“If healthy men are unemployed in this economy, it’s because they don’t want to be. Everybody is advertising job openings.”
Yes, but you still have to be qualified, have to have recent experience, have to be young enough, etc.
You’ve bought into the perception. The data indicates that reality is different.
I am sixty years old and have 38 years experience in my field. Back in 2008 I was employed full time and also still operating my business in the same field. I brought work into my employer’s shop. Then the crash happened and by this time in 2009 the company closed. I had big setbacks trying to get my wife’s ceiling business off the ground but it crashed too, and I was out of work and out of money.
I have applied for dozens of jobs all over the country. Had a few interviews but no offers. I had a good shot at a job recently but blew it due to not knowing the latest software version well enough. No one wants to do any kind of training. I’m resigned to rebuilding my business.
It is VERY hard for a white male over fifty to get a sniff of a good job today.
There are jobs out there if someone wants to work.
Make the job market tight enough, and companies will hire whoever they can get to walk in the door.
I was speaking about the people I know personally. Thery aren’t data.
At some point employers will have to adjust their ideas about “qualifications”, or even train the unqualified AND compete on the compensation side to keep those they hire and train.
It’s possible my employer will soon have to bid against a competitor for MY continued services. At this level, I’m quite mercenary.