Where have all the workers gone

[Lord of Planar]

Biden expressed optimism yesterday as the top two Democrats in Congress seemed to leave the door open Wednesday to ultimately reducing the $3.5 trillion price tag of President Joe Biden’s plan to boost social and environment programs.

The A.P. reports, "The leaders seemed to suggest what many lawmakers and analysts have long predicted and progressives fear — satisfying moderates may well require shrinking the measure, perhaps by hundreds of billions of dollars. They spoke as 13 House committees have begun writing pieces of the bill, an initial step leaders hope to complete by next week."

Asked if he would back a less costly measure, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “We’re going to all come together to get something big done. And second, it’s our intention to have every part of the Biden plan in a big and robust way.”

The emerging, massive legislation is a cornerstone of Biden’s domestic agenda that would direct much of the government’s fiscal might at helping families and combating climate change. Democrats hope to finance much of it by increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations, another sore point for moderates.

The irony is, seemingly violating common sense, Biden's approval rating is dropping dramatically.

No one, not American intelligence, not the Pentagon, no one foresaw the sudden collapse of the Afghan army, an army trained and equipped by the U.S. over the past twenty years. Sure, there are voices now, but not before the withdrawal of our troops. Monday morning quarterbacking does not count, and, yet, despite the most successful evacuation in American history, Americans are blaming Biden for the chaos caused by the sudden surrender of the Afghan army. It almost as though Americans thought that a withdrawal after 20 years of war combined with a massive evacuation would be a walk in the park. They blame Biden because it wasn't.

The sudden surge of the pandemic is being blamed on the delta variant. 95% of the dramatic increase in hospitalizations and deaths is among the unvaccinated. States with the highest number of unvaccinated citizens are Republican-led states. Who do Americans blame? Answer: Democratic President Biden.

The jobs report for August was disappointing, only 235,000. There is little doubt the relatively low number was caused by delta surge among the unvaccinated. The total job creation in the first seven months of the Biden administration is nearly double any prior first-year President. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 310,000, a pandemic low.

Biden is also being blamed for his managing of the economy.

Perhaps it is time to cut our President some slack.

Cut him slack? Hell no. The problem with him, and almost all the politicians in DC is all they make their choices on in making the next election count.

This needs to stop. The people need to start voting smarter, and the politicians need to start doing what is right. Not what buys votes.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

I think people will cut him some slack when Americans stop dying...

Until then he needs to stop playing victim and get the **** to work.

In the context of covid, like what, exactly?

 

[Metric Mouse]

In the context of covid, like what, exactly?

Mask mandates for everyone, vaccine mandates for anyone with a tax return, lock downs for high risk covid areas, tamp out infections, restart the government vaccination sites he shut down, boost confidence in vaccines and unite the nation under a common goal.

Plenty of other countries have done it. It's not that hard.

 

[Gimmesometruth]

Mask mandates for everyone, vaccine mandates for anyone with a tax return, lock downs for high risk covid areas, tamp out infections, restart the government vaccination sites he shut down, boost confidence in vaccines and unite the nation under a common goal.

Plenty of other countries have done it. It's not that hard.

Uh, "lockdowns" are the purview of guv's, as are vax sites. I know of none he "shut down" that were not empty. The issue as you well know is not something he is not doing, but the GQP refusal to take this seriously. The idea that we are "like" other countries displays a serious misunderstanding of the power of states. Here in AZ, Pima Co had to resort to getting FEDERAL help since Guv Douche refused to get vax pods up and running.

It is very hard when a more than significant number of trumpers refuse and have the backing of Guv syncophants.

 

[eohrnberger]

lmao

amazing propaganda....wow, where do you get this shit from

and back to this "living wage" bullshit too...well, a burger flipper at burger king is NEVER going to earn a living wage in a metro area....so according to you every fast food joint should just close....well it will do a world of good for the obesity of America....but the moms are gonna hate you

And that goes for every other restaurant in America.....other than fine dining establishments

The entire restaurant industry will shut down

Because no one can afford to pay short order cooks, dishwashers, and other assorted personnel 35k-40k annually to do low skill workers

The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart ... or stomach. They have a high failure rate, but knowing why can help prospective owners avoid a similar fate.

Around 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year. And nearly 80 percent shutter before their fifth anniversary.

