Buzz: Losing your lunch (hour) and trouble finding workers

Yes, the job market is slowly improving. But employment, or lack thereof, continues to be among the hottest topics for politicians, economists, businesses -- and Life Inc. readers.

Our most popular post this week was actually posted late last week. But the topic -- that many employers say they can’t find good workers despite the high unemployment rate -- kept readers talking for days.

More than 30,000 people took our poll on whether it’s hard to find good workers, even in this economy, and the results may surprise some people.

Nearly four in 10 readers said they or their employers were having trouble finding good candidates, while about two in 10 said there were plenty of qualified people out there. The rest either worked at places that weren’t hiring or were unemployed.

Many readers complained that employers these days seem to have unrealistic expectations about people’s qualifications.

“Firms continue to create positions out of touch with reality, say, an accountant who can juggle and has hair-styling experience,” one reader lamented.

Others complained that employers assume they can offer less money or other perks because people are so desperate for work.

“The problem is they are unwilling to spend the money on training or pay a decent wage,” another reader wrote.

It’s no secret that those of us who are lucky enough to have a job are likely working harder than ever, as employers seek to squeeze more productivity out of everyone they hand a paycheck to.

For many, that means working through lunch. Many readers could relate to a post this week on the fact that the good old lunch hour is becoming an endangered species.

“Endangered? I know NO ONE who takes lunch hours!” one reader who tweeted the post howled.

About 65 percent of readers who took our poll on the topic said everyone at their office eats at their desk.

Some who said they do take a lunch break at least had the good sense to realize everyone else is probably jealous.

“I work for a European company -- long lunch hour, 36 days of vacation, good health care, supportive management -- sorry USA,” one reader wrote.