Posted on 05/12/2012 6:28:23 AM PDT by Kaslin
Walter Russell Mead writes on the disappearance of jobs for non-Baby Boomers:
An analysis of recent jobs figures at Investor.com reveals a disturbing development: the biggest beneficiaries from the economic recovery are Boomers, while everyone else is getting the shaft.
Since the Obama administration took office, there has been an epochal shift. Young workers have continued to lose jobs and incomes, while older workers have actually gained ground.
In fact, the Obama administration has seen a boom in the prospects of the 55+ crowd; their (I should say ‘our’) employment stands at a 42 year high. Net, there are 3.9 new jobs for people over 55 since the recession began in December 2007, but there are 8.1 million fewer jobs for the young folks since that time.
Jed Graham's IBD article features a chart that shows the employment-to-population ratio that applies for the following age groupings: Age 16-24, Age 25-55 and Age 55 and up:
In the chart, we see that those Age 55 and older would appear to have a near constant share of their population group having jobs.
Meanwhile, we see significant decreases in the employment share of the populations for both the Age 25-54 group and especially for the Age 16-24 group since December 2007, which marks the beginning of the so-called "Great Recession".
We thought that outcome was interesting enough to dig deeper into the data to see how the age distribution of the U.S. workforce has changed over this period of time.
And to make it really interesting, we've decided to go back to November 2006 to do it. Here's why:
The downside to our more detailed approach is that we're not going to be able to use the BLS' seasonally-adjusted data for these older five-year age groupings, because the BLS only reports the non-seasonally adjusted data it collects for them, which means that the data we'll be using won't match these more commonly reported values.
Still, because we'll be comparing the data for the same month (November) five years apart, our analysis should only differ in very minor respects from what might be achieved using seasonally-adjusted data, if it had been available.
We're going to do this in a three-part series of posts, with this post being the first. Our next stop: the change in the age distribution of the American workforce from November 2006 to November 2011!
I would argue that a minority of boomers have the common sense and understanding that you do. My frustration is with the ones who you’ve been battling with all your life.
It’s hard enough dealing with my peers who are space cadets when you’ve got the ones who are supposed to be responsible encouraging it!
I was very disenheartened when I went to university and saw all the fluff courses. That is part of why it took me so long to go back. I had teachers telling me how to do things when I had done them years previously and knew how things actually worked. I had some great teachers, but way, way, way too many of them were wedded to the whole ethic of secular humanism and determined to weed out everyone who thought otherwise. I was so glad to be finally done, where I could be assessed on merit rather then just regurgitating what the prof believed.
But I went, I actually finished, and managed to do it my way, not theirs.
>>we still have to wade through that nonsense today.
It’s unlikely a generation of pink-shirt wearing, pin-faced, tatooed, dishonesty rationalizing, self-“disabled” whiners has the requisite character or fitness to be able to accomplish that; and there's no evidence to the contrary thus far.
My guess is you’ll end up petrified in the stomach of some predator down at the watering hole just like the lesser dinosaurs who also failed to honestly adapt to the nature of the dangerous environment that evolved around them. Abla de Chinese? Been fitted for a Burkha yet?
>>But I guess I study history so I know stuff
>>that’s totally not useful.
“totally not useful”?
Perhaps, comrade Breckenridge, you can demonstrate usefulness by telling the class why the Soviet collective had to build a wall to contain its bipedal property in order to maintain the “soundness” of its monetary system?
>>we used to have things like sound money.
And what is the Paultardian proposal for rendering “sound money” in a quantifiable medium that is conducive to commerce in this multinational post-modern technocracy, hmmm?
Can “Sound money” exist in the context of a framework whose facilitators are morally corrupt? NO.
“Moreover a majority of college graduates today have worthless arts degrees that are not worth a shit.”
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
According to some it is not just the arts graduates, one freeper who says he hires engineers posted that he has had electrical engineering graduates apply who didn’t know ohm’s law. That is equivalent to a carpenter not being able to identify a nail or a dairy farmer not recognizing a cow. One thing is for certain, the history majors turned out by our local university don’t know the history that I learned in grade school, they have proven that to me in person. I used to hear that a history major was only good if you wanted to TEACH history, apparently now it is possible to get a job teaching history without knowing anything about the subject.
“It’s unlikely a generation of pink-shirt wearing, pin-faced, tatooed, dishonesty rationalizing, self-“disabled” whiners has the requisite character or fitness to be able to accomplish that; and there’s no evidence to the contrary thus far.”
Unlike the tie-dyed, fringed, dope smoking, zoned out, self-satisfied boomers? But then, it was good enough for Clinton to get elected?
“Abla de Chinese? Been fitted for a Burkha yet?”
Funny you mention that, given that boomers have been tearing down the west pretty much constantly?
No, I’m fighting the battle with the only folks who are gonna be around when the dust clears. With the Church, not against it.
