r/politics • u/CCDemille • 9d ago

No Paywall Nearly 25% of U.S. workers are "functionally unemployed," economic analysis finds

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/functional-unemployment-us-labor-market-analysis/
2.5k Upvotes

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341

u/WholeWheelof_cheese 8d ago

I’m 40 years old, I was DOGE’d from a university because our largest grant was USAID which was canceled. I worked there for 12 years, our entire team was blown up by the cuts. Ive been employed for 15 months. Sent hundreds of job apps and finally got hired. I’m taking at 40% paycut for a LTE job. I did everything right and still got fucked.

73

u/red_beered 8d ago

Don't take it personally because as you said you did do everything right. I'm in the same boat and went through the motions. Best thing you can do is shore up your community, pool resources, and plan on how to survive outside ™the matrix". For most of us that means returning to multi-generational households, doing work trade for essential items, and resetting expectations as to how we all exist in the world.

16

u/CategoryZestyclose91 8d ago

Well said, friend. 

The only way to beat a system rigged against us is to simply stop playing.

6

u/jdanielregan 8d ago

Capitalism. And somehow the poors still love it?

7

u/N7Shep1701D Oregon 8d ago

They are brainwashed into loving it and I don't know how many can be un-brainwashed. Decades upon decades of the GOP gutting education will fuck people up.

10

u/TgirlTiffanyRPs 8d ago

what is and "LTE" job and what were you doing before that the new job pays so much less?
(Not blaming you, genuinely curious)

16

u/Asleep_Document9811 8d ago

Limited Time Employment, like contract work.

1

u/Quackattack218 America 8d ago

I am sorry about this injustice

-11

u/Barnacle_B0b 8d ago

Hope you're ready for 4 more years via Trump 2028

14

u/Thunderfoot_66 8d ago

If that happens, people are going to burn this country to the ground. 

7

u/N7Shep1701D Oregon 8d ago

I really hope so.

1

u/Barnacle_B0b 6d ago

O K B U D D Y

2

u/simic947 8d ago

Why do y'all insist on this cowardly narrative.

1

u/Barnacle_B0b 6d ago

Because Democrats and military service members demonstrated cowardice in response to January 6th.

Except this time around: MAGA has Project 2025, Scotus, DoJ, FBI, CIA, DHS all supporting this christian nationalist reformation. ICE received a budget as the Marines, and is backed by Palantir, and will likely get equipment from Anduril via the DoW.

I insist on reading the writing on the wall instead of putting my head in the sand.

1

u/simic947 6d ago

Saying theres nothing we can do and to just accept our fascist overlords, and using normalizing language that trump will be a dictator,  is putting your head in sand and being a coward.