The No. 1 thing to consider before opening a restaurant

Around 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year, and most of the time, the location is to blame.

www.cnbc.com

It is a brutal business....and that is based on the way things were....not today

This seems to be the 1/2 of economics and the market that the left seems to forget.
Increase the price of something, you are going to lose customers / sales.

Around here, in the metro area, not a single business was starting people at min wage, it was always higher. More like $10 - $12 / hr.

Then the $15/hr came in, and suddenly a take out dinner went from $15 to $20!
Well, we've made the choice to not order take out as often as we did before, and it is this they the left always seems to miss.
I'm sure we aren't the only ones, so this is a reduction in sales to the order out places.

A fundamental lack of understanding economics by the left? Perhaps.
But sure seems like they don't live in the economic reality like the vast majority of other US citizens.

 

[Callen]

Around here, in the metro area, not a single business was starting people at min wage, it was always higher. More like $10 - $12 / hr.

Then the $15/hr came in, and suddenly a take out dinner went from $15 to $20

A $3 an hour wage increase resulted in$5 increase per take out dinner? Dinners that don't even require a table server Clearly the owner was using the increase as an excuse to screw the consumer.

 

[eohrnberger]

A $3 an hour wage increase resulted in$5 increase per take out dinner? Dinners that don't even require a table server Clearly the owner was using the increase as an excuse to screw the consumer.

No idea what the particulars are, so I can't speak to that, other than I've noticed the jump in prices, to which my response is to buy it less often (which was the point I was raising anyway).

 

[Linuxcooldude]

That’s true, and I have no doubt that the price of a 6” Sub going up 25c is going to even be noticed by a majority of consumers. I’m just taking a worst case scenario of the entire wage increase hitting the bottom line.

Your only assuming for one business. Now apply that to all the businesses it adds up substantially for a family, from grocery stores to gas stations.

 

[bave]

A $3 an hour wage increase resulted in$5 increase per take out dinner? Dinners that don't even require a table server Clearly the owner was using the increase as an excuse to screw the consumer.

The problem is you are not seeing the full scope of the situation. The restaurant may only see a $1-2 total cost in final product, but their supplies and materials also are going up as a result of wages. That's the problem when you get inflation, it is multi-stepped. So if wages are up across the board, then it is going to impact everything from your own labor, supplies and materials you buy, contractors you use etc. It is far more than just that individual. The best examples of this are in restaurants right now because a lot of food costs are up 20-30% in the last 6-9 months because of labor prices and scarcity.

 

[Callen]

The problem is you are not seeing the full scope of the situation. The restaurant may only see a $1-2 total cost in final product, but their supplies and materials also are going up as a result of wages. That's the problem when you get inflation, it is multi-stepped. So if wages are up across the board, then it is going to impact everything from your own labor, supplies and materials you buy, contractors you use etc. It is far more than just that individual. The best examples of this are in restaurants right now because a lot of food costs are up 20-30% in the last 6-9 months because of labor prices and scarcity.

I take offence at your assumption that I am not seeing the full scope of the situation as it relates to the times we are in, I most certainly do.
However, the post you quote of mine was a response to a post that linked an increase in take-out meals directly to a hike in the minimum wage to $15. It is unclear what period the poster is referencing but the minimum wage increase is phased in overtime so I'm left to believe this particular post is relative to legislative increases in minimum wages rather than the increase in wages related to Covid and that was the basis of my response to that particular post.

 

[eohrnberger]

I take offence at your assumption that I am not seeing the full scope of the situation as it relates to the times we are in, I most certainly do.
However, the post you quote of mine was a response to a post that linked an increase in take-out meals directly to a hike in the minimum wage to $15. It is unclear what period the poster is referencing but the minimum wage increase is phased in overtime so I'm left to believe this particular post is relative to legislative increases in minimum wages rather than the increase in wages related to Covid and that was the basis of my response to that particular post.

And the point that I was making, one that it seems like everyone keeps overlooking, is that when the price of something non-essential goes up, typically sales of that product or service goes down, as consumers either search out a cheaper alternative or go without. So price hikes are far from having no impact, which also seems to be something that everyone keeps overlooking.

 

[The Old Soul]

when you don't like a commentary you call it fake. while I applaud you for cleaning toilets, the fact is most Americans wouldn't. YOU KNOW IT and I know that you know it.
so stop with the "fake news" defense, when I could easily find credible links that show that Trump did hire illegals (not that I would have to, anyone with half a brain would know that already).

