-25 are living paycheck-to-paycheck. At what point are the <50% of you who are living comfortably financially going to stop telling the >50% of us feeling stressed financially that we're lazy, stupid, etc. and admit we need upward pressure (at least nominally) on real wages?

[Ihavetheanswer]

I think the government needs to rethink how it is spending money. The country would get so much more in return if they invested in people, retrained. relocated and connected them to a job. We have cities desperate for workers and then we have underwhelming employment and wages in others. Instead of welfare or disability, use it to retrain people and relocate them to where they land a job. Taxpayer funded training and relocation as opposed to expanding welfare and disability. It will force people to do something. And yes there will be cities that are big winners and those that are big losers. It then forces cities to change how they do business or it is a constant and endless drain of people and tax money forcing places to merge or disincorporate completely

We need to stop prentending that somebody is going to come and save these small towns or left behind rust belt cities providing jobs for all.

This link was connected to the wage stagnation. Pittsburgh economy is far from rosy

[url=http://www.post-gazette.com/business/career-workplace/2017/06/27/Pittsburgh-unemployment-creeps-up-labor-force-May/stories/201706270132]Job growth relatively stagnant in Pittsburgh; unemployment rises to 5.4 percent | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[/url]

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Finally, a Baby Boomer who doesn't just shake his fist and scream "F*S&S lazy Millennials!"

It seems as if the number of career paths available to finance the "American Dream" has contracted in 2017 vs. the 1960's-1990's. Automation has really ramped up, real wages for the working-class have stagnated for years, student loan debt is crushing many in my generation, and rents are rising rapidly.

Also, to address what BrassTracksGal told me in another thread, I'd like to indicate that my current office is shorthanded and can't find enough applicants, yet wages aren't budging. I was always told that when there's a labor shortage wages rise to entice more to enter the labor pool to fill vacancies. Then again I've also been told on here that rents won't rise if supply outpaces demand for rentals, yet even as our city's population continues to decline rents continue to rise. I guess Pittsburgh is just "in a league of its own"?

Maybe the minimum wage doesn't need to go from $7.25/hr. to $15/hr., but if rents and interest rates on debts are going to continue to rise, then wages need to increase SOMEWHAT.

An article just came out saying that 50% of the country's workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck. 54% of those 18-25 are living paycheck-to-paycheck. At what point are the <50% of you who are living comfortably financially going to stop telling the >50% of us feeling stressed financially that we're lazy, stupid, etc. and admit we need upward pressure (at least nominally) on real wages?

Oh, come on! Many of us Boomers have Millennial kids. I stick up for Mills every chance I get. My kids, their friends, my friends' kids and their friends are all upstanding citizens. The vast majority of them are working; a few are in school.

"Automation" has been an issue since the Industrial Revolution. Many in your generation borrowed way too much money, from what I read in the media. Not only do they have student loans, they have a lot of credit card debt. Yes, rents are rising.

Actually, it's the same everywhere. You've probably read stories about how McDonald's and Walmart in the North Dakota oil country were offering outrageously high wages a few years ago b/c they were competing with the oil companies. Yet I looked at nursing wages there, and they were paying standard nursing wages if not slightly less, and not much more than the fast-food restaurants and discount stores. Econ 101 does not always work. Sometimes you need to get into Econ 401. No, Pittsburgh's not in a league of its own.

Well, yes. I can't believe PA hasn't raised their minimum wage. Some state that starts with a "C" and is not California or Connecticut voted to raise minimum wage to $12/hr by 2020. It's now at $9.30/hr, goes up every year by 90c/hr till 2020, then is indexed.

So only 4% more of young adults are living paycheck to paycheck than everyone else. I haven't seen anyone say the underlined. I read about Boomers who have very little money saved for retirement. These are people who have been working for years and are at the top of their earnings curve. People may not be lazy, stupid, etc but it's more than just low wages.

[Goinback2011]

The world has worked itself into quite a pickle with 7.5B people wanting a nice life with good food, shelter and clothing, a happy family, and optimism for the future. At the same time, innovation has been reducing the number of jobs for 17 years with no let-up in sight. While automation will continue to reduce blue collar jobs, the next big shock coming will be in the knowledge worker and mid management ranks. Most of these folks think they're immune and will be extremely bitter when they too are replaced.

Seems like a very bad time to be importing hordes from the third world and offshoring existing jobs.

In the days before WWI, Jean Juares, a prominent French socialist of that era, claimed the upper classes were discussing the need for a war to reduce the excess labor who were demanding higher wages and better working conditions. He called on the working class across Europe to refuse to fight. He was assassinated July 31, 1914. The war began in August. The elite find ways to "fix" intractable problems.that threaten their wealth and power.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Finally, a Baby Boomer who doesn't just shake his fist and scream "F*S&S lazy Millennials!"

The 20's should be a fun time for most people, you're still a kid and have some money! Not so much now. The only thing I dislike about the Millennials is the man-bun craze, dumbest thing since tie dye shirts.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Copanut

The 20's should be a fun time for most people, you're still a kid and have some money! Not so much now. The only thing I dislike about the Millennials is the man-bun craze, dumbest thing since tie dye shirts.

the tattoos - that must cost some money. often it looks like gangrene. you might see some beautiful young women, then notice the tattoos. if you are from the MTV generation, you can't help but think "an extra from a Poison video".
its ubiquitous, as smoking or video arcade scene might have been at one time, i guess.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by Goinback2011

The world has worked itself into quite a pickle with 7.5B people wanting a nice life with good food, shelter and clothing, a happy family, and optimism for the future. At the same time, innovation has been reducing the number of jobs for 17 years with no let-up in sight. While automation will continue to reduce blue collar jobs, the next big shock coming will be in the knowledge worker and mid management ranks. Most of these folks think they're immune and will be extremely bitter when they too are replaced.

The number of white collar jobs lost to technology is staggering. I am not sure my department even exists any longer at an old employer. One program could wipe out a workforce of 200. The media and government is so focused on blue collar workers. They are 10+ years behind the times.

[wanderlust76]

White collar jobs are taking a hit too it's very true. There has been a number of software packages designed in the past few years to automate a number of accounting related tasks.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by wanderlust76

White collar jobs are taking a hit too it's very true. There has been a number of software packages designed in the past few years to automate a number of accounting related tasks.

Come to Colorado. Lots of tech jobs, lowest UE rate in the country.
Colorado’s unemployment rate — at 2.3 percent — remains at historic low level that no other state is beating – The Denver Post

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.co_denver_msa.htm