Posted on 09/06/2012 4:16:43 AM PDT by tobyhill
There's been a lot of talk in recent years about the "hollowing out" of the American middle class.
A new study by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) confirms the troubling trend.
NELP broke down jobs into low/ middle/and high-wage groups based on median incomes. Looking at the period from early 2008 through the first quarter of 2012, the study found: "High-wage" occupations accounted for 19% of the jobs lost during the Great Recession and 20% of the jobs gained during the recovery. "Mid-wage" occupations suffered 60% of job losses during the recession but only 22% of the growth during the recovery. "Low-wage" occupations accounted for 21% of the losses and a whopping 58% of the growth.
In other words, NELP found what many Americans already know: The market for middle class jobs has shrunk and most of the jobs that have been created during the recession are in low-income areas like retail and food services.
"In short, America's good jobs deficit continues," NELP said in a summary of the study. "Policymakers have understandably been focused on the urgent goal of getting U.S. employment back to where it was before the recession…but our findings underscore that job quality is rapidly emerging as a second front in the struggling economy."
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Right now today, (not twenty years ago,) I know a young man who started working at McDonald's, part time, as a highschool kid. After he graduated he went full time, having started at the entry level jobs at a typical McD store. He is a reliable and hardworking young man, no genius certainly, but willing to work and willing to learn.
He progressed to assistant manager and was accepted into McDonald's career track. They sent him to their training school, Hamburger University (real name) where he learned the essentials of running a McDonald's store.
He now has acquired his own franchise. He is still in his twenties, works long hours but makes a good living and the future is all ahead for him. He can literally go as far as his ambition will carry him.
He did all this in the NE Ohio rustbelt.
No affirmative action(he's white), no pumping resume's, sucking up to interviewers, or hawking credentials. His credentials were his work record. No sour grapes about losing out to someone with a college degree.
Anyone who wants to, could do this same thing and have his own thriving prosperous business in ten years or so.
Sometimes entrepreneurs start by flipping burgers. I would be curious to know how many college graduates would be willing to follow this man's example, starting from scratch.
That’s been news for over 30 years. Welcome to the club. The pathological political class loves government jobs for its family-hating (misogamist) kids and continues to rant against the past existence of private sector, American technical/industrial jobs.
The conversation needs to be had and thanks for trying to get to the point.
There has been a tremendous amount of debate over the value of college vs trade school/military/etc. The current value proposition that “your are nothing without a degree” is over valuing our young people in their own minds. On the other hand, the image the military is receiving via the MSM (ptsd etc) makes employers skiddish to even consider hiring a veteran regardless of the applicability of their military field.
The bottom line I think, we have been marketed to death by the educational community, the MSM and even our own politicians (”if you don’t have a degree you end up like these guys”) with an image of self worth being determined by credentials rather than motivation and adaptability.
There truly are fields that require advanced education (medical, legal, aviation design for example) but for the most part, trade schools and/or military experience needs to get a better look.
cc: vet7279
bert,
Thanks for your reasoned reply. You obviously read and thought about my and vet7279’s posts before replying.
I see so many knee-jerk ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ replies. It is discouraging that more people don’t realize how much has changed over not only the last four years, but the three prior administrations, how much in the way of opportunity and wealth has been removed from the middle class.
Like you I hope there will be ‘adequate political change that will allow new products and new jobs to develop’. However, basing future performance on the past, I fear the best we can hope for in the short term is a miniscule slowing of the destruction.
In my area, Tri Cities Tennessee, we have North East State Technical College. Since inception it has grown by leaps and bounds. It teaches courses the local industries need taught and turns out graduates with needed skills. There is a wide variety of courses. One large area of study is health care and the various technicians required to service the hospitals.
In addition to technical skills all get a good dose of English and computer skills. Most of the courses are transferrable to our local state university if a four year degree is desired.
I have a special liking for a young man I see on the loading docks. He has started a course of study as an environmental technician and will be valuable to a large chemical plant here. the plant needs well trained techs to work at the direction of the various engineers to monitor and insure the long list of compliance measures. He will double his salary. It means about three years of nose to the grind stone to work and school but I think it will pay off. His employer pays part of the cost so it is a very good deal. He proudly complains to me the about rigors of working and schooling.