So ridicule them all you want, but they are mostly just people seeking a better life and willing to work harder and at dirtier jobs that most Americans.

I also cleaned toilets going to college and it taught me an important lesson when I was hired as a degree'd P/A after graduation; I would much rather deal with cleaning the crapper after the boss used it, than deal with the crap the boss spewed working for him face to face all day long.

I still am the official toilet cleaner at our house, and have always liked cleaning bathrooms more than any other room; bathrooms are designed to be cleaned, and if done well, sparkle with results. The work is gratifying and putting a shine on chrome and porcelain is very satisfying - no one ever doubted that the bathrooms I cleaned were done well, as results are obvious.

Another big advantage is that if one volunteers to clean the toilet, you are left alone and no one criticized your workfor fear of having to show you 'how it's done.' People don't like cleaning toilets because society says its a 'crappy' job, not because its the easiest room to clean. I have always been as proud of my bathroom work, and find it funny that so many look down their noses at the people who clean up after them.

 

[bave]

I take offence at your assumption that I am not seeing the full scope of the situation as it relates to the times we are in, I most certainly do.
However, the post you quote of mine was a response to a post that linked an increase in take-out meals directly to a hike in the minimum wage to $15. It is unclear what period the poster is referencing but the minimum wage increase is phased in overtime so I'm left to believe this particular post is relative to legislative increases in minimum wages rather than the increase in wages related to Covid and that was the basis of my response to that particular post.

You are offended because you made a misleading inaccurate statement based on suppositions you made? Sheeeeesh.

 

[Callen]

You are offended because you made a misleading inaccurate statement based on suppositions you made? Sheeeeesh.

I did no such thing. I made a comment related to a very specific post that referenced the minimum wage increase, not the current inflation issue and the various pressures surrounding that. It was you who supposed I was speaking of the current inflation issues and the various drivers, I wasn't.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

that so many look down their noses at the people who clean up after them.

I don't, and yeah, I clean my own toilets as well, but we know that rich folks, casinos, nightclubs, etc. hire illegals to clean their toilets - and of course there are exceptions, but the general preface of my argument was: not ENOUGH Americans want to do those kinds of jobs, like picking fruit out in the hot sun all day - hence Americans need illegals.

 

[The Old Soul]

I don't, and yeah, I clean my own toilets as well, but we know that rich folks, casinos, nightclubs, etc. hire illegals to clean their toilets - and of course there are exceptions, but the general preface of my argument was: not ENOUGH Americans want to do those kinds of jobs, like picking fruit out in the hot sun all day - hence Americans need illegals.

Point taken. What I have a problem with is the high-horse so many see life in America from. If people would whistle-while-they-work instead of turning everything into a pecking-order issue and find the satisfaction in labor, we would not need illegals. The illegals are playing us as much as we are playing ourselves.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

Point taken. What I have a problem with is the high-horse so many see life in America from. If people would whistle-while-they-work instead of turning everything into a pecking-order issue and find the satisfaction in labor, we would not need illegals. The illegals are playing us as much as we are playing ourselves.

playing us? sorry, no, maybe I am too much of a humanitarian to have such a limited view of human motivations, because to uproot your family, leave familiar surroundings, and risk life and limb to make it to another country is not done lightly and is often done out of desperation.
as for the attitudes of "work", we have the same issue in Canada, I used to run a landscaping business, hired up to 20 people during summer seasons, and the BEST workers were Muslim immigrants, I swear, they were so grateful to have a job, they put their "backs into it" and I couldn't find a homegrown Canadian willing to work half as hard.

 

[The Old Soul]

playing us? sorry, no, maybe I am too much of a humanitarian to have such a limited view of human motivations, because to uproot your family, leave familiar surroundings, and risk life and limb to make it to another country is not done lightly and is often done out of desperation.
as for the attitudes of "work", we have the same issue in Canada, I used to run a landscaping business, hired up to 20 people during summer seasons, and the BEST workers were Muslim immigrants, I swear, they were so grateful to have a job, they put their "backs into it" and I couldn't find a homegrown Canadian willing to work half as hard.

Does not take much to see where a humanitarian can lose respect for human motivation (the good kind) just by following the logic, or lack thereof, as expounded by so many even on this board. I do enjoy DP because of the (not) many (enough) intelligent and reasonable posters here which I have learned much from.

