Bad Decisions

[atrasicarius]

What's on your resume? Bad work experiences? An arrest record?

Well, no work experience then, since I'd never had a job. Aside from that, nothing a normal high school student wouldn't have. Good grades, a couple of extracurricular things, good SAT scores and AP tests. You can keep looking for something I did that stopped me from being hired, but you're not gonna find anything. Like I said, it's not just me. Pretty much everyone I know has this problem to some extent or another.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

You're dodging the questions. Know why this is important? It sounds like you have a bad attitude about working, and as such, I can understand why people aren't hiring you. I know it sounds cruel, but what employer wants the grief of an insubordinate employee?

Wasnt their like 1 million people applying for 50 000 job openings at MD just a few months ago. Is not the unemployement rate 9%.


The quality of worker is not the issue right now, the number of jobs avaliable for every person looking is

 

[phattonez]

Wasnt their like 1 million people applying for 50 000 job openings at MD just a few months ago. Is not the unemployement rate 9%.


The quality of worker is not the issue right now, the number of jobs avaliable for every person looking is

With more production we'll get more demand, and hence more jobs. The number of jobs is not a fixed number.

Right now, I'm trying to work on this guy's case and elucidating what about him that makes him so unemployable. I presume that it has to do with his attitude toward the people who hire and pay him.

 

[phattonez]

Well, no work experience then, since I'd never had a job. Aside from that, nothing a normal high school student wouldn't have. Good grades, a couple of extracurricular things, good SAT scores and AP tests. You can keep looking for something I did that stopped me from being hired, but you're not gonna find anything. Like I said, it's not just me. Pretty much everyone I know has this problem to some extent or another.

You know what doesn't make sense to me? You say you've applied to all of these positions, yet you've only talked to one employer? How does that happen? After all, you say you're applying to so many jobs per week. Are you only applying online? What is going on here?

 

[atrasicarius]

You know what doesn't make sense to me? You say you've applied to all of these positions, yet you've only talked to one employer? How does that happen? After all, you say you're applying to so many jobs per week. Are you only applying online? What is going on here?

Yeah. All the big box stores and fast food joints have online applications. I did go in person to some places, but I never talked to anyone important. Just the person who was at the register at the moment. You're kind of missing the point of the thread, though. It's about how normal people can't find jobs through not fault of their own. Sorry if that's inconvenient for your position.

 

[phattonez]

Yeah. All the big box stores and fast food joints have online applications. I did go in person to some places, but I never talked to anyone important. Just the person who was at the register at the moment. You're kind of missing the point of the thread, though. It's about how normal people can't find jobs through not fault of their own. Sorry if that's inconvenient for your position.

Then maybe you should try talking to someone important. You have to make yourself stand out, to make yourself seem necessary to the company. Maybe that's hard for you to do, but just filling out an application isn't enough.

 

[atrasicarius]

Then maybe you should try talking to someone important. You have to make yourself stand out, to make yourself seem necessary to the company. Maybe that's hard for you to do, but just filling out an application isn't enough.

Well that's obvious, since the only job I ever managed to get was a government job. The point, though, is that it shouldn't be that way. Anyone who wants a job and is willing to work should be able to get one, period. We shouldn't have to jump through 5 hoops and compete with 12 people for a ****ing McJob.

 

[Kushinator]

Underemployment is not a long term state unless you continue to not allow the economy to readjust.

Not what i was saying. Underemployment ensures an inefficient skill to labor combination. Such instances crowd out lower skilled labor on one hand (increasing unemployment in this segment), while mismatched employes have their specialized skills go to waste (loss of productivity) on the other.

The economy continues to readjust on a minute by minute basis. Allowing labor markets to "correct" through an agglomeration of bankruptcies will only increase unemployment.

 

[phattonez]

Not what i was saying. Underemployment ensures an inefficient skill to labor combination. Such instances crowd out lower skilled labor on one hand (increasing unemployment in this segment), while mismatched employes have their specialized skills go to waste (loss of productivity) on the other.

But this is assuming that the skill is still valuable. In the long run, if this is true, it will correct. If it is not correct, then a correction will ensue and the person will not truly be underemployed.

The economy continues to readjust on a minute by minute basis. Allowing labor markets to "correct" through an agglomeration of bankruptcies will only increase unemployment.

And will free up capital for new projects such that expansion can happen and new hiring occur.

 

[phattonez]

Well that's obvious, since the only job I ever managed to get was a government job. The point, though, is that it shouldn't be that way. Anyone who wants a job and is willing to work should be able to get one, period. We shouldn't have to jump through 5 hoops and compete with 12 people for a ****ing McJob.

