Back in the early 90’s I would tell teenagers that if they can’t say one of the following, they will not be able to own their own home as adults:
1. I own my own business.
2. I’m a salesperson
3. You can’t take someone off the street and teach them my job in a few weeks.
And the first two are no guarantee.
These guys can say none of those things. Unless they live in large cities with diverse economies, once their unemployment runs out they are absolutely screwed. There will be no opportunities unless they educate themselves. The days of working an unskilled job for good money are done.
And it’s not just the death of unions that is doing it. It is the simple fact that the world has rebuilt itself since WWII and is not competing with us. Why should an american doing an unskilled job make ten times as much as a guy in the Sudan doing the exact same thing?
The reason I moved from computer programming to communication intensive business analysis and project management at the turn of the century is because I saw the writing on the wall regarding outsourcing of technical jobs. It’s paid big dividends.
Don't paint such a bright picture. Reality will be far worse. Once any HR person sees Hostess on a job application, instant red flag. No one with a minimum of 10 active brain cells will hire anyone who is proud of killing their former company. Too great a risk that they will try it again.