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Subscribe to RSSAndrea Mulhearn Brobst wants a full-time job.
Despite having a four-year degree in business, she’s only been able to find a low-paying part-time retail job since she was laid off “from a real job at the beginning of this economic mess,” she said.
And Kathi Nguyen has been relying on temporary jobs since she lost her full-time corporate position in 2007. “It's just an extremely frustrating situation,” she said. “I want full-time.”
Unfortunately, finding a coveted full-time gig has gotten harder since the Great Recession hit, and last week’s May unemployment data showed the problem is getting worse.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an uptick in the number of workers classified as “involuntary part time,” or those who’d rather be working a 40-hour plus week. The data shows the number of people working part time for economic reasons climbed above 8 million in May.
There are two types of employees that come under the involuntary part-time category: those who are working fewer hours because their present employer cut back hours due to business conditions, and those who just can’t find full-time jobs.
While the number of employees who saw their full-time work schedules cut by their existing employers stayed about even with last month, and declined 8.8 percent from last year; the number of workers who could only find part-time jobs rose about 12 percent to 2.6 million in May, and increased about the same percentage compared to the same month last year.
And since the recession began in 2008, the number of people who were part time because they couldn’t find a full-time position skyrocketed by 1.4 million individuals, or 117 percent, according to research by Heidi Shierholz, economist for the Economic Policy Institute.
“It’s probably more a story of job opportunities,” she said. “Desperate workers have to settle with what they can find.”
Companies are just not willing to take on many more workers in this economy, even though employers are starting to see signs of economic life.
“Employers are reluctant to add full-time, permanent employees and they’re looking for innovative ways to respond to business,” said Craig Rowley, vice president of human resource consulting company Hay Group.
The big question, he said, is how do they respond to an uptick in sales without adding fixed expenses such as permanent workers? “They look at temp workers and employing more part time employees,” he said.
While Rowley said companies will add more full-time workers as the economy continues to improve, the employment world is shifting to a more just-in-time model. “They are looking for a more flexible workforce,” he said, especially in retail and healthcare.
That flexibility, however, isn’t good news for workers who want full-time, permanent jobs.
“The constant fluctuation in hours from week to week means that workers face ongoing uncertainty about their earnings,” stated Nancy Kauthen, a sociologist and policy consultant in a 2011 report titled: “Scheduling Hourly Workers: How last minute, just-in-time scheduling practices are bad for workers, families and business.” “The financial instability alone can create tremendous stress for low- to moderate-income families who never know whether their wages will cover the monthly bills.”
What’s your take? Are you working part time but would rather have a full-time gig?
Leave a Comment:
I'm working part-time, but I'm getting a pretty good hourly rate. I've made adjustments to my life-style that make this OK. I'm hoping I can hold out until 2014 when the next major recession hits.
I'm working part-time now. I'll never go back to full time now that I've cut expenses, worked my way out of debt, etc. etc. All my big expensive life style is gone (wear my hair natural instead of relaxed, use a buffer instead of nail polish. buy used clothes instead of new). But I'm happy.
There's more to life than working. Time is more valuable than money.
This trend will accelerate and perhaps become the norm for businesses hiring. These businesses, small and large, do not give a damn about the economic problems, or the increased stress, of their employees. After all, they can be replaced and often at a lower salary. "Part timers" also do not get benefits unless they pay for them. To hell with employees, let them eat.....!
John good for you. Everybody should read about German's work-share program. It was a method that has been talked about over decades. But rarely used.
Scrambo -- Blame Obama?
Puleeze, this is all about employers avoiding higher rates for unemployment insurance. In addition to part-time, they also offer contract basis (also outsourcing) and of course internships now more than ever. Wages are at an all-time low as well--even for high-end jobs, the base pay being offered is near poverty levels for anyone trying to support a family of four.
We need more organized labor in the private sector to counter the erosion of our middle class and working poor--not the other way around. How else can labor have a voice over the roar of corporate and gazillionare money in politics?
But don't fret. Europe won't make any changes of significance until after the US election this fall, and in the meantime due to business practices such as the above, unemployment claims will drop. This will help the Dems who are already getting fired up thanks to rightwing attempts to cheat in the election.
Then if the president and Dems can push a growth agenda -- the Jobs Act and the president's 5-point Plan -- along with Europe throwing aside austerity in favor of growth plans, we will finally begin to recover.
The worst thing this nation could do is put a plutocrat like Romney in the WH who wants to take the country back to GOP/Bush-era voodoo economics on steroids. You may think a gain of 5M in tax cuts for the rich is peanuts for someone like Romney -- But 5M is 5M, and you sure wouldn't turn that kind of money down if it was coming your way.
Stand for your own interests. Throw the Teapublicans out.
Capitalists companies/corporations have a never ending desire to cut costs to increase profits for the share holders. They accomplish this by reducing the labor force, making the current labor force do more for less and if all else fails, outsource the work to cheaper labor markets.
Welcome to capitalism. If you don't like it, CHANGE THE SYSTEM to one that favors the workers instead of the capitalists!
Most of the 69,000 jobs created last month were part-time positions.
This is your economy
This is your economy on Obama
Any questions?
Marlen...it's called Cuba. Go to Key West, get in an inner tube and float south.
What's wrong John, you can't address the issue of capitalism? I would love to visit Cuba (if it were legal). So much America being the "land of the free".
Sally in Chicago:
RE: your post #1.4
Our economic problems are way, way bigger than any one man, including President Obama. He just happened to be in office when economic events (federal debt, lack of jobs, lack of consumption) are starting the beginning of the end of our dominance of the world's economic power structure. The present day economic morass in which we find ourselves, as do others, most notably Europe and to a much lesser extent China, had its roots established for over 40 years. The problem is being exasperated by our federal debt which has been mounting for over 5 decades and involves ALL presidents and Congresses, including both Republicans and Democrats. Bottom line is that we overspent and overindulged. However, the last president Bush and the current president Obama have taken our debt to new and UNSUSTAINABLE levels. Bush with his wars and tax cuts for the wealthy and Obama spending to try and save a desperate economic system built on deficit financing, consumption, and a phobic fixation on ever increasing profits for corporations at the expense of common working people. It will only get much worse, no matter who occupies the White House or what political party controls the halls of Congress!
