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You are making a lot of policy proposals, but no quantitative analysis to support your implied claims that your proposed policy changes would make a significant difference. Do I need to remind you this is not the Politics forum?
Show me the numbers, including the supply and demand elasticities, and cite your sources. If you cannot do that, then give an estimate of the mean annual expenses and income of an "illegal immigrant" after 5-10 years.
Well you have history you can look at. During the pandemic people were making more money staying at home than working..unemployment plus more and a number of stimulus checks and free PPP loans that didn't have to be paid back.
Do the math with those numbers and you'll get your answer.
Entry level used to pay a hard working man enough to buy a house and raise a family.
Why? Because what he did all day created THINGS that would earn enough PROFIT to allow that level of income*.
The SERVICE ECONOMY doesn't allow that. It doesn't work for a responsible adult employee ...or the employer.
*In 1903 Ford offered $5/day (x5d x 45wk) = at least $1125/yr
In 1903 a modest family home could be bought outright for that same amount.
If I'm not mistaken, the Ford $5 day was instituted in 1914, and stayed stagnant during the 1920s. The 1920s was an inflationary decade like the current one. By the later 20s it wasn't a great wage, kind of like 10 an hour today. Granted, the money went further back then.
That's what we get for going too 'off the cuff' adding detail to basic post. mea culpa
Still, I've done the analysis before (iirc c1910) in the course of some family ancestry research.
I suspect I've posted at least some of that before. Go look if you like. Oh, and the point holds
That's what we get for going too 'off the cuff' adding detail to basic post. mea culpa
Still, I've done the analysis before (iirc c1910) in the course of some family ancestry research.
I suspect I've posted at least some of that before. Go look if you like. Oh, and the point holds
Yeah, the general point that the U.S. dollar was "harder" and stronger before 1933, is true. And especially prior to 1973. Weakening and then getting off the gold standard has kind of created a situation not unlike what the late 19th century populists actually wanted - an unending inflationary spiral that favors debtors over savers.
It's kind of hard to compare the society of back then to ours though. Back then we still had a lot of low end manufacturing done by uneducated immigrant workers, etc... not even men, but women and children. The kinds of jobs that most Americans today don't want and are done overseas anyway. If we did it here, people would want like $25 an hour.
I've looked up my family history too from that era. On my dad's/grandpa's side, they were pretty lucky in that they tended to finish high school and some of them finished college even. They were in pretty good shape and never needed to work these kinds of jobs.
I think there's a lot more beyond pay that goes into trouble for small businesses. One part goes chiefly to the ask itself. They are not hiring entry level, but want skilled performers. Big or small, when you are hiring from the outside, you do have to compete on wages....sorry, but they've already had wages at another company.
The second though is that in a smaller company, you may be asked to wear more hats. The processes, or lack therin, also tends to be more chaotic. So someone that can do a good job as a random senior accountant at Lockheed, might have trouble pulling it off at John's Metal Fabrication plant....because there just isn't a transactional tradition built into the system. There may be other one off things that someone else did at the bigger company. I tend to see a ton of low hanging fruit for improvements at smaller companies.
The other thing is that, in a small company, you get this God level in management. Typically the owner. If your area is viewed with disdain or as just overhead, you can easily be marginalized in your profession. There will be no support for making better processes, adopting better tools and they may well be in love with obsolete practices that represent a step backwards for those with experience elsewhere.
In accounting, I see this again and again as management clings to some ancient and decrepit system they installed sometime in the Reagan administration. It's failing them. It's no longer supported. They spend their entire budget on one-off consulting to bandaid forward. A switch to a modern program has a fast and certain payback, but they just don't want to look at it....but then complain that the number of us that still know how to operate their ancient tools continues to dwindle, and frankly....none of us are cheap anymore. The young ones don't want it because there's 0 resale value for them for that experience.
The days where employees will simply tolerate inept owner/managers is waning. In the disruptive economy, they also know that this ship is sinking so why jump on board.
