Will our economy EVER absorb the long-term unemployed class of today? (employment, alternative)

[HarryManback]

In my opinion, no. The sad fact is that the American economy has transformed in a way that renders a large class of Americans useless.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

[bobtn]

Not fully. We'll keep adding millions of jobs each year, and both the employed and the short-term unemployed will get the vast majority of them.

EUC is largely responsible for the inability of huge portions of the long-term unemployed being not reemployable.

[sware2cod]

Is there a larger percentage of long-term unemployed today compared to prior years?

What are the statistics for long term unemployed today versus same stats for past 25 years.

[kletter1mann]

Never. It is the specific social design of the Koch Bros. and their compadres to create a permanent, docile underclass for the continued transfer wealth from the bottom and the middle to the top. They have engaged the Tea Party and their water carriers as unwitting stooges in this effort, while brainwashing millions with "blame the poor" rhetoric. Anyone opposing their program is denounced as a socialist, Marxist or commie. We live in a time of great danger.

[andywire]

I don't see it happening anytime soon, if at all. Jobs today just demand too much in terms of knowledge, skills, not to mention tenacity and willingness to perform. I remember things pre recession. Plenty of folks who did the minimal volume of work in order to keep their job. Today, employers are demanding more, and some of these types of workers/job seekers just don't have it in them. It's nothing to do with age either. Plenty of boomers would rather find alternative means of acquiring income before they accept wages below their deemed worth.

Many folks are going to have to find other ways to make ends meet. This might mean "creating their own job", and there are plenty of folks who are not capable of this. The ranks of people holding out their hands for government help will, at the very least, remain consistent. There is a likelihood that these numbers will increase.

What should be alarming is our continued growth of population via immigration. This was fine when America was the land of plenty, and opportunities were there for the taking. Today, that is not so much the case. We have too many people chasing too few jobs. Many of these jobs have strict requirements that the local population may not be qualified to fill. At some point, our government has to make it a priority to train people for "the jobs of the future". If this does not happen, and companies can simply import their labor, the future will not look bright for the masses.

[charlygal]

Is this a baited thread?

The biggest hindrance to people being the long term or "permanent" unemployed isn't the economy. It's the fact that people have willingly taken themselves out of the job market.

They didn't get a job in the time frame that they mentally could handle and just stopped looking because it was "too hard" or "too stressful."

When folks want back into the job market, they can get back in. It's not easy, but it's possible. Look at the traditional SAHM who gets a job after not working for over 5, 10 years.

I know a woman with no degree and hadn't worked for over 10 years in a paid job. She listed her church and volunteer work on her resume and got a job as a part time administrative assistant. Within a few years at that company, she moved up the ranks and was the Operations Director for the entire company.

Trying to make an argument that numerically there will never be enough jobs is useless since America has never has 100% employment. We also have the benefit of living in a country where folks can create their own employment if they have the drive and moxy to do so.

[The Watusi]

Read this sad story and this will tell you that the long term unemployed are doomed

Throwaway Americans

[mkpunk]

I agree with Andywire's last point about training people for the future jobs. This is key for the future workforce. The economy cannot run on McJobs for long-term economic growth.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by HarryManback

In my opinion, no. The sad fact is that the American economy has transformed in a way that renders a large class of Americans useless.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I'd prefer to hear you explain your position.

[parried]

Not until hiring processes change, and employers change. Even people having the skills isn't enough. You have to have the experience or whatever the "human reject" (HR) manager wants. If the human reject manager doesn't like the sound of your name or where you worked or any other little trivial BS thing they lay eyes on your opportunity is gone. Employers have to stop saying "no" and start saying "yes, you're hired."

That's all it takes. Stop saying no and start saying yes.

Will it take THIS for people to finally 'get it'?