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Me personally... My plan is to buy a coffee plantation in central America, right after I grab all the student loans I possibly can, and a one way ticket
Long term unemployment is going to be a very real concern once technology really starts advancing. The only thing holding it back is the economy right now in my opinion. Cyclical economic trends can spur or stall social and technological advances in their paths... Perhaps the dark ages would be an example of such.
Someone laid off with a working SO. 20 somethings living in mom's basement.
And can still somehow afford the latest smartphone, designer clothing, gym memberships etc.... ( I am referring to the later ). Many also have no concept of real adult expenses like auto repairs, health care costs, taxes that actually need to pay instead of getting that fat refund from uncle Sam.
Two data points, two single women I know.
One, at 62, went onto unemployment and milked it for all she was worth. They never once expected her to show she was looking for work. She also applied for early Social Security (age 63) and has some bit of rental income, owns a two-family. Now she is picking up some work doing "adult babysitting" with an Alzheimer's person.
The other got laid off twice in one year from admin. asst. jobs that paid well. She was 60 at the last layoff, ran the UE the whole distance. Got a part-time job for lower money, applied for late husband's Soc. Sec. and always had her widow's pension. She also picks up adult babysitting, a bit of housesitting, etc. She doesn't advertise because she is working under tha table and doesn't want to make more than the limit of the Soc. Sec. I assume at 66 she''ll take her own Soc. Sec., it being more than late husband's. She turned down more hours or small raises at the part-time job because of the Soc. Sec. max, which I think is foolish at age 62 and she likely will have to work as long as possible, that is, won't be able to retire at age 66. I have no idea what she thinks is going to happen (and she spends like a drunken sailor). She has about $130k in a 401k, and it's my guess she'll run through this before getting real or worrying.
Two data points of how people get by. If they're not in that grey area of pre-retirement, etc., I have no idea how one "drops out." Maybe they work off the books somewhere.
Maybe they have a working spouse but they have given up looking for work. They are trying to get by without the second income.
Giving up looking for work does not equal a person being a bum or a loser/stoner. Wake up. Some people are so judgmental.
Maybe there are NO JOBS--including no McJobs or paper deliveries or babysitting gigs. Or maybe they don't want you.
I guess no one has thought that sometimes THERE AREN'T any jobs. Just aren't any in an area and the old stock line of getting up and going somewhere else is not viable for everyone.
Giving up looking for work does not equal a person being a bum or a loser/stoner. Wake up. Some people are so judgmental.
I don't see on this thread where anyone suggested such. The point was simply made that there are some people who totally abuse the system and that's nothing new. Those are the people who should be called out as they take away from those truly in need.
They use a household survey to determine the figures.
"The CPS sample is a probability sample of approximately 72,000 assigned housing units from 824 sample areas designed to measure demographic and labor force characteristics of the civilian noninstitutional population."
I can see where this method could be deeply flawed.
1) How do you contact someone that has no home phone? I do not know if they call cell phone numbers but someone out of work might cut off their landline and use a cell phone exclusively. Also, many EMPOYED people no longer have a landline.
2) A sampling of 72,000 households in 824 sample areas works out to calling 87 households in each area. I am sure it gives a good "guesstimation" however it doesn't drill down into particularly hard hit areas.
Maybe they have a working spouse but they have given up looking for work. They are trying to get by without the second income.
Giving up looking for work does not equal a person being a bum or a loser/stoner. Wake up. Some people are so judgmental.
Maybe there are NO JOBS--including no McJobs or paper deliveries or babysitting gigs. Or maybe they don't want you.
I guess no one has thought that sometimes THERE AREN'T any jobs. Just aren't any in an area and the old stock line of getting up and going somewhere else is not viable for everyone.
That's the main thing that is always forgotten.........."No Jobs to apply to"
"Dropping out of the work force" and the drop in the employment numbers can also be attributed to seniors who have retired.
So assuming ~180,000 seniors retired in August (~10,000 seniors reach retirement age per day, 60% are expected to retire, thus ~6,000 retire daily), while ~368,000 people are no longer counted as unemployed despite only ~96,000 jobs being created. So that still leaves ~92,000 people who are still no longer counted as unemployed but who are considered "discouraged."
That's the main thing that is always forgotten.........."No Jobs to apply to"
Apparently only you, my husband and millions of other Americans are just too stupid to find work since there are SO MANY jobs.
It's not like there are McJobs sitting their waiting for those who need a hold over job. Or the old stand by, retail. These jobs have been swallowed up.
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