Half a million millenial men are missing from the labor market

[hennessy]

Manual labor sure as hell beats sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week. I worked a desk job 8 years it was sucking the life outta me. Days fly by now and when I don’t have any more to do I simply go home instead of sitting stuck browsing NT for hours. I can also wear whatever I want and don’t have to visit the dressing better thread any more.

The craziest thing about corporate world to me is the amount of time wasted just having people on the clock when work is done. My employees get paid hourly and when there is no work to do I tell them go home. Not paying people to sit idle.

 

[boris]

So if I just go ahead and decide that, based on the lifestyle that I want, I think a fair wage for me should be 60 dollars a hour and I only want to work 20 hours a week. Is it unfair that no one wants to hire me?

Companies finding cheaper ways to produce goods = cheaper goods/better goods that people can buy.

40 hours per week has kind of been the standard.

This again illustrates that you don't have experience in manufacturing. Cheaper ways to produces goods does not necessarily mean cheaper/better goods.

 

[boris]

Manual labor sure as hell beats sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week. I worked a desk job 8 years it was sucking the life outta me. Days fly by now and when I don’t have any more to do I simply go home instead of sitting stuck browsing NT for hours. I can also wear whatever I want and don’t have to visit the dressing better thread any more.

The craziest thing about corporate world to me is the amount of time wasted just having people on the clock when work is done. My employees get paid hourly and when there is no work to do I tell them go home. Not paying people to sit idle.

This is why I keep saying that people shouldn't have to dedicate their lives to a company. People have limits to their productivity. You can't expect the average person to regularly clock 12 productive hours a day.

 

[mplsdunk]

If that’s the case, why is their such a financial debt crisis going on right now? Oh, I forgot, “borrowing” money that I can’t possibly payback is a luxury too.. right?

If people are so well off, why get yourself in so much debt? But yeah, it’s a necessity to borrow money, I presume

I agree with you.

I was just speaking in a general sense. A vacation is a luxury to me. Someone else a meal might be a luxury.

 

[blastercombo]

People hear labor and think you’re out there digging ditches for 12 hours in the heat. It’s not like that

 

[sea manup]

40 hours per week has kind of been the standard.

This again illustrates that you don't have experience in manufacturing. Cheaper ways to produces goods does not necessarily mean cheaper/better goods.

Its not the only factor but cheaper ways to produce + competition usually results in cheaper or better goods.

There's a reason a tshirt that is made in the USA is going to cost more than one made in China.

I have worked for both the American and Canadian Chambers of Commerce in China, mostly doing research regarding exports/imports/manufacturing.

Your mentality reminds me of a ridiculous Micheal Moore documentary that I watched once on Netflix where he went to some Italian clothing factory that produced high end designer clothes. Dude was talking about how the workers got paid a lot and got great benefits and asked why America didn't do the same while completely ignoring that its a company that charges 600 dollars for some dress pants

 

[sea manup]

This is why I keep saying that people shouldn't have to dedicate their lives to a company. People have limits to their productivity. You can't expect the average person to regularly clock 12 productive hours a day.

Don't dedicate your life to a company, dedicate your life to building a successful career. Sometimes that involves doing extra for a company but the end goal should always be about your future success. Of course it is not advisable to put your entire life in the hands of the success of one company, which is why you should be spending your time at your job developing skills that are in demand in a wide range of employers or studying the inner workings of a companies operations so that you can then be able to create your own company in the future. Company loyalty is overrated.

 

[boris]

Its not the only factor but cheaper ways to produce + competition usually results in cheaper or better goods.

There's a reason a tshirt that is made in the USA is going to cost more than one made in China.

I have worked for both the American and Canadian Chambers of Commerce in China, mostly doing research regarding exports/imports/manufacturing.

Your mentality reminds me of a ridiculous Micheal Moore documentary that I watched once on Netflix where he went to some Italian clothing factory that produced high end designer clothes. Dude was talking about how the workers got paid a lot and got great benefits and asked why America didn't do the same while completely ignoring that its a company that charges 600 dollars for some dress pants

You're seeing one side of the issue. Cheaper to produce does not necessarily mean cheaper or better goods. Cheaper ways to produce typically involve, but are not limited to, cheaper labor and cheaper materials. Replica sports jerseys from the 90s were so much better compared to the replica jerseys now. The company will likely never sell you an equal quality good for less money. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.

The thing about paying well and providing great benefits is that American companies can do just that. American companies are incredibly profitable, but where is that money going? It's going to the top executives and the share holders.

 

[boris]

Don't dedicate your life to a company, dedicate your life to building a successful career. Sometimes that involves doing extra for a company but the end goal should always be about your future success. Of course it is not advisable to put your entire life in the hands of the success of one company, which is why you should be spending your time at your job developing skills that are in demand in a wide range of employers or studying the inner workings of a companies operations so that you can then be able to create your own company in the future. Company loyalty is overrated.

I agree with most of what you're saying here. I think a point that I didn't make clear is this; I think it's wrong that salaried employees are exempt from being paid overtime. Overtime should be a choice and it should come with fair compensation. Being a salaried employee is a convenient way for a company to effectively reduce your salary.

