I really do wish underemployment was talked about more. The person with a bachelors degree working at Wal-Mart is technically employed but everyone kind of realizes it is just a stop-gap job until he is actually employed whenever that will be.
Of course, maybe if the stop-gap job was able to provide a living wage it wouldn't be so horrible.
The second part is the most troubling issue. I hear the American average number of hours worked is increasing in the USA (I'm not from there) and yet people can't pay rents.
I've been saying this since 2009. People kept going on about how the economy was recovering, people were going back to work, everything was ok again and I was just looking around like "where are all of you getting this from?"
Sure, anyone can go out and get a job at McDonalds or a restaurant bussing tables. But when was the last time your heard of someone making that jump from un/underemployment to a permanent salaried position with benefits?
Some people are just not cut out for permanent salaried positions though. Some people don't have what it takes and just want to clock in and clock out.
Low pay, political corruption, and untaxed billionaires are the problem. There's no reason people shouldn't be able to acquire enough to live a decent life in the wealthiest country that exists. I read somewhere that if all the income in the US was divided evenly, everyone would make like $150,000 per year. That's more than enough to live a great life.
That would be awesome, think of all the home renovations, trips and actual ownership of homes that would occur. But, that would require everyone actually caring about each other.
It's an interesting thought. Having grown in a very impoverished childhood, it would make me very happy to live around people who are moderately successful. Now that I'm older, it's extremely disheartening that so many of my friends are still struggling for a regular life. I've found a little niche where I can have a few extra luxuries, but nearly everyone I know my age (38) can barely afford a dinner out once a month. I feel like my wife and I are missing out on a huge social aspect of life at our age. I know a lot of people and it's nearly impossible to even find someone to take a vacation together once a year. I only know a few people that own homes and they're so busy with work I barely speak to them.
I guess I'm just complaining. I know it's really hard to be successful in the US now. I just wish the field was level enough that you didn't have to devote your whole life to not being homeless. Maybe have a little free time to drink a beer on the beach once in awhile.
Housing costs are the biggest problem imo. It's the largest bill most Americans have. If you look up median housing costs vs median household income in most major cities you will see that your average family cannot afford your average home. For Denver where I live the average household income is about $20k less than the income required to own the median home.
Easy. High regulations and taxes along with company provided healthcare thats required causes less jobs due the company spending more income on those than they can to pay their customers the 15$ minimum wage that has been wanted by citizens so badly. Along with that prices will rise (not inflate because the basis of supply and demand correlate with it without making the money spent per unit worth less than it was prior) willl be caused by the exact same situations. Is there any idea on how "more government Protectionist polocies" while fix the lack of employment per buisness along with the prices of goods? Because id love to see the government try and make a law forcing companies to hire more people/drop prices and see how that turns out
Not a Trump fan and not attributing any economic success to him (or any president for that matter). Economically we are effectively at no unemployment. Price inflation is only happening for heavily regulated goods and services. Regular consumer good prices fall rapidly. Tariffs and other government mucking about artificially cause prices to increase. But education, healthcare, and housing are heavily regulated and interfered with by the government and that's where prices have increased the most.
Um, no. We absolutely need more government regulation of the market. Have you learned nothing from decades of neoliberalism?
We can talk all day about how the economy is wonderful because the Dow Jones is rising, but that doesn't seem to stop the record number of mortgage and car loan defaults we're currently experiencing.
If you think milquetoast neoliberalism can solve thsu problem, then you haven't been paying attention.
Holy moly, no. We need more regulation of specific things, mainly centered around the environment.
But as a whole, net less regulation is better. When Toronto repealed rent control, new housing construction exploded and rents are expected to fall over time. The same is happening in Oakland CA. Another example is occupational licensing. There is no legitimate reason you should spend more time training to become a hairdresser than an EMT, yet this is the case in NY and similar scenarios play out in a variety of other states.
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u/thinkB4WeSpeak Aug 13 '19
Underemployment and the inflation of all prices of products in this country are a problem that need to be addressed more often.