Marlen...I don't have to defend capitalism when the alternatives are failed socialist and communist planned economies. Capitalism allocates human and natural resources on a competitive basis. You either adapt to it or hit the skids. It is good for the species. it's that simple.
Well TruePatriot if you have evidence a crime is being committed it is your duty to report it to the proper authorities.
Of course if you're just spouting bull@!$%# by all means just post it on the vine.
If you don't like working for someone else who controls your hours and earnings, start your own business and work for yourself. No one owes anyone else a job.
Hmmm...thought I read somewhere that nine out of ten small businesses fail. Not really very good odds.
OBOY! This looks like another perfect opportunity to spread the words of a very wise man!
----
George Carlin
(May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008)
"The American Dream"
Theres a reason why education sucks and its the same reason it will never ever ever be fixed. Its never gonna get any better, dont look for it, be happy with what you got. Because the OWNERS of this country dont want that. Im talking about the real owners now. the REAL owners. The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You dont. You have no choice. You have owners. They OWN you. They own everything. They own all the important land, they own and control the corporations theyve long since bought and paid for the Senate the Congress the State Houses the City Halls they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear. THEY GOT YOU BY THE BALLS! They spend BILLIONS of dollars every year lobbying, lobbying to get what they want. Well we KNOW what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else. But I'll tell you what they DONT want. They dont want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They dont want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. Theyre not interested in that. That doesnt help them. Thats against their interests. They dont want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly theyre getting f***ed by a system that threw them overboard thirty f***ing years ago, they dont want that. You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork, and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly sh***ier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime, and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And NOW theyre comin' for your social security money. They want your f***ing retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it! Theyll get it all from you sooner or later because they OWN this f***ing place. Its a big club... and YOU AINT IN IT. You and I are not in the big club. By the way, its the same big club they use to beat you over the head all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head in their media telling you what to believe what to think and what to buy. The table is tilted, folks. The game is rigged. And nobody seems to notice.. nobody seems to care... Good honest hard-working people. White-collar, blue-collar, it doesnt matter what color shirt you have on, good honest hard-working people continue - these people of modest means - continue to elect these rich c**k suckers who dont give a F*** about them. They dont give a F*** about you, they dont GIVE a F*** about you. They dont CARE about you. At ALL, at ALL, at ALL! Man...You know? And nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care... Thats what the owners count on - the fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red white and blue d**k thats being jammed up their a**holes everyday because the owners of this country know the truth... Its called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.
Phhhht!
The number of people in the working population that die or retire each month reduces the working population by .2% each month. Work the math yourself.
All the new people who are supposed to enter the workforce are not getting jobs so never get counted. The ones who do find a job just balance the new out of work who are counted.
This is not any kind of recovery since the real unemployed number grows each month with the people who would normally be finding their first jobs, but are not (~250.000 per month.)
It's not a political problem. It's a supply/demand problem. The Supply side capabilities grow with emerging manufacturing capabilities while the demand side grows too slowly there and the demand in developed manufacturing centers is choked off because demand is limited by less disposable income.
This is a normal cycle but with the largest ever population base to be counted. Normally, the cycle settles into the normal, controllable, inflation cycle, but this time it may take more than a generation to establish stability. As long as India and/or Africa does not become First Class goods manufacturing centers (Ships, cars, refrigerators, etc.) it will eventually stabilize.
Source please.
They are college unemployment rate is 5% high school graduate unemployment rate is 8.1%.
Well, when business has to pay insurance benefits and a host of other requirements for full time employees, not too surprising that they don't want to hire full time. Now, in a 'functioning socialist system' like Germany, the health care is covered by the state. Germany is a country of strangely efficient bureaucrats. Germans also pay a very large percentage into taxes, but those taxes actually go to help people.
Over here the system is so corrupt, if those programs were set up, they'd be run by crooks ala the GSA. Germany is also smaller and has a smaller population. They're having their share of problems these days too. Riots in Hamburg, a resurgence of the Neo Nazis and wealth inequality. Don't know about the level of fraud, however, our level of fraud is staggering. We could do away with the debt if all the fraudsters both in and outside of the government were removed.
In light of the reality referenced in this story, by all means, what a great idea it is (sarcasm) to grant rewards and special treatment to ILLEGAL FOREIGN NATIONALS, as this Administration (for which I voted) is currently proposing and unilaterally enacting (though his de facto amnesty scheme). Americans (including this life-long Democrat and becoming FED UP that our elected leaders are sellling us out. (And, by the way, I am not among those who have been directly impacted-- I am a professional with a full time job, but I feel for working class people).
A GOVERNMENT WHICH REFUSES TO ENFORCE ITS OWN LAWS IS INTOLERABLE!
I wish I had a full time job, these 84 hour weeks are getting old
Re #1.11 "you either adapt or hit the skids". This works nicely when the vast majority is able to adapt, and the remaining small minority can be told to "hit the skids". But have you thought about what happens when a sizeable minority, or even the majority, does not find a way to "adapt"? Instead of the skids, they hit the voting booths - and don't be surprised if the results are another Cuba.
Back before unions and the first and second progressive eras , roughly during Woodrow Wilson's time in office and again from FDR until the late 1970's, most jobs were not full time.
There were no rules then, and they employed you when they wanted and then let you go.
Capitalism is not about providing you with a full time job at wages you can live on.
Capitalism is about a few people making as much money as they possibly can and they do that by employing you when they need you and then letting you go so they don't have to keep paying you.
Unless people realize what's going on and where we're headed, a Banana Republic type society, and get mad and stop them, we are headed for more part time jobs at wages you can't raise a family or even if single really live on.
And don't think just because you get a degree it will be different. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Those jobs will not pay much either in the near future (or even now in some cases).
Both the Democrats and Republicans are deceiving you about that. Obama is always preaching about the New Economy and the Knowledge based economy and saying education is the key to the good life.
