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Those With Obsolete Skills Struggle as Economy Shifts
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | May 16, 2010 | Catherine Rampell

Posted on 05/16/2010 5:15:54 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

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We are truly in a world of hurt. This Recession/Depression is hitting the midwest now, in a very BIG way. We've been pretty insulated up until now.

I think things are going to get very bad, and stay that way for a long time. *SIGH*

1 posted on 05/16/2010 5:15:54 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

How much value are there in skills that become “obsolete” in less than 2 years?


2 posted on 05/16/2010 5:17:58 AM PDT by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

And in other news, the Pope is Catholic and the bear s__ts in the woods.

Of course people with obsolete skills struggle in a down economy. Like it or not, everyone has to constantly keep their skills up and, if they lose their jobs, take jobs at lesser pay until they build their skills up again. That’s the way the economy works. The problem is when people can make a choice to remain unemployed rather than take a job in an area that is outside their skill set. That is what prolongs the recession.


3 posted on 05/16/2010 5:20:53 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Those With Obsolete Skills Struggle as Economy Shifts

Ah, this has been true for the last 200,000 years. This is news?

4 posted on 05/16/2010 5:21:53 AM PDT by central_va ( http://www.15thvirginia.org)
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To: Constitutional Patriot

Not a lot. I pity the over-educated d@mn fools out there with their ‘Humanities’ degrees though. There are a lot of people on both ends of the spectrum that can’t find jobs.

This just shows that even if people THOUGHT their skills sets were going to carry them through to the finish line, they may not.

I’ve always believed in multiple streams of income. When one dries up for me, the others keep me afloat until the well is full again. ;)

I’ll be fifty this year. *CRINGE* I’d like to leave my job right now (even though I love it) but I dare not at this time in our history. Heck, the way things are going, I’ll be hanging on until the bitter end...


5 posted on 05/16/2010 5:23:01 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Those of us with ‘obsolete’ skills, such as basic farming/gardening, and basic handyman skills, will never starve....

Unlike those whose skill-set is limited to ‘texting’.....


6 posted on 05/16/2010 5:24:02 AM PDT by Uncle Ike (Rope is cheap, and there are lots of trees...)
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To: Uncle Ike

Amen, Uncle Ike, Amen! Going out to pick fresh radishes, herbs, lettuce and spinach from the garden now...baked rhubarb pies last night. :)


7 posted on 05/16/2010 5:26:19 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

It sounds like the types of jobs being eliminated in private businesses are the same type of jobs that the governments, local through federal, are larded up with, at 50% higher costs. Their time is coming; some political coalition will come together to scrub them out.


8 posted on 05/16/2010 5:26:47 AM PDT by gusopol3
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Read “Aftershock” by David Wiedemer. “This is NOT the recession of the late 70’s” This one is “bigger, badder, deeper”. Jobs impact will happen in the following order. 1- The “Capital Goods Sector” (cars, construction etc) 2- The “Discretionary Spending Sector (fine dining, entertainment, travel, high fashio etc) and 3- The “Necessities Sector” (basic food, shelter, clothing, energy etc) The only stable, but low paying, jobs available will be in 3- Necessities.


9 posted on 05/16/2010 5:27:37 AM PDT by albie
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To: gusopol3
There is going to be a HUGE shakedown all the way around. We are at completely unsustainable levels of government:
10 posted on 05/16/2010 5:30:38 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: Constitutional Patriot

I was always facinated in how a person could make a living as an “elevator operator”. “Second floor please”. Easy. They didn’t just curl up and die though. They honed new skills. Or whatever that was.


11 posted on 05/16/2010 5:32:08 AM PDT by albie
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

” Going out to pick fresh radishes, herbs, lettuce and spinach from the garden now. “

Wow - I’m envious... We’ve had a particularly long and cold winter here in Southern NM — I’ve got radishes and spinach and turnips and peas to grow (but nowhere near ready to harvest yet..), but late frosts (would you believe last week??) have got everything else acting pretty neurotic...


12 posted on 05/16/2010 5:37:59 AM PDT by Uncle Ike (Rope is cheap, and there are lots of trees...)
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To: gusopol3
Perhaps at local government levels; from what I’ve seen, the Federals are beefing up on information technology positions. What is out there besides that are higher-level analysts. This is not my Dad’s GS steel desk file clerk work.

(Note: I work in IT on a contract for the Federal government, but for a private company.)

13 posted on 05/16/2010 5:38:17 AM PDT by GAB-1955 (I write books, love my wife, serve my nation, and believe in the Resurrection.)
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To: central_va

I know
Business is lousy at the neighborhood 8-track Repair and VCR Shop


14 posted on 05/16/2010 5:40:15 AM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Hodar

LOL....thanks for that laugh!


15 posted on 05/16/2010 5:46:47 AM PDT by mom4melody
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To: Hodar

For some reason I can’t seem to get my electric typewriter repaired....


16 posted on 05/16/2010 5:50:47 AM PDT by central_va ( http://www.15thvirginia.org)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

The good news is that Ms Norton finally got out of her rut. She found a job at Walmart. The rut mentality must be eradicated before there can be change. One can only wonder what she expects to type at 120 words per minute.

Everybody types now and even those of us that don’t do it well would never rely on someone else to do it for us. To succeed, those who have lost jobs must abandon the past and seek that which is new and required.


17 posted on 05/16/2010 5:54:46 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Ostracize Democrats. There can be no Democrat friends.)
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To: albie

I’ve read it. Highly recommended. :)


18 posted on 05/16/2010 5:55:44 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: Uncle Ike

We had a cold snap week before last, too. I manage a garden center, and I lost some flats of tomatoes and peppers...but there’s plenty more to come!

I was able to get early crops in back in March when we had some glorious weather. Then April was cold. Now May is wet...but improving. :)

Do you participate in our Freeper Gardening posts? Contact Red_Devil 232 if you want to be on the ping list. :)


19 posted on 05/16/2010 5:58:53 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: albie
I was always facinated in how a person could make a living as an “elevator operator”

One word: Unions

20 posted on 05/16/2010 5:58:57 AM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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