You should. Why should a company hire you if you're not worth the money that you are being paid?

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

With more production we'll get more demand, and hence more jobs. The number of jobs is not a fixed number.

Right now, I'm trying to work on this guy's case and elucidating what about him that makes him so unemployable. I presume that it has to do with his attitude toward the people who hire and pay him.

Unless people have money to consume the extra production it is wasted

 

[phattonez]

Unless people have money to consume the extra production it is wasted

People are spending money. This is a non-argument.

 

[Kushinator]

But this is assuming that the skill is still valuable. In the long run, if this is true, it will correct. If it is not correct, then a correction will ensue and the person will not truly be underemployed.

You are describing structural unemployment, which is not the cause of our current economic downturn (cyclical unemployment). My statement stands as is.

And will free up capital for new projects such that expansion can happen and new hiring occur.

Lack of capital is not an issue. American companies have nearly $2 trillion in cash and short term assets.

 

[phattonez]

You are describing structural unemployment, which is not the cause of our current economic downturn (cyclical unemployment). My statement stands as is.

Does it? Because expertise in housing construction is a skill that isn't going to be necessary for a long time. These guys aren't underemployed in whatever position they took after. This is their value now.

Lack of capital is not an issue. American companies have nearly $2 trillion in cash and short term assets.

No, but in general, more capital is better than less.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

People are spending money. This is a non-argument.

Some are, some are not

Spending as a whole in the US has declined drastically while production potential remain idle for lack of demand. The Auto industry can supply 17 million or so cars in the US market, demand is for about 13.5 million. The housing industry can supply a fair bit more then current demand calls for. Supply is not an issue for the US market in pretty much any industry, demand is

 

[Kushinator]

Unless people have money to consume the extra production it is wasted

I would like to somewhat alter that statement. Unless people want to consume the extra production, it is wasted.

 

[Kushinator]

People are spending money. This is a non-argument.

Not at previous levels; all the while our population grows and ages.

 

[Kushinator]

Does it? Because expertise in housing construction is a skill that isn't going to be necessary for a long time.

No doubt, but the entire construction industry makes up what, 4% of the total labor market.

No, but in general, more capital is better than less.

At a time when unemployment at sustained 9ish levels, corporations are sitting on more cash and short term assets than any other time in history.

 

[phattonez]

Not at previous levels; all the while our population grows and ages.

Because we're not under the assumption that inflated home values are actually a store of wealth. This does not mean that demand is gone. Demand is there, we just need to produce what people want instead of trying to prop up the bloated financial and construction sectors.

 

[phattonez]

No doubt, but the entire construction industry makes up what, 4% of the total labor market.

The same holds true for a lot of financial jobs.

At a time when unemployment at sustained 9ish levels, corporations are sitting on more cash and short term assets than any other time in history.

And we both know why they're unwilling to expand production. Insufficient demand is not the problem. If that was the problem, then companies wouldn't be seeing the profits that they're seeing now.

 

[phattonez]

Some are, some are not

Spending as a whole in the US has declined drastically while production potential remain idle for lack of demand. The Auto industry can supply 17 million or so cars in the US market, demand is for about 13.5 million. The housing industry can supply a fair bit more then current demand calls for. Supply is not an issue for the US market in pretty much any industry, demand is

We shouldn't be able to produce so much in housing! We need to shift production to where consumers are demanding it!

 

[atrasicarius]

We shouldn't be able to produce so much in housing! We need to shift production to where consumers are demanding it!

Except there's no demand because people can't afford houses because they don't have jobs. Remember that whole thing?

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

We shouldn't be able to produce so much in housing! We need to shift production to where consumers are demanding it!

which is where, I am sure the US economic leaders would love to know where demand is higher then potential supply

 

[Kushinator]

The same holds true for a lot of financial jobs.

Again, not the point. Structural unemployment makes up a small percentage of total unemployment, and tends not to fluctuate with the same velocity as the rate of unemployment.

And we both know why they're unwilling to expand production.

Consumer confidence combined with a lack of demand for credit (hence corporations liquidity holdings)t

Insufficient demand is not the problem. If that was the problem, then companies wouldn't be seeing the profits that they're seeing now.

Must we go through this again? The major boost in corporate profits is a product of cutting labor costs (high unemployment) and gains in productivity. Compared to real costs, demand has remained far more stable throughout the economic crisis.

 

[1Perry]

Yeah. All the big box stores and fast food joints have online applications. I did go in person to some places, but I never talked to anyone important. Just the person who was at the register at the moment. You're kind of missing the point of the thread, though. It's about how normal people can't find jobs through not fault of their own. Sorry if that's inconvenient for your position.

I would never rely on online applications for my livelyhood.