NOT TRUE!
A higher minimum wage law and strict labor laws is the key to a good life and you won't get it sitting on your ass or believing fairy tales about the nature of capitalism.
@John
Yes, failed socialism like Germany, Norway and Sweden, right?
In Germany, there is always a labor representatives on the top level so they can get a fair benefits for all workers.
Guess what? It's what we need right now because "crony" capitalist are what destroying this country. We have "welfare" capitalist and "socialism" corporations who are "too big to fail" to keep gambles on everyone's else money.
Germany MAKES things people buy, so they have net income and Socialism works if that is what they want. Here in America we have outsourced and off-shored everything so we no longer make anything. That said if WE want socialism we have to BORROW to get it like Greece.
Perhaps as an IDEA we should consider bringing back our jobs from India and China so we can AFFORD socialism?
NO? OK then ... Business as usual and record national debt until the whole system blows!
@GHX
2 things you failed to notice:
1. Like I said, Germany's company required to have labor representatives at the top level as law. This prevent big companies from outsource jobs and bring more benefits to the workers. This in turn create a stronger middle classes and prevent "crony" capitalist from destroying the country like it did in the US.
2. Greek only has socialism in name, the big banks control the government and create laws that most benefit them. The housing bubble also occur in Greek and also one of the primary reason that theirs economic tanked. When the bail out happened for Greek, the government spent most of them on "too big to fail" big banks and its investor. Familiar?
We can't bring back jobs simply because corporations control almost everything and there are few laws to control them. They lobbied and bought every politicians. The big banks gamble on ours tax's money everyday.
Corrupted Politicians lies
GOP SCREW the American middle-class with Debt.
When Middle-Class Holds the NET DEBT=PRIVATE financial gains.(Vice-Verse) .
Believing that American are so Stupid to See what's happening ?
President Bush spend 2 wars (Off-Book ) trillions to Debt.
President Bush spend Tarp $700 billions(On Book Official ) $16 trillion (Off Book Official) Secret to bailout Corporation -To Debt.
President Bush spend $800 billions as Tax Cut for 1% to Debt
President Bush created Medicare part D : cost $500 billion to Debt
What President Obama did as President to be Big spender than Bush?
The budget projects a $1.3 trillion deficit cut this year, and $901 billion in 2013. But by 2018, the deficit is forecast to fall to $575 billion.
The President $787 billion economic stimulus package to Debt- What is Bigger than this $787 billion to Debt ? GOP you tell me !. If you had forgotten,its the "SENATE JOB" on President Budget that prepared all this expenditure.The President has NO right on spending ANY fund without Both House APPROVAL,except during national emergency.
Then what Qualify him as big spender?Some Project still yet coming to rolls in ,included, Bush Corporation bailout and GOP talking point -solydra all within this budget.
Infact he wanted to do the 4 trillion Cut-for a decade Who Opposed it?
Ans: GOP
Jack--- You are absolutley correct that Bush (a dangerous and vile President) was NO fiscal conservative!
Something the article didn't mention. I started a new job today. The company I started with defines "full time" as 30 hours or more. My schedule puts me at 32.5 hours per week. Despite "full time" offering me a few beneifts, like PTO, some insurance coverage, and the opportunity to contribute to a 401k plan, I'm still working the equivalent of four days per week, and I'll be earning less wages than I expected from a "full time" job. I think the new normal is being redefined; companies are considering less than 40 hours as full time, and reporting employees as full time who aren't working 40 hours.
I agree with the the two people at the top of this thread, John-1732009 and Journal Journal. Things are not what I expected them to be but I am surprisingly happy with my new job and full time opportunities open up at my job all the time. Plus it's a Union job (at a privately held company no less) so benefits are pretty good even if we don't make a lot of money. I have an advanced degree so I know I'll be able to move up in this company and I think as far as the European debt crisis, this industry is fairly recessions proof. A lot of these entry level and part time hourly positions are. Think about it.
So my new way of thinking is this, if you got let go from your corporate job and you had to take a job at Star Bucks or whatever, make the best of it. Treat that job as an opportunity and remember the old days when people used to start out mopping floors at a company or working in the mail room and worked their way up. You can still do that. This is America after all.
I'm also working part time with benefits. Health/Dental/Vision, 401k, paid leave, etc.
Everyone is forgetting one category....independent contractors, those who are hired, but paid on a commission only basis....is this really even employment?
I hope y'all get better, November is coming time for change of command, iI have hope that with Romney we will do better, because with Obama there is nothing than lies about the economy.
Yes - 1 question please. How many jobs was the US market hemorrhaging when he took office? How many are we losing right now.
So you blame Obama for companies not wanting to pay for full time help? LOL You people are silly.
YEs they are.
I work at in a professional office. We are a small division of a bigger company.
We should have 1 or 2 more fulltime people, but instead we outsource work because it's cheaper.
We have 30 other employees and outsource work that could be replaced by 5-6 more fulltime people.
No one is saving money by not hiring staff. It's lowering everyone's salary.
And don't forget about benefits- especially health insurance. My hubby is on his third year of 'temporary' employment with our city. He's limited to 1500 hours in a year, so they don't have to pay him any of the full time benefits. Luckily, I'm able to have him on my health insurance plan (although the skyrocketing deductibles make me nervous).
Health care benefits have become too expensive even through an employer. More and more people will realize we need to reform our broken system, and remove the burden of health care from employers altogether -- We need Medicare for all, and that would make Medicare solvent as well.
A good reason for national health care. When these contractors get sick, who pays for it? If they don't have insurance, we who work pay for it.
Greedy corporations should have to do profit sharing and hire people, if they make over a certain profit, bottom line they dont care, let them pay health care anything to get the money in working mans hands then the economy will rebound as long as these greedy corporations keep going the way they are kiss economy good bye
Health insurance and "JOBS" need to be divorced once and for ALL!
It is a broken system where those who SPEND the money are not the ones PAYING the money, so employees SPEND while employers PAY and medical care gets geometrically more expensive every year.
That's the real pupose isn't it harry?