“Perhaps, comrade Breckenridge, you can demonstrate usefulness by telling the class why the Soviet collective had to build a wall to contain its bipedal property in order to maintain the “soundness” of its monetary system?”
As did Comrade Pelosi in confiscating passports from the unpersons? Plus ca change, plus de la meme chose. The only difference is that now we have those willing to give up their natural rights to the state.
But then that’s all ancient history.
Do you really think that the generation that fought on Normandy would look back at what you folks have done and are doing with pride? But, like you said, it’s all ancient history.
“Can “Sound money” exist in the context of a framework whose facilitators are morally corrupt? NO.”
The point of sound money is to take that decision out of the hands of the government - prior to the central bank, they couldn’t just ‘print money’ to pay their bills.
You know, just like Montesquieu and Hobbes? Restrain the state by restricting the power of the state. But then that’s ancient history.
So many excellent observations. It would be great if FR had a more up-to-date forum platform. I don’t see why this clunky format persists. Oh well.
Yes, I’ve saved nearly twice what I projected I would need for a comfortable SELF-FUNDED and SELF-EMPLOYED not planning on SS retirement... but I can’t afford to retire, can’t take the risk. Costs go up faster than my savings earn and more than that, there is less certainty now than ever over costs, taxes and stability.
Once you get off the horse and give up your place you may never be allowed or able to get back on so you stay in the saddle. Played properly, the boomer generation will die with more money than needed because the alternative terrible. To be old, broke, sick and unemployable is a terrible end.
As for youngsters, there are some great ones! Several of them work with my company and I am thrilled to have them. We mentor them as much as we can and provide them opportunity as they are ready for it. There are very few available that I call fire-and-forget type workers. People you tell a job needs to be done, let them know to see you if they need help and then you hardly ever see them until they bring back a product. They understand that you want them to do the job, not help you with it.
Mostly what we see at our clients though are whiny children who get their feelings hurt by our hard charging and capable achievers. We are glad that our clients hire them though and pay them mediocre wages and that they keep them. This just make our business of providing solutions and work for them GREAT! Our folks do have to learn to manage these problem people though.
We hire winners or potential winners, we pay them well for performance, we pay them very well for exceptional performance, we expect great things from them, if they are not able to deliver great things we give them an opportunity to find themselves somewhere else and give someone else an opportunity to be very successful in our team. We make mistakes in hiring sometimes. We don’t like to see people fail so we try to be very careful. Our judgement keeps improving.
We remain small because you can only find so many great people... they are our success. We might make more money by getting bigger, some of our clients might not notice the edge we have now but we would not be nearly as satisfied.
[have been told that I should teach deaf kids and deaf students, which isn’t very helpful when I am looking for positions to teach regular students.]
Does your hearing disability impair the ability of non-deaf children to learn?
Well forgive my bluntness, but my children are not in the classroom to give you a job.
They're there to learn - and that means asking questions, lots of them, even when the public employee they're in the care of isn't positioned to read their lips.
Now, maybe you've come up a novel means of overcoming your limitations - if so, good for you. But you'd damned well better've demonstrated it works and have earned the responsibility for teaching my kids -- because if you get yourself Affirmative Actioned into a position that impairs them, I'll make it my full-time hobby to fix that. Clear?
Temp. jobs and contract jobs may pay the bills, but you are learning the hard lesson is that they don't build careers if they are not in your field of expertise.
In the late 1970’s I started work as a cashier for a toy store, moved out at 18 and got a second job working at McDonalds. The weekend job was cashier for a drug store. Plus, I was still getting a few classes in at the time too. I did for several years and eventually got my business degree and went on to manage the drug store, spring boarded from there to a clothing company, built a $300,000 store into a million dollar store in 3 years and got promoted to a district manager of 15 stores.
Then the world crashed in 1996. I got up and started over again. Like my first post says I started over with the clothes on my back. I made more than my husband, so I paid him...the cheat.
While in pursuit of my second degree, I interned in my chosen field at a chemical company. It was a really crummy internship for a lot of reasons, but in my second year a management position opened up and I was asked to take it(at the time I was working as a bank teller, intern for the chemical co., and going back to school). Why would an intern get an EHS management position? Because I also understood business management, which was more than the kids coming out of college understood with their 4 year degree. 5 years later I was the field manager decommissioning two nuclear reactors for NASA. Today I run my retirement business. Yes, you read that correctly, my retirement business. You see I totally understand and was informed since the 1980's I would never see my SS contributions and millions of people were herded in IRA's and 401K's, but like my life demonstrates...I don't herd easily. I figured I would have to work in some capacity into my grave and having put in my long hours working and learning and career building for someone else, I decided it was time to really do it for myself. If I had learned that lesson much earlier in life, I think my life now would be much easier and better. So while my comments seem harsh to you, realize now, before it is too late...that ultimately it is up to you. It is not about 'who will give me the job.' When things were tough I didn't sit around and cry because they closed the toy store or my position got eliminated or even that my world literally crashed with the sudden death of my father, the loss of my mother 6 months later, and a divorce finalized 3 months after that... Who you are today is not who you were 12 years ago. If you've been doing the same thing for 12 years and not getting the results you want...then change what you are doing. What else can a history teacher do than teach at a school? How about historical sites as a history interpreter? How about a history tutor? Or a field history instructor for homeschoolers?
