is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

[Slimprofits]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

65 and Up and Looking for Work

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: October 23, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/bu...y/24older.html

In fact, there are more Americans 65 and older in the job market today than at any time in history, 6.6 million, compared with 4.1 million in 2001.

Less well known, though, is that nearly half a million workers 65 and older want to work but cannot find a job — more than five times the level early this decade and this group’s highest unemployment level since the Great Depression.

[..]

And unemployed older workers stay out of work longer — 36.5 weeks on average, 40 percent longer than for the unemployed in general.

[cjppjc]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

65 and Up and Looking for Work

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: October 23, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/bu...y/24older.html

In fact, there are more Americans 65 and older in the job market today than at any time in history, 6.6 million, compared with 4.1 million in 2001.

Less well known, though, is that nearly half a million workers 65 and older want to work but cannot find a job — more than five times the level early this decade and this group’s highest unemployment level since the Great Depression.

[..]

And unemployed older workers stay out of work longer — 36.5 weeks on average, 40 percent longer than for the unemployed in general.

In New Jersey where attendants pump your gas, (and it's still cheaper than where you are) I've noticed over 60 year olds. They have a much better attitude and respect than the younger attendants. You have to repeat yourself sometimes.

[Godozo]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

You can extend that train of thought even further with education. People are constantly told they need higher education if they want to do more than flip burgers. You may be a debt slave after a college degree, but the standard of living is higher.

Of course, thats unless you spent 4 years and $120,000 studying ancient religous practices or something.

Also assuming there's jobs out there after you graduate. And that the Baby Boomers above you haven't decided to hold onto their jobs even longer than they already have. And that whatever jobs out there haven't moved to a place where driving to and from said place of work won't cost more than it's worth. And that whomever's thinking of hiring isn't thinking of hiring from India...or China...or from some temp agency who can discriminate like hell because they're not the ones doing the hiring (they're just supplying the applicants). Or that what you studied was labeled the hottest job market when you entered...and busted by the time you finished your schooling.

[pwcmba]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

The crumbling infrastructure continues:

"A freight train derailed and hit a second train about 3:05 p.m. this afternoon in north suburban Northbrook near Glenview, closing a major road perhaps for days and imperiling two large liquid propane tanks, but injuring no one, authorities said."

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...th-suburb.html

The video is quite amazing.

http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch...c079&src=front

[metalman]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

The crumbling infrastructure continues:

"A freight train derailed and hit a second train about 3:05 p.m. this afternoon in north suburban Northbrook near Glenview, closing a major road perhaps for days and imperiling two large liquid propane tanks, but injuring no one, authorities said."

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...th-suburb.html

The video is quite amazing.

http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch...c079&src=front

[Ghent12]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

In New Jersey where attendants pump your gas, (and it's still cheaper than where you are) I've noticed over 60 year olds. They have a much better attitude and respect than the younger attendants. You have to repeat yourself sometimes.

Interesting anecdotes can be found here: http://www.stateline.org/live/detail...ntentId=110510

I will reserve my real thoughts on people who are afraid of pumping, "a dangerous product," such as gasoline all by themselves, and instead focus on the economics of it.

I think it is interesting that it is effectively "economically illegal" to hire gas station attendants everywhere except where it is literally illegal to not hire them, with few exceptions of course. I suspect that if our current situation progresses as a slow disintegration of our standard of living, we will once again see it profitable to hire teenagers and old folks as gas station attendants on a national scale. That is, of course, if the minimum wage stays the same, nominally, as it is now.

[cjppjc]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

Interesting anecdotes can be found here: http://www.stateline.org/live/detail...ntentId=110510

I will reserve my real thoughts on people who are afraid of pumping, "a dangerous product," such as gasoline all by themselves, and instead focus on the economics of it.

I think it is interesting that it is effectively "economically illegal" to hire gas station attendants everywhere except where it is literally illegal to not hire them, with few exceptions of course. I suspect that if our current situation progresses as a slow disintegration of our standard of living, we will once again see it profitable to hire teenagers and old folks as gas station attendants on a national scale. That is, of course, if the minimum wage stays the same, nominally, as it is now.

It's a tough job in the cold of winter.

[touchring]

Re: is there a "Wow, we are turning into a third world country thread?"

Sure there are a LOT of irresponsible people who have been foreclosed on. But there also are a lot who played by the rules but lost their jobs/ had their jobs outsourced/ etc. Eventually the savings runs out, and the meager pay of some workers didn't allow for a whole lot of savings to begin with. I say cut them some slack. They were not all living large with liar loans and pay option mortgages.

This is one thing that you'll never get out of this bailout- Jobs. They have been exported to Asia, that's the bounty paid by Wall street in return for the financing.