America at large has morphed from a can-do society limited by only their own expectations, to an insecure collection of vote-them-off-the-islanders-so-I can-elevate-myself gulliblists. I am definitely and outlier and take the road less traveled, but that does not mean I'm lost; I think with my own mind, and try to be observant, avoid pitfalls, and try to find solutions instead of fault.

I was also a business owner (still cleaned the toilets at work), and also found many who avoided certain tasks not because of the nature of the work, but because of the perceived perception of the nature of the work. This attitude spilled over into the way they did most everything else, and did not last long.

 

[Lord of Planar]

The problem is you are not seeing the full scope of the situation. The restaurant may only see a $1-2 total cost in final product, but their supplies and materials also are going up as a result of wages. That's the problem when you get inflation, it is multi-stepped. So if wages are up across the board, then it is going to impact everything from your own labor, supplies and materials you buy, contractors you use etc. It is far more than just that individual. The best examples of this are in restaurants right now because a lot of food costs are up 20-30% in the last 6-9 months because of labor prices and scarcity.

It also appears to me the primary difference between how the left and the right thinks. They right take into consideration the full impact of domino impact of changes over time. The left only looks one or two steps ahead, and that’s why their policies cause the problems and impacts that we have. They end up causing more problem than they claim to have solved because they are not forward thinking.

 

[bave]

I did no such thing. I made a comment related to a very specific post that referenced the minimum wage increase, not the current inflation issue and the various pressures surrounding that. It was you who supposed I was speaking of the current inflation issues and the various drivers, I wasn't.

You realize they are the same thing, right? If the COVID labor shortage has caused labor prices to spike to $13-15/hr for formerly low paid jobs that is no different than a federal mandate forcing the wages to spike to $15/hr, right? Same thing, same effect, different cause.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

They end up causing more problem than they claim to have solved because they are not forward thinking.

Thanks for the humorous posting, best laugh I have had all day.
We knew TWO years ago the effects of Covid, yet the forward thinking Conservatives still are fighting vaccines and masks.
We knew A DOZEN years ago the long term effects of climate change, yet the forward thinking Conservatives kept saying "not touching my F150!"
We knew 5 years ago that Trump would be the most divisive President in history, but sure enough, the forward thinking Conservatives believed the Mexicans would pay for the wall, that coal jobs would come back "bigly", and that Covid would just be like a flu and go away in a few weeks.
Yup, real forward thinking Conservatives, but I do thank you for your post, the Onion couldn't have done better for satire.

 

[Deuce]

You realize they are the same thing, right? If the COVID labor shortage has caused labor prices to spike to $13-15/hr for formerly low paid jobs that is no different than a federal mandate forcing the wages to spike to $15/hr, right? Same thing, same effect, different cause.

It's not a covid labor shortage anymore. Unemployment is 5.2% 5% is generally considered full employment.

It's the free market, my dude. If businesses want to attract workers, they have to pay enough to do it. A business that is unable to attract workers doesn't deserve to exist.

 

[bave]

It's not a covid labor shortage anymore. Unemployment is 5.2% 5% is generally considered full employment.

It's the free market, my dude. If businesses want to attract workers, they have to pay enough to do it. A business that is unable to attract workers doesn't deserve to exist.

I love when people say this, it is remarkably ignorant.

You can't call it a free market when the federal government is paying people to stay home, that is the definition of *not* a free market. You have an artificial pricing floor (ie: unemployment).

Further, 5.2% isn't reasonably considered full employment when just prior to COVID it was ~3%. So you are missing millions of workers who have elected to stay home and collect a check.

 

[bave]

We knew A DOZEN years ago the long term effects of climate change, yet the forward thinking Conservatives kept saying "not touching my F150!"

Out of curiosity, how do you think Canada would fair if we went net-zero by 2030? Your country would be largely a wasteland economically. Canada is incredibly dependent on fossil fuels for a huge portion of their economic activity.

 

[Deuce]

I love when people say this, it is remarkably ignorant.

You can't call it a free market when the federal government is paying people to stay home, that is the definition of *not* a free market. You have an artificial pricing floor (ie: unemployment).

Further, 5.2% isn't reasonably considered full employment when just prior to COVID it was ~3%. So you are missing millions of workers who have elected to stay home and collect a check.

These are normal levels of unemployment. Your lack of familiarity with the data isn't my problem.