The results of Biden policy

Don't buy travel insurance, because that's paying you to be in a plane crash.

Those on UI and other stopgap income need to put those days in their memory books and start considering their futures, as in working and saving for old age/retirement.  Get off your duffs, put away your childish things (e.g. TiK Tok...what is that anyway) and find a job with steady income, health insurance and retirement benefits.   One day you'll wake up old, and God-forbid sick and broke, and wonder what happened.  Hope they are doing a better job teaching kids about finance.  Good luck.

Candy

Agree 100% with Candy

 There is a large number of people not participating in the workforce, for sure.   Although Unemployment is at 4.8%...and this is where I'm sure someone will tell me that number doesnt mean anything,

Whatever.  

Its not all people sitting at home smoking pot trying to find themselves. (although I'm sure that demographic exists).   2021 has been a huge retirement year for the largest lving generation.   And some people are afraid for their health.   SOme have to take care of their kids or elders.   

And what its resulted in for the first time in my adult life is a job market where workers (especially low skilled ones) have leverage over their employer instead of the other way around.    It wasnt long ago on this board we were fighting about $15 minimum wage and the benefits that come with that.   That argument was met with a chorus of negative sentiment about how all small businesses would go under if they had to pay that wage.    

There's a car wash a mile from my house now advertising jobs starting at $18/hr.   Thats for the clerk who swipes your credit card on your way into the wash.    And yet sopmehow, magically that car wash is doing just fine....along with the myriad of other small businesses doing the same.  When I was in my 20's I would have killed to be able to snag a part time gig like that.

Some people (especially the low skilled ones) would call that a high quality problem.

After COVID, I think a lot of people decided that it wasn't worth working a low wage job where a lot of their customers put their health at risk.  Who wants to wait on customers in person when COVID is still out there?  You also have a lot folks that aren't going back to work because of the still limited availability of child care.  And even if your children are back in school it's hard to keep a job if you have to drop everything for two weeks when one of your kids is placed on quarantine.

Candy, such jobs aren't magically available to anyone who wants them. Benefits? HA! You're an "independent contractor." Or you work for minimum wage, and the only benefits given to you are free use of the employee bathroom. Steady income? Maybe, until you're laid off or your hours are cut back.

There's one simple reason why unemployment is high: many jobs are shitty and poorly paid. That's in large measure because while the cost of living has gone up and up, wages, including minimum wage, have stagnated. Shit jobs no longer even keep people alive. It's no surprise that people aren't in any hurry to return to them. It's a response (or lack thereof) to decades of marginalization.

I note that the places that put out signs that they'd pay $18 or $20 an hour are going great guns. Obviously, they can factor those additional costs into what they charge their customers--and they have. Gee, capitalism--who'd a' thunk it. For the first time in decades, the value of labor has actually gone up.

Even though wages are falling real wages are falling due to the highest inflation in 30 years, (real wages increased under President Trump).  Job participation continues to drop to 61%.  The U6 rate is over 8%.

We continue to provide benefits to people to not work thru extended unemployment, welfare, food stamps, child tax credits, rent waivers & subsidies.

It's interesting as well as hilarious that conservatives (as in, the financially savvy Republican party) don't realize that the current unemployment/labor shortage is due to simple economics. Employers that don't offer a living wage will be able to employ only desperate people, who will leave at the first opportunity and not come back.

Most of these unfilled jobs are no-benefit grunt work that pays barely enough to survive. Someone who doesn't want to do that work isn't being a lazy bum. It's simple--they want more for their labor than before, for a variety of reasons. Wages have stagnated while the cost of living has skyrocketed. It's no longer worth it to work at a shit job that doesn't pay enough to allow you to pay the rent.

I also laugh at all these RepubliQ fat cats who make $500,000 a year whining about people not being willing to put their health at risk in order to earn $9.50 an hour.

More lam lies.  There are more millionaires in the democrat party than in the Republican.  The Republican party continues to gain with blue collar workers, especially Hispanics.

Wages are not stagnating but are going up.  The problem is biden inflation is causing real wages to decrease.

Regarding the challenges of finding a path to economic stability, I realize a "help wanted" sign isn't a magic wand waved over every applicant.  Maybe not the most desirable jobs at the moment, maybe just half a day at $18 an hour.  Maybe night hours.  But they can be the start of something good for someone who really wants it.  People do it all the time--work out the child care somehow, get the GED, take one or two basic courses at the local technical college at a time (our local University has free tuition for anyone  over age 60), work out the bus schedule if no car.  One foot in front of the other.  Salt the pennies away until they turn into quarters and then dollars.  If you have no job, your job is looking for a job eight hours a day.

Volunteer work can connect one to...connections with folks who see 'your' potential and need workers, possibly better than the car wash.  Learn about a Breast Cancer race or Alzheimers fund raiser or anything, walk up, volunteer for the event, any task they need.  Show a great attitude.

People joke about "finding a fascinating career in the fast food industry", as in flipping burgers, but that is where a go-getter can show maturity, responsibility (reporting on time, show interest, willing to work extra when needed, clean the grill, empty the grease, clean the restrooms), and move up the chain, learn food industry skills and people skills at the same time.  

Fear of putting one's health at risk?  OK, fine.  I love listening to "they haven't assurred us the vaccines are safe yet", while they puff away on their Camels, which contain cancer warnings.

Stop listening to how bad things are on TV and Facebook, whether the current political situation is helping or hurting you.  Doesn't apply to YOU.  Get out there.  Be your own person.  Seek and you will find.  Not instantly, not magically, not necessarily glamourously, but eventually.  Accept rejection, move on to the next place.  Most high profile actors, athletes, etc. have been rejected on their way up.

Candy