Unemployment solutions

[esmith]

IMO, it should be the responsibility of any government to do its best to create jobs even if it means being less efficient. To have millions of people sitting around without a job is very destructive to a society. As John Maynard Keynes said, it's better to have people digging holes and filling them back up again than to have them sitting back with no work.

What jobs do you think the government could create? Did not see an indication that you were "joking" on your last sentence but where are you going to get the hole diggers/fillers to do the job? There are plenty of jobs out there if people want them and "qualify" for them. Trucking companies are always looking for drivers; field workers are always in demand. Then if they want to put in the time to go to school, the trades (welding, plumbers, electricians, construction, jobs related to new home construction. So, it is not as if the jobs aren't there it is because no one wants to take the effort to get them or they fell the work is beneath them. Just think, if we had US citizens filling the jobs that illegal’s have we could fix two problems at once. Unemployment and illegal immigration.

 

[metis]

What jobs do you think the government could create? Did not see an indication that you were "joking" on your last sentence but where are you going to get the hole diggers/fillers to do the job? There are plenty of jobs out there if people want them and "qualify" for them. Trucking companies are always looking for drivers; field workers are always in demand. Then if they want to put in the time to go to school, the trades (welding, plumbers, electricians, construction, jobs related to new home construction. So, it is not as if the jobs aren't there it is because no one wants to take the effort to get them or they fell the work is beneath them. Just think, if we had US citizens filling the jobs that illegal’s have we could fix two problems at once. Unemployment and illegal immigration.

It would take me too long to give a thorough answer to your questions, so let me again be brief.

The point Keynes made was that it is better to keep people employed than just sitting home doing nothing, and I agree-- if it is possible. Either way, we gonna have to support them one way or another, and I would suggest that it's better if we support them whereas they're actually doing something that helps them, their family, and their community.

Secondly, unemployment is low at this point with those who have degrees but still quite high with those that have no skilled training. I would suggest a smart thing for us to do would be to do our best as a local community, state, and nation to help provide some of that training that's needed, much like they do in Germany and many other countries in western Europe.

Thirdly, each community and state has work that can be done. When I look at some of the freeways and blight in the cities, there's junk that can be picked up instead of just allowing people to sit home doing nothing, People who are unemployed and students trying to save money up for college are ones who could benefit from a make-work program, and the communities they live in benefit as well.

But these steps do involve some extra monies to pay for them, but what's really the other option? Just sit back and complain? Leave people so depressed with their likely future that they turn to crime, commit suicide, give up educationally, etc.?

There's more than can be added, but I gotta cut this short.

 

[Midnight Rain]

What jobs do you think the government could create? Did not see an indication that you were "joking" on your last sentence but where are you going to get the hole diggers/fillers to do the job? There are plenty of jobs out there if people want them and "qualify" for them. Trucking companies are always looking for drivers; field workers are always in demand. Then if they want to put in the time to go to school, the trades (welding, plumbers, electricians, construction, jobs related to new home construction. So, it is not as if the jobs aren't there it is because no one wants to take the effort to get them or they fell the work is beneath them. Just think, if we had US citizens filling the jobs that illegal’s have we could fix two problems at once. Unemployment and illegal immigration.

Why would we resort to hole digging? You seem to imply that we don't have needs to be filled by employment. We could keep steady and decent employment for almost all of the people looking for jobs with work that NEEDS to be done for our infrastructure. I get the arguments that we don't have the money to employ them but I don't get the argument that you don't seem to think we have a need.

 

[esmith]

It would take me too long to give a thorough answer to your questions, so let me again be brief.

The point Keynes made was that it is better to keep people employed than just sitting home doing nothing, and I agree-- if it is possible. Either way, we gonna have to support them one way or another, and I would suggest that it's better if we support them whereas they're actually doing something that helps them, their family, and their community.

Secondly, unemployment is low at this point with those who have degrees but still quite high with those that have no skilled training. I would suggest a smart thing for us to do would be to do our best as a local community, state, and nation to help provide some of that training that's needed, much like they do in Germany and many other countries in western Europe.

Thirdly, each community and state has work that can be done. When I look at some of the freeways and blight in the cities, there's junk that can be picked up instead of just allowing people to sit home doing nothing, People who are unemployed and students trying to save money up for college are ones who could benefit from a make-work program, and the communities they live in benefit as well.

But these steps do involve some extra monies to pay for them, but what's really the other option? Just sit back and complain? Leave people so depressed with their likely future that they turn to crime, commit suicide, give up educationally, etc.?

There's more than can be added, but I gotta cut this short.

Unfortunately your premise "Thirdly, each community and state has work that can be done. When I look at some of the freeways and blight in the cities, there's junk that can be picked up instead of just allowing people to sit home doing nothing, People who are unemployed and students trying to save money up for college are ones who could benefit from a make-work program, and the communities they live in benefit as well." was tried once but politics stopped it. What politics stopped it you ask. Well very simple Unions. Seems that if you put people to work on various jobs you would be breaking the "rice bowl" of some unions. It even got so bad that a Boy Scout who was attempting to get his merit badge for community service was painting bus stops. The local union complained and he had to stop.

 

[roger1440]

What's the solution to unemployment?

Get a job.

 

[Valjean]

How would the poor working class find the time and money to get the training to qualify for these skilled jobs, without government assistance, esmith?

 

[Gambrinus]

Why are so many employed unable to make a livable wage?

 

[esmith]

How would the poor working class find the time and money to get the training to qualify for these skilled jobs, without government assistance, esmith?

I would be willing to see the government and private industry work together to train personnel. I don't know exactly how it would be paid for, but I could see federal loans and contractual agreements between a trainee and companies. Basically an indentured servitude if necessary.

 

[esmith]

Why are so many employed unable to make a livable wage?

because of what some consider a "livable wage" and the increase in the price of basic necessities.