Well you have history you can look at. During the pandemic people were making more money staying at home than working..unemployment plus more and a number of stimulus checks and free PPP loans that didn't have to be paid back.
Do the math with those numbers and you'll get your answer.
There is a major confounding variable here - people staying at home to avoid actually getting COVID. How do you propose disentangling the two effects?
Far too many got used to getting public assistance and stimulus checks. When you look at wages at the lower end of the scale, compare them to what one can get from public assistance, and it starts to come together. Also, many cannot pass a drug test, so choose criminal activities for their "wages".
We MUST tighten public assistance and have STRONG work requirements.
Another issue is that with Bidenflation, prices are continuing to go up. And, some are hiring illegals (welcomed by the current Administration to enforce our laws), and those that cheat the system can pay less and get away with it. So we need more enforcement of our laws regarding immigration. Wages are also reduced in an area when illegals are being hired, and then we, the taxpayers pick up the tab for their "emergency medical to include child birth", and once they get an anchor baby, we are supporting the family with government housing. Maybe taxes were not so high supporting this, employees could be paid more!
It amazes me that some people cannot address a topic without a heavy dose of politics being brought into it.
How soon we forget.
From 2020 into 2021 this country was beset by Covid 19. The disease mowed down a million people. Many people decided it was not worth it to go to a job that maybe paid $3 an hour more than the minimum wage when they assessed the risks of getting Covid 19. Fortunately, a vaccination program and treatments like Paxlovid eased this problem by about 2022. Ever since that time, we have been in a recovery mode. Yes, there has been some inflation. It was the result of the strain on the economy posed by Covid 19 and programs that were necessary to keep businesses on their feet and to keep people from losing a place to live and becoming utterly destitute. The inflation you speak of is down to 3.2% per year now. The unemployment rate is at about 3%.
The assistance programs you speak of are almost all gone yet. Many have been gone for a year or more.
That's a reality check. The worker shortage won't be helped by kicking out all the undocumented workers as you suggest. It will become even worse.
The problem is a result of lower birth rates for years, early retirements, decisions by some people to start their own business rather than work for a low wage, and people either deliberately not working or working "off the books".
If you want solutions you are going to have look at higher wages to induce more people to work, more flexible hours, greater benefits, encouraging older workers not to retire, and yes, tolerating more undocumented workers in this country.
If you want solutions you are going to have look at higher wages to induce more people to work, more flexible hours, greater benefits, encouraging older workers not to retire, and yes, tolerating more undocumented workers in this country.
So as an attorney, are you suggesting that we take the risk and hire undocumented workers? Do you hire them at your firm?
Honestly, I would rather hire more part time teenagers that I can employ legally and above board if I can't find capable legal adults.
So as an attorney, are you suggesting that we take the risk and hire undocumented workers? Do you hire them at your firm?
Honestly, I would rather hire more part time teenagers that I can employ legally and above board if I can't find capable legal adults.
I think another option is just accepting the fact that workers don't exist to take certain jobs. Technology may be able to take the place of some of these workers. Other options might involve reducing hours or cutting some services.
There is no silver bullet here. If you can find the teenagers you want to hire I am all for it.
I will say this about undocumented workers. Yes, they are breaking the law by being here. However, a first offense of illegally entering the United States is not considered a crime. It is considered a violation of the civil law for which the individual can be fined and deported. Subsequent entries into the USA are treated as a crime. My point is that at least for someone who has only done it one time our system does not consider it to be very serious. Churches where I live have knowingly given undocumented workers leadership positions. The police here know there are undocumented workers in this community who operate businesses and pay taxes.
Part of the problem is the inability of Congress to reform and modify our immigration laws.
I have not hired illegal aliens at my office, but its because the work is simply beyond that of a person without good English speaking and writing skills. I am confident I have hired companies that have undocumented workers on their payroll to do repairs and fix up work at my home.
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