Long Term Unemployed level highest in 50yrs
4 replies
padre31luxury_boxOP
The median duration of unemployment is higher today than any time in the last 50 years. That's an understatement. It is more than twice as high today than any time in the last 50 years.
OK, you're saying, but what does this mean? Does it mean we must increase the duration of unemployment benefits to protect this new class of unemployed, or does it mean we need to stop subsidizing joblessness? Does it mean we need to expand federal retraining programs, or does it mean federal retraining programs aren't working? Does it mean we need more stimulus, more state aid, more infrastructure projects, more public works ... or does it mean it's time to stop everything, stand back and let business be business?
You're going to find smart people make a case for all six of the above public policy directions. (I tend to side with the first of each coupling.) It's hard to know for sure how to design public policy for historically unique crises precisely because they are historical orphans, without precedent to show us the right way from the wrong.
That is an amazingly bad omen, in current America, when you lose your job you tend to stay unemployed for a very very long time.
gafinfansubscriberAlong those lines a question padre. It has been stated and is widely believed that illegal workers only take jobs that American workers won't do yet there are figures that show that the lower income American being the one truly displaced and some 2 million of the stated unemployed are these Americans who would be filling said jobs if not for the illegals being here in the first place.
Your thoughts?
This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS
padre31luxury_box"gafinfan wrote:
Along those lines a question padre. It has been stated and is widely believed that illegal workers only take jobs that American workers won't do yet there are figures that show that the lower income American being the one truly displaced and some 2 million of the stated unemployed are these Americans who would be filling said jobs if not for the illegals being here in the first place.
Your thoughts?
Well, such sweeping generalizations as "doing jobs Americans won't do" is folly and PC coverup of realities in the US workforce.
As if those who make that statement know each and every job that illegals are filling in the US, and yet even though in CA the percentage of illegals in the AG industry is surprisingly small, the idea that stoop labor is the purview of illegals remains.
I prefer the Swiss model in most things, including this, their national policy is rather permissive in good economic times, but they also reserve the right to eject workers who are non Swiss during economic downturns in order that the jobs can be filled by Swiss Nationals.
vt_dolfansubscriberHonestly....
I think it has alot to do with the changes work places put into place at the beginning of the recession.
I know at the company I work for, layoffs took place, and less people were required to do more work. Changes were made to increase productivity, and as a result, less people are now required to do the same amount of work as before, and actually its even better than that......the downside is as demand picks up....hiring is not.
So...I think companies are looking to pad the bottom line by trimming labor costs, one of the biggest pieces of overhead they have. If I have figured out a way to do the same work with a third less.....whats the incentive for the employer to re hire that third back?
As well.....I wonder what the measurement for outsourcing has been the last two years....
"The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning"
Pele
gafinfansubscriber"padre31 wrote:
Well, such sweeping generalizations as "doing jobs Americans won't do" is folly and PC coverup of realities in the US workforce.
As if those who make that statement know each and every job that illegals are filling in the US, and yet even though in CA the percentage of illegals in the AG industry is surprisingly small, the idea that stoop labor is the purview of illegals remains.
I prefer the Swiss model in most things, including this, their national policy is rather permissive in good economic times, but they also reserve the right to eject workers who are non Swiss during economic downturns in order that the jobs can be filled by Swiss Nationals.
Thanks I didn't know that. What a great idea.
This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS
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