Well, The Truth of The Matter is More People on the Planet Are Chasing Fewer Jobs BECAUSE The EVIL Ruling Rich Of the Planet are in Possession of Soooo Much of the World's Wealth THAT OTHERWISE Will Be put towards R&D, Research and Development, for Gearing up a New World Socio/Economic order like Massive Solar Panel Development and Deployment for Every Application including AND especially Cars and Trucks, Refurbishing the Rain Forests and getting rid of Palm Oil Plantations, HUMANPopulation control, Recycling of human septic waste, recycling plants for lumber for homes; The list goes On and ON and ON. But first We People of the World have to overcome the Robber Barons who exploit carbon producing resources, Overpopulation, laying waste to natural rain forests and resources everywhere....You Know what??? That time will come Sooner than we know.
The current overpopulation of the world is actually from people living longer.
The birthrate on average is dropping, as more women wait until they are older to have children (with the exceptions being war and tribal areas, where raping girls and women is rampant), and they have fewer children. However, life expectancies have increased by decades. Once all of us baby boomers of different countries and cultures age and die, there will not be the numbers to replace us. However, consumption continues to grow.
Gee Bloody Babs No SH!T!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reluctant to hire full time because of the economy, BS!!! Part timers are not subject to mandatory benefits, overtime, holiday pay, vacations, on and on and on! They cut positions to save the company from going under, that's fine, but now corporations are making record profits, and using the existing overworked employee's to do it! This has nothing to do with the economy, it's all greed! The worst thing to ever come out of the so called recession is every POS boss out there is holding some poor bastards job over his or hers head, extortion! Work or get fired mentality at it's extreme. Worried about the economy, please!
Exactly. There is real uncertainty in terms of supply and demand, and that's because too many people are out of work or earning peanuts = no demand. Companies are followers, not job creators. They won't change their practices unless forced to either by labor laws (which won't happen) or by economic recovery = government has to lead.
i have quit working! i will never work again! we should all just call in and say; "I QUIT! WORKING FOR YOU IS NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE!"
I am also resigned not to reproduce either. Yep, no kids because I would not be able to feed them.
It took exactly 20 years to become convinced that walking around digging for trash and being homeless is much better, more fun, more profitable "work".
I have a college degree too. 20K in debt, and I am defaulting.
I QUIT!
So have you pawned your computer yet?
He might be using a computer at the library. Too bad there aren't showers there, too. Trash picking kinda grows on you, and not in a nice way.
When KingGeorge TheVacuumBrained Sanctioned Uncontrolled Derivative Racket Explodes, There is going to be Another AND Armed American Revolution. American Citizens Have 40,000,000 guns in possession. Law of nature and Force of economics, People need Full time Jobs, America NEEDS An American Universal National healthcare system like The Other Countries, Which TAKE CARE OF THEIR CITIZENS, instead of Allowing THE EVIL AND CORPORATE RICH to Fatten their Coffers as they think up New and very profitable wars for Our Sons and Daughters to FIGHT FOR THEIR PROFIT and you know What? God is not going to punish them; HE is waiting for US, America , to punish them Just like in The French Revolution When they were rounded up and sent to THE MADAM in the Oxen Carts Men Women AND Especially their Children so that evil seed cannot go into the future to hurt more people. You Know what Rommel's Darling Sons are doing?? They are conducting Corporate Raider Companies modelled after Good Ole" Dad and his Bain Company. It's OUR Call, The ball is in our Court.
Reading the above posts I can't help but feel that this part time, low paying jobs will, in the long term, be the undoing of these companies. It will take a long time but eventually people are learning to do without. They are readjusting the basic needs and learning to cope with a lesser life style only to find a different kind of happiness. I am one of those part timers that have found more to life than things and work. With these companies changing the work environment and people doing with much less, who will these companies eventually sell to? Once the whole world is reduced to part time minimum wage jobs, no one will be able to or want their products and they will go out of business. Not sustainable over the long long term. My heart actually goes out to those that are working 40+ hours a week. Burning themselves out to keep those things they think are so important now. Just think what that stress is doing to your body and spirit. The great American dream is just a front for the government to accumulate taxes to spend as they see fit. It's time for someone out there to put together manuals for how to live on $400.00 a month or less in today's world, be happy, healthier, and enjoying the freedom. It really can be done. Sometimes there is a bright side to all these "horrible" changes that companies are doing. It's a mind set both ways.
Excellent Point Nanette!!!
I heard such a manual was put out many years ago . . was titled "Steal this Book" by Abbie Hoffman! I never had time to read it; I was too busy working!
It probably is time for another!!
PhatomBeast:
"Vengence is mine", sayeth the Lord.
I would ask you to detail, how you personally, have suffered all this hardship in America. One of the biggest problems is that America has forgotten what hardship is. We have forgotten how to prioritize, how to take care of business first and play later. Are you willing to pay double or triple the price on every single consumer item that you might purchase to insure that we all have the exact same wages and health care? Somehow, I think not. I imagine that you would be the first to complain bitterly at not being able to afford the big screen or the new "energy efficien", overpriced vehicle. The French revolution, of which you seem so fond, created nothing but turmoil in France. Mob violence reaches a point where it no longer discriminates between the good guys and the bad guys....Oh yeah, and BTW, the French economy is in much worse shape than ours due to entitlements that cannot be sustained. Seeing as the French Revolution and the American Revolution are both of a similar generation and age.....the United States model is still faring better despite the best attempts of government to sink it.
It's only going to get worse...sorry but no one is saving for retirement, yes Gen X'ers should be okay but after that (just 20 years from now) Gen Y'ers will be out of luck...sorry, but you will have no social security as the much smaller work force (as well as earning lower wages) will only hurt matters...it would not surprise me if this country became more like India with the super rich and "the rest"
It might get better when Obama is gone.
I voted for Obama but feel that companies are "witholding" full time jobs for the lower & middle workers just to make Obama look bad & because the super wealthy simply refuse to pay more taxes. Making millions of folks suffer just to make Obama fail is a shame. In any case the truth will come out about corporate America & someones going to have to pay higher taxes. So whos it going to be?
remember the french revolution?
