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There are not as many well-paying jobs to train for, thanks to technology and offshoring.
Yes, and this is perhaps THE societal problem of the 21st century. What do you do with all the people who used to be able to earn a living? Tell them to go pound sand? That seems to be the conservatives' answer. But you get enough of a critical mass in that situation, and you WILL face unrest and an increasingly brittle society.
You need the job opportunities for the training to be effective.
This is why it would be best for America to figure out how to address its structural jobs problem. People really need decent jobs, not handouts. Look to Germany, which thanks to its excellent vocational training COMBINED with a good comprehensive government-led policy has enabled them to remain a hub of precision manufacturing and economic strength, even as others around them have been crumbling.
Unfortunately, it seems those jobs will not just come if you leave the market on its own. The market on its own will send every single job to a robot / cheap China that it possibly can.
You are talking about 4% of the population and nearly 1/2 of that 4% are kids in school (HS/college).
Unrest ? Really ?
No, they will have to fight with the illegals for day work.
I've worked in retail and food service and honestly it's not an easy peasy job. It might not require a lot of complex skills or an abundance of brain cells, but it's strenuous on the body, plus it involves working with customers, who can be really a pain in the a$$ a lot of times. On top of that you are usually required to work nights, weekends, holidays etc.
The argument I keep seeing is that these jobs are a step up to something better. However, my counter argument is (1) not everyone is management or trade school material what have you. And (2), looking at the job reports and trends, we are creating a lot of service/retail jobs and not too many skilled jobs. Imagine every retail/service employee went to trade school, will there be jobs for them all?
What is wrong with these people that ring up your coffee to be paid a wage that can afford them a place to live not in the ghetto, food on the table, utilities, a decent vehicle, entertainment and some money to put away. Why do these people have to work 2 or 3 part-time min-wage jobs, just to scrape by. Yes it's not rocket science, but it's still work. Honest work at that. I can tell you that I don't work as hard in my "cushy" office job as I did when I was serving tables in college. At least in the office I don't deal with customers, I can take a break when I want, go online etc.
Here's my math. Average McD's employee makes $7.62/hr (I saw on the news this morning). Lets say this person works 40 hours and then makes $304.80/week or $15,240/year (50 weeks). Taxes would be roughly $400 on this income, single. Expenses might look like this (I'm in Florida):
Rent/bills: $500/mos -$6000 for the year
Cell phone: $50/mos - $600 year
Health Insurance: $200/mos - $2400/yr
Car insurance: $50/mos - $600/yr
Clothes: $300/yr
Food: $100/mos - $300/yr
Gas: $80/mos - $960/yr
Car maintenance: $500/yr
Total: $11,660
This leaves roughly $280/mos for savings/entertainment. Maybe I'm missing some expenses, but these are mine. There is no way to raise a child on this income. Even if it's two earners, most of the expenses double and rent goes up for a bigger place. What if there is an emergency or you need to pay your insurance deductible, there is no thing left. Even upping this person's wage to just $12/hr would give them some room for emergencies/savings etc.
What I'm getting at is, are these peoples not deserving of vacations, children, savings, not having to scrape by. I mean they are putting in 40 hours of labor as well. And to the argument that they can't even get your order right - my argument is there is probably not a lot of motivation. I know I would put in more effort not to get the order wrong and not to get fired if I was making $12/hr vs. $7. Maybe not start out at $12/hr, but after a year or so employment and having proved yourself, why not make $12/hr? There are companies out there that pay these wages and still turn decent profits.
You answered your own question. The jobs do not require an abundance of skills nor an abundance of brain cells. Would you not agree that a HVAC repairman deserves and receives more in hourly pay than does someone waiting a table? That's basic common sense.
Don't go correcting me. I'm just quoting the BLS from their report that just came out March 2014.
I think I'll take the word of the BLS over Bill Maher.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2013.pdf
Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth
of hourly paid workers, they made up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less.
Don't go correcting me. I'm just quoting the BLS from their report that just came out March 2014.
I think I'll take the word of the BLS over Bill Maher.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2013.pdf
Minimum wage workers tend to be young. Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth
of hourly paid workers, they made up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyTexan
You are talking about 4% of the population and nearly 1/2 of that 4% are kids in school (HS/college).
Don't get angry because you contradict your own incorrect characterization of the data.
Be accurate next time and no on will have a reason to correct you.
Bill Maher's number has been certified accurate by an outside organization.
BTW-- Do you really believe most kids working at Burger King are college students?
Don't get angry because you contradict your own incorrect characterization of the data.
Be accurate next time and no on will have a reason to correct you.
Bill Maher's number has been certified accurate by an outside organization.
BTW-- Do you really believe most kids working at Burger King are college students?
I'll still take the word of the BLS over Bill Maher and his outside organizations and a report that is a year old.
And..if you read the BLS report it's not FF or Wallymart with the most min wage workers.
It's education and health care.
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