Posted on 11/11/2015 3:08:41 PM PST by conservativejoy
Rubio: 'We need more welders and less philosophers'
At Fox Business Network's Republican presidential debate, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) argued that increased vocational training and other measures would be more effective at helping American workers than raising the minimum wage. (Fox Business Network)
During the fourth Republican debate, Marco Rubio picked up a point touched on by Rick Santorum in the undercard debate earlier in the night. 'Welders,' Rubio said, 'make more money than philosophers.' Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler looked at the idea, but we thought it could use a visual.
Using data from the Web site PayScale, we can look at the introductory and median incomes of both professions. In 2008, philosophy majors started at about $40,000 a year — about the same as what the Bureau of Labor Statistics says first-year welders make.
But over the longer term, philosophy majors make more. Mid-career welders make $22 an hour, according to PayScale, compared with over $80,000 for philosophy majors.
Santorum's point was that there were a lot of welder positions available, which is a very fair point. Philosophy majors may make more — but if you can't get a job, that won't do you much good.
Turns out Marco took the welders line from Santorum.
I knew when he said it that he had taken it from Santorum. Only problem, he didn’t get the facts straight. Santorum had it right. Rubio made an off the cuff elaboration that he hadn’t researched.
What we need is fewer immigrants.
Especially when all the $20 an hour welding jobs are being done by illegals for minimum wage if that. Outside of big union/govt contract jobs like ship building, ordinary welding is almost dead for actual welders. A guy from Guatemala is doing it for cash.
The philosophy major I know is driving a cab.
The welders are worth a hell of a lot more than some cupcake with a philosophy major which is as useless as tits on a boar hog.
Not that there’s any reason they deserve higher pay...
Not much demand for philosophers. :)
Welder so don’t have to spend years paying off student loans...
But that’s O.K. with Marco. He wants to give them a green card, then after 10 years, citizenship.
I did not watch/listen to the debate, but I thought the point was that Welders make stuff whereas Philosophers really don't add a lot to building society. I.e., everyone is a Philosopher - in some regards (that is, everyone has an opinion) - and debating how many angels can dance on the top of a pin might be an interesting intellectual exercise - but not really all that necessary...
OK, those figures are from 2008, no doubt compiled with data compiled just before the recession. I’d like to look at them again in 2015.
And, keep in mind that those figures include those employed - not the people in Mom and Dad’s basement playing Xbox.
Philosophy major here. I’ll be the first to admit that the only thing a philosophy major can do is get a pHD and teach philosophy. (Good luck finding a job) Basically making more philosophy majors. Self replication is a trick most bacteria have mastered.
Instead I had my own retail business, worked as head of security in a mental ward of a prison (still better than being a college professor!), and now radiation effects testing.
Hey, I’d take a cabbie with a fondness for the British empiricists over a Somali any day.
No Phil, only those Philosophers able to find a job.
Try a meaningful measurement.
Percent of philosophy majors employed in that field vs. percent of certified welders gainfully employed.
Yeah, it’s too bad so many welders are out of a job because of illegals. Marco wants to give them green cards and in 10 years, citizenship.
Most philosophy majors work at McDonalds.
Yeah, those philosophy jobs are in hot supply around here. Companies are desperate for philosophers to help them with their business. What are we going to do with this lack of philosophers which threatens to shut down all commerce? It’s an outrage.
When I was in middle school, my teacher gave us a lesson I still remember (and I saw happen); I was a poor college student and I had friends who didn’t go, who had new cars and were living in apartments. But within a few years of graduation, we far exceeded that as college graduates. Today, with the crushing debt of college, I wonder how long “a few years” is.
Just as your tag line points out, the problem for American welders is that illegals have taken their jobs. Now Marco wants to give them green cards and eventually, citizenship.
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