 

[sea manup]

You're seeing one side of the issue. Cheaper to produce does not necessarily mean cheaper or better goods. Cheaper ways to produce typically involve, but are not limited to, cheaper labor and cheaper materials. Replica sports jerseys from the 90s were so much better compared to the replica jerseys now. The company will likely never sell you an equal quality good for less money. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.

The thing about paying well and providing great benefits is that American companies can do just that. American companies are incredibly profitable, but where is that money going? It's going to the top executives and the share holders.

Again, competition + cheaper production results in cheaper prices and/or better goods. The retro jersey market is a monopoly, only one or a small few companies have the rights to make NBA/NFL jerseys so since they have no competition (due to copyright laws) they are able to set their own price and quality standard. One company would never sell you an equal quality good for less money, but if you have two companies competing to sell goods then they will need to either lower the price or increase the quality/value in order to attract the customers.

You can't just lump the entire American economy together like that, that is a gross oversimplification. Some companies are incredibly profitable, and some are barely struggling to get by.

 

[sea manup]

I agree with most of what you're saying here. I think a point that I didn't make clear is this; I think it's wrong that salaried employees are exempt from being paid overtime. Overtime should be a choice and it should come with fair compensation. Being a salaried employee is a convenient way for a company to effectively reduce your salary.

Yeah, its tough to find a solution to that though. Since naturally any employer will be more willing to hire or retain an employee who is willing to put in the extra work. Like it is a choice, and the people who make the choice to do so just happen to be more likely to get or keep the job.

The topic of being paid hourly vs set salary vs value based pricing is an interesting conversation to have.

 

[ninjahood]

Working with your hands is looked down upon. If you're a somewhat intelligent seeming dude, ppl will make out like you're taking the low road doing something with your hands

meanwhile da only cats makin good tangible money in da hood are barbers, truck drivers, construction workers, and auto mechanics.

 

[ninjahood]

I'll be interested in what you have to say when you're competing against a computer for your job.

might as well ask "why even do anything in life if you're gonna die anyways"

da point is to make urself valuable and stop worrying about what you "like".

 

[Xennial]

The way some of Americans defend corporate interests this country would go back to the days of the Robber Barons. So many ****ty jobs nowadays which is why they have like 90% turnover rate for certain employers. Or jobs where you sit for 12 hours a day 6 days a week in a tow truck office dispatching like @illicit305. Like Sade said "they'll waste your body and soul if you allow them to". Very few people I know that work corporate jobs that only work 40 hour week nowadays.


[QUOTE="boris, post: 30815852, member: 88454", but you're so in favor of companies exploiting humans and treating them as expendable resources. You are in favor of corporate interests rather than the interests of the people.[/QUOTE]

 

[boris]

Again, competition + cheaper production results in cheaper prices and/or better goods. The retro jersey market is a monopoly, only one or a small few companies have the rights to make NBA/NFL jerseys so since they have no competition (due to copyright laws) they are able to set their own price and quality standard. One company would never sell you an equal quality good for less money, but if you have two companies competing to sell goods then they will need to either lower the price or increase the quality/value in order to attract the customers.

You can't just lump the entire American economy together like that, that is a gross oversimplification. Some companies are incredibly profitable, and some are barely struggling to get by.

Ah, I see. I agree that competition will help drive down the costs. I also agree that my example was poor given that American sports jerseys manufacturers are generally limited from league to league. However, I still think, based on what I've personally seen, that lowering costs often comes with lowering quality.

I didn't mean to lump the entire American economy together. What I was getting at is there are plenty of examples of companies in America that have incredibly high profits but still fail to provide decent wages and benefits. A great example is Walmart.

 

[sea manup]

Tbh I have no idea why people choose to spend their life doing a white collar corporate job.

 

[diego]

Tbh I have no idea why people choose to spend their life doing a white collar corporate job.

Depending on the job, sometimes its something to do on your way to death.

 

[Xennial]

BC the corporate route is much easier than the independent route for most ppl

Tbh I have no idea why people choose to spend their life doing a white collar corporate job.

 

[boris]

Yeah, its tough to find a solution to that though. Since naturally any employer will be more willing to hire or retain an employee who is willing to put in the extra work. Like it is a choice, and the people who make the choice to do so just happen to be more likely to get or keep the job.

The topic of being paid hourly vs set salary vs value based pricing is an interesting conversation to have.

The funny thing is the fact that people need to put in OT usually means you need to hire more bodies, but companies are rarely willing to do that.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Oh look, a thread about a macroeconomic trend in the economy has turned into a thread about personal responsibility.

 

[SneakerProSr.]

Tbh I have no idea why people choose to spend their life doing a white collar corporate job.

Materialism

 

[gentrification]

Everyone is moving packs

 

[Teknoman]

A lot of white collar jobs can be worked remotely. That is a major plus.

 

[sea manup]

The funny thing is the fact that people need to put in OT usually means you need to hire more bodies, but companies are rarely willing to do that.

Well yeah, companies best interests are keeping costs low while employees best interests are getting the most for their efforts.

But just like how competition creates cheaper and better products/services when there are more companies, competition creates cheaper wages when there are more people than there are desirable job openings.

 

[wr]

A lot of ppl I know that have 150k corporate or corporate ish jobs work like 60+ hrs a week. And people that work less are definitely ostracized. It's a badge of honor to be overworked.