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Baloney ~ people became lazy takers during the early pandemic. They never should have been paid more to sit at home than they made at work. Now nobody wants to go back.
People were lazy before the pandemic. I think being online all the time has something to do with it. It's turning people into zombies. I can say myself I am 1000% less productive even in my off time, then I was 20 years ago before I spent so much time online. At work, everyone is glued to their phone.
Both my nephews tried working for my fiance in a blue collar trade (neither wanted to go to college). Both quit within a couple of weeks saying "This is too hard". That was well before the pandemic.
I didn't make more at home than when I was working, I made less.
I'm not wishing for anything; I have it here where we live. We pay nothing in taxes here (as seniors, the 12% VAT is refunded). We have free health care everywhere.
Sweden does not pay more taxes; the U.S. has hidden taxes everywhere. But people are OK with it, so....Enjoy!
Yes, I asked people when I was in Canada, and they are fine with higher taxes because they have a safety net. I pay much more in health care deductibles, co-pays and insurance payments than I would with even a big tax increase.
People don't want to go back because the pay is pathetic and they have said enough.
The rich are going to have to cut back their greed just a tiny bit.
How are you going to make that happen==
Most of the rich aren’t running companies and setting pay for workers—they are collecting off their mutual fund and other investments
And those countries, Sweden for example, pay for those social programs in much, much higher taxes than we have here. Be careful what you wish for.
The US can never have the social programs those countries do. I think one of the primary reasons is because we spend so much on military which we have to do. The world without a strong America is a world that quickly falls into communist chaos. The US is the primary country that keeps the world free. The secondary reason is that the politicians will never tell everyone they have to pay federal income tax. Over one half of all households pay nothing or get more than they paid. In countries like Sweden everyone pays their share. Low income to high income, everyone pays. The politicians would never do that here.
The US can never have the social programs those countries do. I think one of the primary reasons is because we spend so much on military which we have to do. The world without a strong America is a world that quickly falls into communist chaos. The US is the primary country that keeps the world free. The secondary reason is that the politicians will never tell everyone they have to pay federal income tax. Over one half of all households pay nothing or get more than they paid. In countries like Sweden everyone pays their share. Low income to high income, everyone pays. The politicians would never do that here.
Not doubting your statement
But the truth is that if everyone paid a fair share our country would be a safer, saner, happier place to live…
This number is shocking. Your nations wealth and quality of life is based off how productive you are. More productivity more goods and services more choice producing an excess which can be sold internationally driving real growth. We compete with China who literally has slave labor. Americans, who were historically known for their work ethic, now don’t want to work or won’t work as hard. How do we fix this issue?
Quote:
Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased 7.5 percent in the first quarter of 2022, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, as output decreased 2.4 percent and hours worked increased
5.5 percent. This is the largest decline in quarterly productivity since the third quarter of 1947, when the
measure decreased 11.7 percent.
This.
In the 60s the business mantra was "you can be replaced by a machine"In the 70s the matra was "you can replaced by a robot"In the 80s it was "you can be replaced by a computer"
In the late 70s and early 80s the news reported frequently that "manufacturing will be shifted offshore due to cheaper labor producing better products" And they continued that
" manufacturing jobs are going completely away in the US".BUT, they noted "all jobs will become either executive engineer jobs...deigning products on computer that would be manufactured overseas. And not to worry..the job market will move to a service industry with plenty of non-outsourced service jobs.Come 1990 the "recession" came coupled with shuttered manufacturing.
What the news DIDN'T tell in the above news reports was that these "service jobs" would all be absolutely minimum wage jobs, no benefits, no raises.When I started working after graduation it was 1981. I worked retail and I actually loved it. New products, creative outlet for me in set up and display, landed cost vs retail and sales price, etc.If I worked second shift, even starting at minimum wage, I got an extra 25¢ /hr. Third shift I got an extra 50¢ /hr. When minimum wage was $3.25/hr..that extra $20/w for third shift premium meant a lot.Also, I never stayed long at minimum wage, shift differential or not.Also, as I gained experience, I was rewarded with pay above minimum wage, and started at a higher pay if I changed jobs.Full time work was plenty available, and I was "valued" because I was willing to work overtime and extra shifts, and was rewarded with pay raises.By the late 80s, I was over 3x minimum wage and was a retail supervisor.I also cooked in a 4 star restaurant at night because I wanted extra $ for vacations, savings boys toys, etc. I COULD make it single on the store job..with complete benefits, but I earned extra money for extras and to save save.I had excellent BCBS health insurance $20/w full coverage. I had 3 weeks paid vacation as I hit 5 years. I even had a week paid vacation the very first year of employment there at the store. I had 6 paid sick days a year, and 6 personal paid days. All holiday work was time and a half, AND I got an extra 100% paid holiday floating if I worked on a holiday. I think it was 12 paid holidays a year, only TV and Xmas were guaranteed off, all others could be floaters.I had a 401k and I contributed the max, with a match of 50¢ per dollar up to 6% with the max of 12% you could contribute.I had a "retirement profit sharing" plan.1990 hit, the restaurant let me go...permenantly (because they knew I had another job) and the store cut us back to 20 then to 10 hours per week.I couldn't collect unenjoyment for the restaurant because I had another job. When the store cut us to 20 hrs, we couldn't collect for missing wages. Not even at 10hrs/w we couldn't collect.I left the area and moved "back home" where all jobs..even with my experience were bare minimum wage...no benefits.Spouse will have 10 years at the store spouse works at next month. Spouse has been trained and used as a front end monitor and supervisor. New employees or trainees are told to see spouse for guidance.Spouse makes the star minimum wage, STILL. they have $0 incentive/supervisor pay. Only raises spouse gets is when the state raises minimum wage.The ONLY benefit spouse has is a week paid vacation..earned only after 5 years service.Absolutely NO OTHER benefits.Xmas bonus? It's a 10% off discount at spouses store. Oh, big whoop! "Come spend MORE money at our store" for a bonus. It's NOT we'll give you a bonus" ..it's "give the store more of your money" for a bonus...
Supply chain shortages are lowering productivity. It has nothing to do with people except that they are dealing with co-worker shortages due to multiple waves of covid. Plus covid has long term symptoms like:
Common signs and symptoms that linger over time include:
Fatigue.
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Cough.
Joint pain.
Chest pain.
Memory, concentration or sleep problems.
Muscle pain or headache.
Fast or pounding heartbeat.
The simple gist of this all is the workplace deteriorated in quality for people (particularly service and people workers) and wages have been declining relative to inflation in the last 2 years. Some people jumped or retired, but for many, they just put in less time and effort in to the job.
Corporations experienced record breaking profits over the last 2 years, they didn't share that with employees, as wages have declined. Workers have responded by increasing their hourly wages by spending less time at work. That's exactly what I'm doing. After 2 years of 5-7% effective pay cuts, I put in 32 hours a week now instead of 40.
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