Please tell me you are not serious.
Yes the ignorant revolted.
It might it might not. Things have been getting better. our pay keeps going up. taxes are almost non existent. It is very very very very easy to get a full time job that is good paying. so Life is great. I will not be voting for Obama though.
Auto 101 - THE IGNORANT?!? That enrages me. Youre a real piece of work, Auto 101. I suppose you think our own Minute Men were ignorant too, when they picked up their guns against the English soldiers? You traitorous ....
They were Americans not French. However in the eyes of the Loyalist they were traitors. It is all about who won is what makes you a traitor or a patriot.
When you would rather starve then eat a potato then Yes I would call them ignorant.
Yes I do WORK it is the best way to fight poverty.
What if it gets worse with Romney in office? What's then?
I know for a fact that the state we are in right now due to "crony" capitalist. Germany is a shining example of a good economic structure with labor representatives at the top of each companies.
I really want to like Romney and believe in him, but so far he shows me nothing. Yes, NOTHING at all but attack on women's rights and gay/lesbian. His records so far just bad for people to like him.
It has many parts to this.
For Romney, a big part of being president will be a trophy. He is already a rich man, his sons are rich and doing fine.
For some other Republicans they really want the power to control the big military and the executive will of all procedures.
Then, their are the real ideologues. Paul Ryan, with his Ayn Rand philosophy, and the John Birch Libertarians, as per the Koch Brothers, Grover Norquist and them like so on.
The more purist Libertarians like Ron Paul.
Then the religious right, but now are being more and more compelled by the historically tricky Catholic.
You know........while we are all busy complaining and finger pointing, perhaps it is time to reflect and remember:
Nobody owes anybody a job, full time or otherwise.
Nobody owes anybody food, shelter, clothing, insurance, medical care.
Should people assist their neighbors? Should companies treat workers fairly and honestly? Guess what, we are talking apples and oranges here. The crux of the whole thing is "owing" or a sense of entitlement, and a flawed sense of fairness which has become distorted from everyone has an equal opportunity to exceed and succeed, to we have to create all these special helps to insure that everyone succeeds at exactly the same level. Excuse me, but if we all are at exactly the same level, than what motivates anyone to excel, to do more, to innovate, create, expand opportunity???? Now if you are going to answer with some high flown nonsense about people being inherently good and that will cause them to strive, then you are totally contradicting your central premise that all who have achieved success are flawed by greed and have no interest in helping anyone other than themselves.....Either you believe that humanity is essentially good or essentially bad, but you can't have it both ways at the same time. I prefer to believe that people are essentially good, but just as a drowing person, in panic, will try to kill the rescuer in order to keep their head from going under, so too, do people have the panic reaction when their financial futures is unstable and uncertain. The more we can do to insure that decent paying full time employment is available-to encourage business-then the more people will feel confident enough to reach out and assist their fellow human beings.
A M E N,
S U E !!!
You know.....there is nothing wrong with part time work. And if I ran a business, I'd hire 6 part time people over 3 full time any day of the week. No benefits, easier to schedule, and no overtime. It is perfectly moral, economical, and legal. Plus I could get creative....whoever gives the best work or shows they are willing to work harder will get more hours than the others. It is the American way for small business anyway you slice it. And if someone needs full time work, no one is stopping the workers from leaving. Back in the day when I ran my consulting biz, I advertised for some part time help. I hired a person and after 2 days, he asked for full time or he was leaving. I gave him his last paycheck 3 minutes later. I hired someone later that same evening to replace him. He then calls me the next day asking for his part time job back and I told him he had already been replaced and he then went into this sob story which I could really care less for and I told him they person I hired not only got the work done in half of the time, but the person was grateful to have a job.
People like you are destroying the economy. Your method is legal and economical for you, but don't call it moral. Denying someone a full-time job is exploiting that person, because you are greedy and you want more money in your pocket. You are the person who makes money off people's desperation. You think by denying workers a living salary and benefits, you win. Yes, you do, temporarily. Then that same worker cannot afford to purchase, cannot pay taxes - which means he/she cannot give back. Where is that going to leave you? A downhill economy where people have lost their purchasing power, pot-holed roads, schools closed, teachers fired - in other words, a third world country. Until that happens and worse, you will not stop destroying the very people or workers who made you who you are. I would call you ungrateful.
Guest....Nobody is denying anyone anything. If you don't like your situation, then change it. Slavery was outlawed 160 years ago.
It's called capitalism. This may be a shock to you, but you are either predator or prey, even in Cuba. I suggest predator is more appealing, but the choice is and will always be yours. It sound like you made your choice so suck it up and enjoy being someones bitch.
Wait till u get someone that works real good then when u turn your head they start screwing up your product because they find out u have a heart of scum. Bad workers do infiltrate good & bad companies & sabbotage the final product. Not to mention if someone is saddled with a high mortgage & other expenses.
My wife left a grocery store job. The had about 60 hrs a week open as a cashier & they hired 12 part time folks to work a total of 60 hrs in that week. Her weekly paycheck didnt pay for the GAS wifey had to put in my Cadillac just to get to this sucky job. She got out of there soon enough! But the corporate "I dont care about folks below me" mentality has to end at some point or u corporate idiots arent going to have any customers at the end of the decade.
"THE BABY DOOMER GENERATION!"
You are eating your children!
anon ymous:
RE: your post 6.4
Perhaps you are correct, but you don't taste too very good, with your i-phones, lap tops, flat screen T.V.s flashy autos and new designer name clothes on which were bought to you and bought for you by the, you guessed it, baby boomers! So when you are complaining with your mouth full of extra large pizzas, burgers, and oversized fries, all washed down with your super-sized drink please try and remember this FACT! Lets just say we may have spoiled you just a tad and be done with the name calling, OK?