 

[Valjean]

I would be willing to see the government and private industry work together to train personnel. I don't know exactly how it would be paid for, but I could see federal loans and contractual agreements between a trainee and companies. Basically an indentured servitude if necessary.

It would be an investment.
Remember the GI Bill, which offered returning vets free (government paid) university tuition? That investment returned a sevenfold profit through higher tax brackets alone, not to mention an expanded middle class and several decades of prosperity.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Private business. Business owners started as non employees. Getting a loan is a good plan if it is possible. Looking around finding what the surrounding business lacks can give an idea in what to start.

I'm saying this and I'm having trouble finding a good job. How ironic.

 

[Iti oj]

self sufficiency. we all need to grow food.

 

[Draka]

How about this gem?

Lower childcare costs/more free childcare programs. In some cases some families are single income rather than a preferred two income because childcare costs can be so high that often times that "second" income is just enough to cover the childcare and maybe pocket a little cash. When looked at that way, many find that bit of pocket cash left doesn't justify all the work they did plus time away from family. It feels like work for nothing. So some don't even bother to get a job until their kids are much older.

 

[metis]

Unfortunately your premise "Thirdly, each community and state has work that can be done. When I look at some of the freeways and blight in the cities, there's junk that can be picked up instead of just allowing people to sit home doing nothing, People who are unemployed and students trying to save money up for college are ones who could benefit from a make-work program, and the communities they live in benefit as well." was tried once but politics stopped it. What politics stopped it you ask. Well very simple Unions. Seems that if you put people to work on various jobs you would be breaking the "rice bowl" of some unions. It even got so bad that a Boy Scout who was attempting to get his merit badge for community service was painting bus stops. The local union complained and he had to stop.

Sometimes unions did stop it when there was an overlap, but there were other reasons as well, and higher taxes has been a major one.

Back in the mid-1990's, two counties in da U.P. tried "work-fare", namely that the state and county would provide jobs at minimum wage that were not being fulfilled through other means, and the effect was that it substantially reduced u.e. numbers, with a significant percent (I can't remember that figure, however) that "suddenly" found work in the private sector. However, after two years, they dropped it. Why? Glad you asked. It took more money to run this program, and the state under Republican John Engler instituted cut-backs within the state budget, plus the counties could not run the program by themselves because of the added expense.

So, money is the main road block, whether that be to the issue of taxes or because of other obstacles, and unions can be one of the latter in some cases.

 

[metis]

Why are so many employed unable to make a livable wage?

A large part has been because of the demise of labor unions. Wages in low-unionized states are typically lower than in unionized states.

BTW, the "right to work" is just a disingenuous sales pitch for the real effect: the right to end up poorer. The right-wing does not have a real commitment to democracy if they oppose unions, and probably most do. Unions are one very important way that the average Joe & Mary Citizen can have more democratic rights in the workplace.

[now brace yourself to hear about "union thugs" as if there's been no changes in the last half-century]

 

[metis]

How about this gem?

Lower childcare costs/more free childcare programs. In some cases some families are single income rather than a preferred two income because childcare costs can be so high that often times that "second" income is just enough to cover the childcare and maybe pocket a little cash. When looked at that way, many find that bit of pocket cash left doesn't justify all the work they did plus time away from family. It feels like work for nothing. So some don't even bother to get a job until their kids are much older.

Absolutely, and this is what they do a lot in n.w. Europe that works. In Sweden, for example, a high percentage of companies actually provide for child care at little or no family expense (other than through taxes of course), and they get help from the Swedish government with that expense.

 

[Iti oj]

A large part has been because of the demise of labor unions. Wages in low-unionized states are typically lower than in unionized states.

BTW, the "right to work" is just a disingenuous sales pitch for the real effect: the right to end up poorer. The right-wing does not have a real commitment to democracy if they oppose unions, and probably most do. Unions are one very important way that the average Joe & Mary Citizen can have more democratic rights in the workplace.

[now brace yourself to hear about "union thugs" as if there's been no changes in the last half-century]

right to work my *** or will to work states...its vile nonsense that has nothing to do with its name other then to **** workers over.

 

[metis]

It would be an investment.
Remember the GI Bill, which offered returning vets free (government paid) university tuition? That investment returned a sevenfold profit through higher tax brackets alone, not to mention an expanded middle class and several decades of prosperity.

That is an extremely good point. Why is it that we can spend trillions for military expenditures but can't quite find the money, which would be just an added relative drop in the bucket, to help our own people and our own community, and our own state, and our own country? We need more education, not less; we need more work on our infrastructure, not less.

So, what's stopping it? We can answer that with one word: greed. And example we have right here in Michigan is with our Republican Congress and Republican governor. While they gave their corporate buddies a $1.7 billion tax break (later revised somewhat downward), public schools have taken a beating. My oldest daughter, who teaches high school math at a local public school here, took an $8000 pay cut this last year, and the effect of the state doing this en masse is that we are now running into a very serious teacher shortage here in Michigan that is getting worse by the year. And we live in a middle-income community, btw.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Here lately I've been thinking a program to financially help people relocate so they can get a job in their area of schooling/training/expertise, or to areas that have more viable job opportunities if certain conditions prevent employment that is typical for one's area.

because of what some consider a "livable wage" and the increase in the price of basic necessities.

Even if you live where it's cheap, $7.25 an hour is not enough to live on, not even for one person.

 

[esmith]

Here lately I've been thinking a program to financially help people relocate so they can get a job in their area of schooling/training/expertise, or to areas that have more viable job opportunities if certain conditions prevent employment that is typical for one's area.

Even if you live where it's cheap, $7.25 an hour is not enough to live on, not even for one person.

So, what do you consider the necessities of life, say for a single person?