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In the year 2015 maybe about 25% of all jobs pay at a rate that allows full time workers to get government benefits. Even if the current people who are working in these jobs get training and move out of the low wage workplace someone else will take their place. So the argument that low wage workers just need to get more skills and education to move up does not really help the situation. Face it, no matter who is working in these jobs at any time, a large number of jobs in America pay under $10 an hour. And these are the jobs that are growing in today's economy. If you want a job, these are the jobs the typical American can get. And they are not jobs for kids and senior citizens anymore. Lots of the folks working at McDonalds are bring up a family on that job's income.
So, who should pay for the government benefits for the 25% of households whose primary bread winner is making $8 an hour or less than $20K a year?
Is it the responsibility of the employers of low wage labor? Or every taxpayer? Or should we just eliminate things like Food Stamps, reduced lunches at school, Medicaid, government paid housing, etc. for people who work?
Remember, someone is going to be doing these low wage jobs regardless of the hopes and dreams of people in them today.
It is the responsibility of the citizen to improve themselves, in order to become self-sufficient.
Truthfully, food stamp use should be limited to 26 weeks, just as unemployment insurance is. The same should be true of every social welfare program.
The McJobs are perfect for 16 year olds with acne needing date money, but when I see a 40 something at one, I ask why they lack the skills and motivation to have gotten past these jobs. That is not the employer's fault.
The poster below did not understand my main point. So let me say it again: These are the jobs that are out there. Someone has got to do them and every year a greater percentage of the total number of people who are employed are working in these low wage jobs. The issue and topic of this discussion has nothing to do with the motivation of an individual low wage worker. Because if one person gets new skills and moves on, the job (need) will still exist and someone else, who is bringing up a family, will take it. And these jobs are being taken over by the adult working poor, and no longer just a part time job for a teenager.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtn
NO.
It is the responsibility of the citizen to improve themselves, in order to become self-sufficient.
Truthfully, food stamp use should be limited to 26 weeks, just as unemployment insurance is. The same should be true of every social welfare program.
The McJobs are perfect for 16 year olds with acne needing date money, but when I see a 40 something at one, I ask why they lack the skills and motivation to have gotten past these jobs. That is not the employer's fault.
PS: Stop worrying about McJobs. Most will be done by robots soon. Ms 48 year old cashier at McD's will be a kiosk. Tax the employer for her inability to get a better job, and you speed up the ROI on the robot, and the investment to automate becomes prudent faster, and Ms. 48 year old is unemployed..faster. Ms. 48 year old cashier needs to be preparing for that eventuality..NOW.
Walmart overtook IBM as the #1 employer in the 80's. McDonands quickly pushed IBM to the #3 spot. Yum Brands came along and pushed IBM to # 4. This all happened 25-30 years ago.
Most US workers have never been particularily skilled. For a blip in time many were able to live a modest middle class life despite this. The world changed.
The writing has been on the wall for decades.
How has sitting around expecting government to fix this been working for you?
It is the responsibility of the citizen to improve themselves, in order to become self-sufficient.
Truthfully, food stamp use should be limited to 26 weeks, just as unemployment insurance is. The same should be true of every social welfare program.
The McJobs are perfect for 16 year olds with acne needing date money, but when I see a 40 something at one, I ask why they lack the skills and motivation to have gotten past these jobs. That is not the employer's fault.
Oh man here is the old way thinking. My friend don't you know that upward mobility is almost impossible today the worse it been in awhile, the example of this is in the income/wealth inenquality we see today. Where people who have two college degrees are busing tables and our jobs are being shipped overseas. The traditional goto college for 2/4 years and get a great paying job are not realities anymore for the majority. The only real alternative is to have capital and start your own company. But if you have
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