Buying power: Funny how in this conversation, that doesn't include things like actually having to pay for your medical care or to budget for your education or your retirement. Funny how government is supposed to take care of all that stuff
I quit my job in 2011 because the cost of childcare for an infant and preschooler was eating up all of my take-home pay. My infant son kept getting sick, causing me to miss work and I was miserable in my job for 3 years before I finally quit. I have a Masters degree and 8 years of experience in my field and a total of 16 years of workforce experience. I earned a decent salary working in state government, but we had not had any raise whatsoever in 5 years. Our health insurance kept going up while the coverage level kept decreasing, making our out of pocket costs considerably higher. I had to pay 10% of my gross pay into my mandatory retirement fund. My retirement fund was entirely self-funded, no government contribution in addition to my mandatory 10%.
After 10% deduction for retirement, 28% deduction for federal taxes, 3% deduction for state tax, 2.5% deduction for city tax, 2% deduction for my union dues, all I could do was pay for daycare and my bus pass to get to work, and my money was GONE.
I'm now a stay at home mom, but I planned ahead by developing freelance website content work before I quit my job. I've had as many as three clients at a time and as few as one. I've even done Mechanical Turk to earn a few bucks. We've always lived below our means but now even more so. We've found that we've been able to maintain our simple lifestyle, continue to save for retirement and our children's education and have an emergency fund even on just one income. We use my freelance earnings for extras such as swimming lessons, school clothes and Christmas gifts, although the first $5k I earn goes straight into my retirement fund.
For my family, this works for now. We're expecting a third child later this year and paying for before/after school care and childcare for summer and breaks, along with childcare for a toddler and for a newborn would eat up my entire takehome pay.
Why were you paying so much? We have two kids made 91K and paid 6.13% in federal taxes.
What do you expect when the president thinks 50,00 jobs at Mc Donald's is progress.
We get in our car made in Japan(68,000 Americans kill by the Japs on Okinawa alone) wearing jeans made in China(55,000 American killed in Korea by the Chinks) and a shirt made in Vietnam(58.000 Names on a wall). Where are we going?????? We are going to pick up our unemployment check, When we get this check we rush down to WalMart, Target, Etc and further increase the Chinese economy. DAAAA!
It was announce in China by a GM exec, that 70 percent of GM cars are made in China after the tax payers bailed them out. How many tax paying GM workers lost their jobs. they didn't bother to tell that side of the story.
Forced to pay 10% for retirement? Forced by the government to join a union? A master's degree and you were paying 54.5% of your paycheck for day care and bus passes?
I'M GETTING A STRONG ODOR OF BULL$H!T.
Only 12K American combat deaths to 90K Japs deaths. Who had it worse?
mamasita-3184619
So you had retirement savings, you were forced to pay taxes like every citizen, you had a Union looking out for your interests that cost you the low price of 2 cents out of every dollar you make (which means you probably had decent health benefits and your employer couldn't just up and fire you because if they tried to the Union lawyers would be on their butts like white on rice) - I bet even your bus pass was subsidized. Those are good benefits any way you slice it. Since you didn't know a good thing when you had it, it's good that you quit so that someone else could take advantage of those benefits in a terrible job market where people are getting fewer and fewer benefits.
And I've got news for you. Daycare is expensive. That's not your employers fault that you had to pay for day care for two small children. Kids costmoney. YOU made the choice to have two children and now although you are still living "below your means" you chose to have a THIRD child.That is not living below your means. What are you thinking? Women fight for your right to use birth control and take a bunch of crap from people like Rush Limbaugh calling us names, just so you can turn around and have three kids you can barely afford and then blame your financial troubles on the government or some political party. I'm with the Republicans on this point - take some personal responsibility.
It sounds to me like you just don't know how to manage your money and you're not realistic about your current and future finances...at all!
And one last thing. You don't get to quit paying taxes because you quit your job. Even if you run your own business out of your house, you still have to pay taxes. So basically none of what you said made any sense.
Angel . . you either have a problem reading or listening. Mamasita is merely chronicling the details of her decision to be a stay at home mom since she was not even breaking even.
You injection of birth control, Rush LImbaugh, etc. is tasteless. And she didn't say she couldn't afford her 3 kids; on the contrary, they are doing fine. And yes, someone else has her job now. What's that to you??
Mamasita, thanks for sharing your analysis. Many of us have been through exactly the same situation, congratulations on working it through! I'm sure you will make it back into the work force when your kids are older; good job making a plan with the website etc. and good luck! : )
Truth&Logic
You're name has no bearing on your actual intelligence, does it? She is telling us she quit her job because she couldn't make enough money. One of the reasons being she couldn't afford day care for her two kids. They are living below their means as it is (they have to since she has basically lost her income), but they are having a third child. Do you have children? Babies are cute but they need things. They cost money. Choosing to have a third is not living below your means. They are living on one income and some little side money she makes here and there. Way to put all the pressure on her husband to feed and clothe FIVE people. Hope he doesn't get sick or hit by a bus. How many times have we heard people say,"I (or my husband or wife) lost their job or got sick and we spent all of our retirement/savings, etc.). They made poor choices. Too late now.
What's it to me? If she didn't want people in her business she wouldn't have posted it on a public forum.
Yeah, good luck Mamasita...
Mamasita, what state are you in? I think a lot of families are making your decision. The problem with part time work is -- a) less revenue taxes for the government; it's a downward domino effect. Less taxes, more deficits, more cuts. b) no benefits. That means the rest of us full-time workers have to pay for your health care.
It's only getting worse isn't it? And don't get me started on the cuts coming from the States & local governments. I fear, most of us will be out in the streets homeless.
Homelessness beats Slavery any day of the week!
I just read a piece at the Daily Beast about the young (unemployed) vs. the Boomers who are not retiring. This is a thought and suggestion, but I don't think anyone will do it.
How about all the Boomers past 62 yo and still working, be mandated by the government to take their social security to make way for the youngsters? The government could give out incentives, maybe an incentive would be work part time and receive your full benefits as if you retired at 66. Or maybe a lump sum payout, like some companies are doing. Another incentive would be that the government pay for medical expenses up to XXX amount of money a year.
In any event it would make way for young folks to step into the jobs now held by older people.
