Posted on 03/27/2011 9:22:49 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The biggest changes in family life sometimes happen gradually. New employment data suggest one such seismic change is upon us: Job-holding patterns between the generations have turned upside down.
In the past, Grandma and Grandpa tended to retire to a life of leisure in their sixties, while teenagers were expected to work. As recently as 2000, boys ages 16 and 17 were far more likely to hold paying jobs than their grandparents ages 65 to 69.
But just a decade later, that picture has turned upside down: Grandpa is twice as likely to be working as Junior. Based on new research by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, Boston, 34% of senior men ages 60 to 69 hold paying jobs, compared with fewer than 15% of teenage males age 16 and 17. In the year 2000, the comparable employment numbers were 29% for senior men, and 34% for boys in their mid-teens.
While the picture is similar for females, adolescent girls are employed at a higher rate, of 16.9%, compared with 25.3% for women in their late 60s, says Andrew Sum, an economics professor at Northeastern and director of the center. In 2000, 35% of girls ages 16 and 17 were working, compared with just 19% of their grandmothers.
Today many jobseeking teens are being told, “Don’t even bother to apply,” because some employers have hundreds of applications for the hourly jobs once dominated by teen workers, Dr. Sum says. Many adolescents have become discouraged and dropped out of the workforce. The problem is most pronounced in areas where kids are most in need of a paycheck, among lower-income families in big cities. In New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., fewer than 10% of high school students age 16 to 19 hold jobs.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
Someone’s gotta pay the taxes. You know, to keep the govt. running.
Grandpa and Grandma are COMPETING with Junior in today’s job market.
* Grandma and Grandpa takes the burger-flipping, car-washing and retailing jobs once dominated by teens.
* Restrictive state labor laws have helped push minors under 18 out of the labor force.
* Teens from affluent families are spending more time in school or working in unpaid internships, part of the trend toward a later launch into adulthood.
(OBAMACARE, which encourages children to stay on their working parent’s healthcare till age, 26 isn’t helping either ).
Makes sense. And it is going to get worse. Now that the myth of retirement is going away, more and more people will keep working. That and the fact that college is no longer a sure ticket to the middle class, we are looking at some very interesting times.
Grandpa has a work ethic.
I want to beat most 20 somethings with a shovel.
In many cases, older people can get higher-paying jobs that kids could not possibly compete for. They have the education, skills and work ethic that the kids don’t have. If employers won’t take them, they can start their own business.
A lot of them never get the memo about it being OK for them to work once they turn sixteen.
It makes zero sense to tell children it's illegal for them to work.
Isn't that the truth! It seems that our population is adjusting rather well to becomming a third world country.
The reasons for this “upside down” employment situation are multiple, most caused by our now taking over mantra of cradle-to-grave all knowing government, that actually knows nothing. Go out and try to hire a machinist, a welder, a plumber, a good mechanic of any sort, etc. They are not to be had without exerting great effort in the hunt. Our government has failed, our educational system has failed, our national pride and individual self-satisfaction has failed and gone by the boards. Employers are begging “old’ folks to stay employed, knowing once they leave, they will be quite difficult to replace. And.....those that hire the younger folks like rental car agencies or hotels, find employee turnover is massive with no loyalty or dependability, almost across the board. Yes, folks, elections and politics do matter and....our nation has chosen a number one empty suit and deadbeat to be the leader of a declining nation on all fronts. I’d say again, once more, Americans wake up and save your country, but, alas no one is listening to heed the call!!!
I can't imagine why no one would want to hire such a catch!
lol
ABSOLUTELY!
When I was in business, I would hire the older guys before any of the younger. The older guys did a far better job, were honest in their piece count, and could make a snap judgment call, AND were reliable-they’d show up for work everyday.
When I laid off for spring thaw, I would keep the older guys and let the younger ones go, unless there was an exception.
I was 16 back in 2000 and I held a part time job at Safeway.
The young grew up playing computer games, don’t know a damn thing, have no work ethic and aren’t woth a shit as employees!
Someone's gotta continue working to pay for all the children still living at home because they can't find work.
A decade ago I was a factory foreman and found that it wasn’t at all unlikely for a 20 something new hire to be late at least once in his first (and last) week on the job.
Eventually my paint department was made up almost entirely of parolees who lived in halfway houses. I could count on them to be at work on time and they were always willing to work extra hours to get away from the halfway house.
i started working when I was 8 and was smart enough to keep my mouth shut.
They can take the child labor laws and shove them up their ass!
i’m 74 and still working and the young can go to hell!
I want to beat most 20 somethings with a shovel.
It is work ethic.
I have four kids ages 17-32 They all work hard at their jobs.Most teenage kids especially boys are too lazy to work. My youngest son works as a stock boy at a grocery store. For awhile the kids working with him would spend their time Texting on their phones while Nick worked.
It came to the point were the boss called a meeting telling the stock boys the next time he caught anyone on the phone while working they would be FIRED! After he said that Nick said he turned to him and said he didn't have to worry about him.
I think the main reason is the work ethic. With that, work ethic will translate, eventually, into increased skills. Kids today have no idea what “work ethic” means. They feel the world owes them something.
47% of people over 60 voted for the muslim.
50% of baby boomers 5 to 59 voted for him. Nice job as you totally eff’ed your future and will most likely die in poverty. Good job!
The majority of youngsters voted for him too and their future sucks as well.
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