This directed education is college, but special college. It teaches basic communication skills and math. It teaches specific skills of a technical entry level. This sort of degree is extremely worthwhile and superior to say a degree in women’s studies or such claptrap.
You’re both comparing apples to oranges.
I’m 30 just for context.
You both sound more like 50-60.
A high school educated is more a like a middle/elementary school education now a days.
A college education is your day is more like a non-medical Doctorate in your day.
Really it is true.
Asking a real business company to not use bachelor’s degree as a qualification is ridiculous. Do you know how easy it is to get one these days? IT IS LITERALLY A JOKE.
There are so many “institutes” and “junior colleges” and “universities” that are not more than an office or two in a building that the government has given true legitimacy too, that have the lowest standards around or cirriculums like bullshit “hugs and love” studies-— and that’s who/what you risk hiring even with that requirement.
Honestly a high school education is as good as saying “I can count to 20 trust me..... just wait till I grow two more hands”
Don’t get mad... the truth hurts, I know.
$5.3 trillion in new debt and the only thing Obama/Biden has managed to do is make life in the USA worse for average Americans in every way.
Sorry, but your assertions show you are 100% ignorant of a real college experience.
I’m extremely conservative, look at my 8 year posting history...
I went to CU-BOULDER! for heaven’s sake; I was a poly sci major.
YOU THINK I TOWED THE LINE? I gave those profs and classmates heart attacks on a daily basis, and NEVER was once marked down for it. I had a perfect 4.0 in my major, libs, proggies and all. I heckled the liberal protestors, caused conservative “havoc” on Norlin all day long, and even went to CPAC one year, and “didn’t tow the line” with all the social cons (Even though I’m super pro-life and traditional marriage) leading me to get left with the libertarian group to mingle with- but dam I hated that, as I believe in a USA first and aggressive military/Foreign policy.
To your main statement of not towing the line meaning you can’t be successful; just pure pure pure ignorance in the dictionary sense of the word.
You really shouldn’t make such assertions on experiences you have no idea about.PUH_LEASE.
No it didn't. I spent my whole professional life in that time frame. The only time period my personal fiscal picture has gotten significantly worse in every way is the last 4 years. But I know, don't bother you with basic facts, your college indoctrination tells you this nonsense and you will cling to these absurd lies and ignore the truth like a good little brain washed drone.
Give me a break.
No matter what the indoctrination view point, college IS a good education.
For me it was a great education about how freaking nuts and crazy half the country is, and great insight into their pathetic rationale. It reinforced my conservative instincts ten times over and added to it a better knowledge of WHY I had those instincts.
A college education is what you make of it, PERIOD.
What I think you notice, is that too many non-bright people get into “major universities”. I strongly believe based both on theory and direct experience in a direct correlation between low IQ and being liberal.
With all the people let into these universities with a LOW IQ, of course there are going to be tons of fools who accept the former fools, now professors, low-IQ understanding and feelings-based views of things.
When you don’t have a brain all that’s left to give you direction is your “heart.”
‘Nuff said.
$83,046 For A 3 Hour Hospital Visit - Why Are Hospital Bills So Outrageous___ ?
There are worse dead-end jobs than flipping burgers.
Like being a “writer” for the “business insider” blog.
At least the burger flipper serves you something of value.
One of the more brilliant posts I’ve read in a long, long time.
A great deal of wealth transfer has been built into health care over time. In alliance with big government. Money in the form of free health care is transferred to illegals, new immigrants, and generational welfare. Money is transferred to global corps in the form of higher prices subsidizing R & D for pharmaceuticals and procedures for the world.
As an experienced career counselor and recruiter, I would advise individuals in that position to obtain what would otherwise be considered a worthless degree. Schools that will grant anyone an unaccredited bachelors degree for a couple of hundred dollars (or less, sometimes even free) abound on the Internet. If the only reason one needs a degree is for one’s resume, that’s probably the way to go. Be sure not to use it for a profession that actually requires a real, accredited degree and you should be fine.
Employers don’t always do a thorough vetting, and even if they do, give them the number to call at the school office.
List of unaccredited institutions of higher education
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unaccredited_institutions_of_higher_education
I did not know that!
There are some people I know that will definitely find this very helpful.
That comes across as you talking down to me as if I was 15 years old. Condescension is a tool the Democrats use.
Just wanted to put that in your head.
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