How about companies getting penalized by the government for off-shoring work and not hiring in the US? The problem is not with the boomers working beyond age 62 (many of whom are working out of necessity.) Even if the companies get rid of boomers, as you suggest, they will not be hiring american youngsters. They will hire in China, India, Philippines, Brazil etc. How does that help us?
It's a global economy driven by what consumers want. As of right now, it's low prices on shiny things, and business models are structured around that. If you want a company to change their practices (outsourcing, labor practices, community relations, etc.) then vote with your wallet and don't patronize the companies that you don't agree with.
If you can show that the company isn't benefiting by outsourcing, you can be assured that it'll stop just as soon as they can set operations up in the US. As of now, the benefit to us is that the shiny things are cheaper because they're made with a workforce with a lower standard of living, and subsequently a lower labor cost.
give it one more year. the kids will start beating the elderly baby doomers in the streets; just for fun.
this is what desperation looks like.
why not just add lead to the gasoline again; problem solved.
Baby boomers CAN'T retire because their 401Ks/pensions/stocks got ripped apart and there's no way enough left; plus which if you're still working your pay has been cut or no raises for the past 5 or 7 years, sky-high deductibles on medical insurance, and inflation of 50%-100% on many necessary items of life. All the Gen- people who have had to move in with the boomers need to remember that nobody wanted this economy, we all got stuck with it anyway.
Yeah, I hate to break it to you Sally, but at 52, I have been downsized 3x in the past 10 years, lost half my retirement in a divorce, and have spent the remainder of my retirement account surviving the past 3 years while applying for work in 6 states. And no matter what kind of job I apply for, due to my extensive experience and accomplishments, the lesser jobs that I would be happy to accept and am grossly overqualified for won't even interview me.
So I am not going to retire at 62, and will likely not retire until I get too sick to work. I'm ok with that, as I prefer working, but please, we already have a bloated, corrupt, incompetent government, let's not get them to tell "us" how to live and when to retire.
Sally in Chicago
I just read a piece at the Daily Beast about the young (unemployed) vs. the Boomers who are not retiring. This is a thought and suggestion, but I don't think anyone will do it. Since most boomers had their retirement stolen by wall street dont expect that to happen anytime soon.
Shirley- the posters you call garbage and lazy appear to me to be very well adapted to the present economy. I admire them for going off on their own tangent. I'm retired and I know I will have to find my own gig because no one wants to outlive their money. A Glock is not part of my retirement career though. Good luck with that.
All this talk about the evils of outsourcing...you know the truth is, we live in a global economy. Outsourcing is here to stay. It's time to adapt. And Shirley - put the gun down. I'm not sure what anon ymous-3412830 was talking about but you don't have to worry. No one wants to beat you up. When you see kids protesting in the streets, though, realize they are out their for you too.
Dear Lord!
Many of the boomers, which you speak of, have lost their entire retirement savings due to the economy....that which they tended and nutured for years in order to be able to retire with a reasonable standard of living, and you have decided that 62 and up-well they are just expendable so that the youngsters can have work and be off the streets. You realize that protesting and being in the streets is a conscious choice?
California is where a lot of this garbage will go down!!!
You think your immune to all this. On our way up we will wave to you on your way down.
My employer has been actively hiring all along... but then, it's a service-type business where they can't really be understaffed or outsourced. New employees usually start out getting part-timer type hours (like 20-30 hr weeks) but the ones who last more than a few months get full time and everyone gets benefits at three months. We usually have anywhere from 3-10 new people a month (in a total workforce of about 240).
We have a constant turnover because of job performance and attendance issues, and the usual run of people leaving for higher-paying jobs or medical/retirement reasons. Our "average" employees (about where I am) have 2-5 years experience, though we have people who've been there as long as 25.
Same here Whitestar77. However my company has something like 200,000. Endless opportunities to advance and we are union. It's a global economy. Gotta adapt.
In 2008 Forbes magazine had an article about a trend where employers were starting to hire part time and contract employees. For example, a large industrial manufacturer hiring engineers as contact employees for a certain contract period. When the work on that contract was done, so was the engineer. The point was that the employer no longer had to provide health care benefits, sick time, vacation pay, pension or 401k benefits. You either didn't work enough time to qualify or you were a self employed contractor responsible for your own benefits. No one wanted to see that business wants to reduce expenses for more profit and employees come with big expenses. Hence, the need to do something about health care.
This is the future of employment in this country. Everyone will be working as independent contractors, no benefits for workers & no regulations for employers. A third world economy due to a lower standard of living for the overwhelming majority. Free market capitalism won't work for very long.
I work for a large, multi national company. The operations side is unionized; the administrative and mgt is non-union.
For the administrative side, (office type work) everyone is brought in through a temp agency. Every few months, they hire the best of the temps permanently. This gives them a way to see their work quality, work ethic, and attendance before giving them a permanent job. It's much, much easier to dismiss an underperforming temp than a permanent employee.
On the union side, everyone starts part time, close to minimum wage. It takes an average of 8 years to have enough union seniority to even think about bidding for a full time position. So union life isn't all rosy either. The union guys with 20+ years with the company make great money but at the expense of the newer, part time guys.
It's only been several months since people out there have been commenting that a lot of "the recovery" is related to people being forced to accept a part-time job or other work situation involving reduced (or no) benefits.
Based on the European down fall, the Chinese down fall, now Japan is slipping away slowly along with America, you would think that some corporate idiot would stand up and ask "what happens when no one can buy anything anymore?" Hoist by their own petard. Hire people, pay a fair wage, give the people something to look forward to, be humane and do the right thing. Once people are back to work the governments, state and federal will start to recoup some of the lost tax revenue and begin to spend, we will begin to spend, the banks will begin to loan, on and on.
Amen to that!
Nobody (because corporations are people, right?) wants to be the first one to make any sort of effort. It will have to be some sort of work program through the govt that gets the ball rolling again.
You can't push a string, can you? Companies hire when demand for their goods and/or services cannot be met by their current staff. If a company can make profit from hiring they will hire, but not until then. Nobody will hire someone just to hire them.