If he's on the ballot in Illinois, I'll vote for him. There are usually a half dozen candidates on the ballot, no one's ever heard of at least I know a little about him now, thanks.
Bravissima.
You’re welcome. Glad I could help.
“What else can a history teacher do than teach at a school? How about historical sites as a history interpreter? How about a history tutor? Or a field history instructor for homeschoolers?”
I had my own tutoring business for about 5 years, tutored pretty much everything except foreign languages. Math, chemistry, physics, biology, english and history.
I’ve worked as a business consultant, I’ve worked in advertising, I’ve worked doing field work, I’ve done research (I can dig through pretty much any library), I’ve done public relations for a small firm, worked as a lobbyist. My 6 month job had me overhauling their database system to upgrade it and create an online catalogue.
I’ve done, many, many different things over the years to pay the bills.
My second field is database entry, and inventory/delivery. I’ve done just about every job in a warehouse save forklift and I am considering going back and picking up that certification.
Let's get something straight, here. I haven't taken a dime out of your pocket. I haven't collected any Social Security, and may never.
There are no guarantees in life.
There have been bad years, where the savings are consumed, and then you start all over again from scratch. I have done that a few times over the years. It is feast or famine, and not uncommon to pay more in taxes one year than you made the previous one.
Still, the money I have paid in is a healthy six figure sum.
I just want a shot, that’s all I ask
Maybe I missed it, but what do you do?
Entitlements? I thought we were talking about jobs.
Public service pension reform? Don't think many Freepers will disagree with that.
they’d rather crash the system, so long as they get theirs Okay, I'm going out on a limb here, and assue that the "they" you are referring to is people over 55. So you think someone over 55 should voluntarily give up their job, is that what you are saying?
We get a lot of great consultants because their portfolios are busted and see no sign of recover. Most are simply doing good to stay even and being engineers can do the math to see when the nest egg runs empty far before their life force does.
They are in demand now. I hope it holds out long enough for some kind of true recovery but I am afraid it will not hold out and any recovery will be long in the making.
Well, when they get out of college do they know how to read?
>>prior to the central bank, they couldn’t just ‘print money’ to pay their bills.
Oh that’s right suuuper genius — prior to the Central Bank, every local, regional, and corner bank printed its own counterfeitable currency. Great Idea. Not.
And after all, Alan “The Wizard” Greenspan’s free market sooo demonstrated it could police itself.
Not.
What is the purpose of government articulated in the American Declaration of Independence?
>>boomers have been tearing down the west pretty much constantly?
Those who can Do, those who can’t Teach. Which are you, Junior — fixing to lead the proletariat from the Edumacational Farmhouse as you are {cough}.
What of value have you produced in the real world that American children should be taught, hmmm? "Teacher". Indeed.
Awe, those old farts won't fall on their swords so Comrade Breckenridge can have a job. Boohoo.
From each according to their ability, to each according to their need, that how it goes in Breckenworld, ehh?
I’m saying they should agree to public service pension reform rather then simply grandfathering out new hires as an ineffective stopgap.
Public sector pensions are just killing us right now - we could probably salvage the rest if the public sector were to pay 50 percent.
Stop working to pay the bills!
Can you not comprehend what is being written and shared with you? Or are you being purposely obtuse?
No offense, but a forklift certification isn’t going to advance you teaching career now is it. And be aware I was an EHS manager...I certified forklift drivers! It’s not a big deal to get certified, it is only an OSHA requirement. Not impressed unless you are going to be working in my warehouse.
I'm in the tail end of the 'boom', and I doubt I'll ever get a dime back.
Life ain't fair, and people should be aware of that.
As for getting it all back in 2 1/2 years? No, not even close.
I'll work 'till I drop anyway, and if Obummercare goes through, only remarkable health will let me live much past 70 or 80 anyway, even though I have relatives well into their 90s.
“What is the purpose of government articulated in the American Declaration of Independence?”
In the preamble?
“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”
“fixing to lead the proletariat from the Edumacational Farmhouse”
No, sir. My aim is to teach them what the Church teaches, and why so that they can understand.
“What of value have you produced in the real world that American children”
I’ve actually taught them about Natural rights, what they mean, that we don’t have a right not to be offended, and that we don’t have a right to be happy. We have the right to pursue it, but that is not the same as the right to be happy.
That rights themselves come from God and not the government, and that the foremost duty of the government is to protect, not procure these rights.
I have taught, that America is an experiment in republicanism, and how that differs from a democracy.
I have taught separation of powers, and the idea that because men are corrupt we must issue constraints on the government.
“From each according to their ability, to each according to their need, that how it goes in Breckenworld, ehh?”
“a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.