Some of the comments on this thread suggest many people have never received a paycheck, never mind signed one.
not as long as abortions are legal! this is what the conservative gop is selling you.
instead of working; just refuse to work for unfair wages! if you cannot live now, you will be even less able to live in a year.
only accept what the BLS publishes as fair for your level of experience.
done!
Look - we live in a global economy, blame the "rich" if you want, but it is way bigger than that.
Second - there are many areas in the nation with unemployment between 4% and 7%, so all this doom and gloom is a bit much. Certainly there are problems. I am in CA, and it is a mess in the valley, but things are mostly ok in the bay area.
This idiotic 50 year old argument of labor vs mgmt is for the most part BS. Certainly there are still pockets of abuse, but there are plenty of oil industry jobs in the Dakota's, there are manufacturing jobs serving the oil industry, etc...
We have a government that has made it more confusing, and more difficult, to do business. In states where they have lowered taxes and regulations / red-tape, we are seeing jobs, balanced budgets, and even growth. In states like CA, we have debt, higher taxes, and a governor begging for even higher taxes.
The top "earners" (and I use that term loosely) will just retire on their already aquired wealth. Small buinesses will fold and hope they have enough money to survive. The rest will turn to a life of gangs and crime stealing anything they can get their hands on and hopefully take a few people out when they go down.
Read Mr. Romney's record in Massachusetts. It involved the revenue side more than some would care to know. Of course he doesn't dare talk about that now. Not that I'm schilling for him. Just saying he knows damned well that we can't get out of this fix with cuts only.
Full time or part time, I have been applying to anything and everything I'm qualified for, as well as things I'm overqualified for like retail. I only just finished my associate's degree, but I have not even had an interview now in three months. I'll take what I can get, if I ever get it.
workingmom47 this is the kind of attitude to have. You can always work a job to earn some $'s until you find what you want/need. It helps financially and mentally.
no company should hire me!
i will delete your files, trash your offices, and piss on your carpet!
i absolutely hate you fancy pants conservative business people!
don't hire me! i quit! i drop out! i give up!
you suck! i hope you starve to death!
If you decide to take the easy way out take a few of them with you...
I've been unable to find anything but temp jobs for the past five years--one as a secretary/archivist, one as a transcriptionist (I type 90-100 words per minute), and one as a background performer/extra for movies and TV (because that pays out in quick cash for audience work, there's a good chance for time-and-a-half on almost every project you show up for, and you get free food and drinks).
Every job application that I've filled out, every online form I've filled in and every cover letter that I send in makes it clear that I will work any hours, any days, and on holidays... and yet I can't even get interviews. Never mind the "do I want a part time or full time?" question. I can't even get in the door!
1. stop trying so hard.
2. start your own company and hire some slaves
3. use those acting skills to convince folks youve got money
4. read a business book
5. convert, or die
Companies, especially small businesses are reluctant to hire full time employees in an uncertain economy, unknown tax rates going forward, no idea of what health care costs will be next year, etc., etc., etc. They will continue to fill any gaps with short term employees until there is more certainty over future costs.
future costs... that is code for ensure Obama is gone, and Romney provides a continuation of the Bush Tax Cuts for the Super Rich?
No, EAT THEIR BRAINS!
I'm involuntary part-time, and going back to college for a nursing degree. That's the only field that's definitely looking for lots of full-time employees. If the US government doesn't start creating jobs, soon there won't be any left due to businesses cutting costs by cutting full-time jobs to save on benefits (and overworking the new part-timers with mandatory flexible schedules). It'll be work, or starve...and that sounds eerily like slavery.
They can hire and do hire filipino and indian nurses who work harder and cheaper than american nurses so dont bet on that.
I work part-time in the airline industry and a couple of years ago I decided that I would like to go full-time, unfortunately at this time I was unable too as the recession hit. After over a year of waiting to see if I could be upgraded to go full-time I decided to find a full-time job on my own. I went to a temporary agency and they were able to place me with a company. The original assignment was supposed to a 3 month deal with the option for the company to hire me as a permanent employee after the 3 months. Unfortunately, the company was on a hiring freeze at the time. I decided to stick it out and 9 months later I was offered a position within the company. I now work part-time in the airline industry as well as full-time in a logistics company. I am also going to school full-time for a business degree.
To anyone looking for a job I would recommend going through a temporary agency. Hopefully it work for you.
I'm glad your experiences were good. However, they are also rather unique, speaking from my own and family members experiences.
The unemployment rate in specific areas of technology are extremely low. See
So low, in fact, that I've been trying to hire a FT position for several months and it's been a real challenge to find people who have the skillset I'm looking for. Choose your career wisely, adapt to changes and you should always be able to find something. I'm thankful that in 15 years I've held a variety of roles in technology and have only been out of work once, for ~7 weeks in 2001.
Apparently doesn't post links:
marketing.dice.com /pdf /2012-Q1_Tech_Trends_Snapshot.pdf
There is Only One Way to start Repairing the Jobs Problem . And that is to Put Obama in the Unemployment Line in November.
When the 2007 Depression started the prediction was: Not a jobless recovery but a jobloss recovery, Most of the new jobs would be Temporary part-time with little or no benefits. Is there any wonder that the new unemployment numbers are lower. Many people are getting jobs that don't provide unemployment when they are shown the door as temporary Contractors. Ten precent of us are not needed: Soylent Green. The old normal minimum unemployment used to be 3, 4, 5% now they are using 6% as normal. The old 0 figure for the unemployed used to be 325,000 to signal the status quo between job growth and job loss, now they use 425,000 or 400,000. Just redefine normal, it "1984" all over.
Hahaha...capitalism is leaving town...at night...and very, very quietly, in hopes no one will wake up.
I work full time as a web developer however I'm starting to consider just doing freelance work. I feel that it would be more secure to have my income spread over several different companies than just one. This way if I get tired of working for one, or if they decide to lay me off the hit isn't as big. In the end, when the economy picks up companies will discover they have far less loyal skilled workers. It cuts both ways. If you have skills putting your eggs all in one basket, with one company, is a bad idea.
Before you quit go to freelancer dot com and you will be surprised and how little people are willing to pay you for freelance work these days ! its a real fking joke !