No one looking for jobs? (Tampa: transplants, apartment, homeowners insurance)

[craigm1841]

50,000K - 30% (deductions) = 35K/yr take home - (est.) $4200/yr health insurance = 31K/yr TAKE HOME.

31K yr/52 weeks $596/week is not a lot for 8 people! subtract rent, car insurance, phone, cable, electric, utilities, groceries (FOR 8!!!!!!!) i dont see how there is ANY money left for any kind of savings for college or retirement or emergencies.

[Maggi07]

So apparently the expectation is that we will all make $70,000 as single people, and substantially more should we have children. I assume this is regardless of education and experience? Is there a plan for the small businesses who have lost substantial income to be able to offer these kinds of salaries?

The economy is not going to jump right back up to where it was pre recession. That was out of control. It's going to make a more gradual comeback. I think we need to all change our expectations.

[seain dublin]

Well unemployment benefits now go on for 99 weeks. I am kind of torn on that one. I realize it is tough for people looking for work, but at the same time never ending benefits give SOME people an incentive not to actively look for work.

Now FL pays some of the lowest benefits in the country, but in some states unemployment checks are $450 and $500 a week.

I am sure they're our people taking advantage of this.

It used to be you got 26 weeks of unemployemt, now someone can collect UE benefits for close to two years.

[craigm1841]

^^I am not an advocate of government programs, especially welfare programs, but I understand the need for unemployment. I am a fiscal conservative that strongly believes the welfare system needs to be phased out completely, but unemployment isn't welfare. If someone is laid off and needs to support a family then unemployment is a legitimate resource. Better measures need to be taken to ensure people are persuing some form of employment.

That said- if i had a family and was getting $700 a week for unemployment, but found a job that is going to pay me $450 a week, I AM GOING TO KEEP THE UNEMPLOYMENT, for the welfare of my family if nothing else. I dont feel this is neccessarily wrong. Employers that want to hire people need to step up to the plate and offer a reasonable living wage. $33K a year is NOT, especially with a family. Many unemployed individiuals would rather keep their unemployment checks.

[seain dublin]

There is nothing wrong with unemployment, but the extensions seem to be never ending.

What you just said is true, there are people who will continue on unemployment rather than take a lower paying job, especially with benefits that go for close to two years.

And there are many people out there who will continue on UE simply because of what you just said, the problem is this country is going to bankrupt.

It used to be an unemployed person had to show proof of seeking employment, in most states it is all automated and all they have to say is "Yes I have looked for work", without even listing where they have looked.

Times are tough, but 33K a year( especially in Florida which is known for lower salaries) for an entry level position is not that bad.

I have run across many people here who want good paying jobs but they have no formal education or any skill set. It doesn't work that way.

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

There is nothing wrong with unemployment, but the extensions seem to be never ending.

What you just said is true, there are people who will continue on unemployment rather than take a lower paying job, especially with benefits that go for close to two years.

And there are many people out there who will continue on UE simply because of what you just said, the problem is this country is going to bankrupt.

It used to be an unemployed person had to show proof of seeking employment, in most states it is all automated and all they have to say is "Yes I have looked for work", without even listing where they have looked.

Times are tough, but 33K a year( especially in Florida which is known for lower salaries) for an entry level position is not that bad.

I have run across many people here who want good paying jobs but they have no formal education or any skill set. It doesn't work that way.

I guess you are right. it really depends on the work- sometimes the experience is a benifit that far outweighs the negatives of a lower salary. I have not finished my education yet, but I have a VERY unique skill set which only a very tiny percentage of Americans have (as few as .00001%), which allows me to make a salary well above most of my friends with masters degrees. I am a prime example that experience will in many cases outweigh education (although education is very important, that is why i continue to work on mine). Sometimes that lower paying job makes sense for someone trying to seek experience in a specific field.

[FLgirl367]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

If you were or are not- then you are a magic money manager, but it is still unfortunate that you have hemmoraged so many mouths to feed that you cannot save for retirement or for any of your many children to go to college without burdening them with loans.

If you are, then you NEEEEEED to share to secret!

I am not taking any sides on the main issue in this thread, but I wanted to say that I grew up in a large family and I PAID my way through a private college with no loans (and in the normal time frame). Meanwhile, many of my friends flunked out on a full ride from their parents' bank account or took out loans to party with.

[d-fens]

All I can say is I would have been more than happy to take a job making 33K in Florida. I have been looking at cost of living in Tampa (and South Florida as well) and the cost of living is so much less. I live in the DC area and I only make 33K, and I have a MS. I would have probably even taken it for 25K. I wish I would have seen the ads, even though I doubt I would have been qualified (or my out of state address would have killed any chance).

[stpeteguy]

The salary information you have listed is OK for non-skilled labor. It beats starving, but it isn't very much.
Anybody who has a formal education in that field will want to make more than that.

Gas is $3/gallon. That affects the price of everything else. You say people need to change their expectations. I'd say that starts with employers. If they want qualified people, they need to open up their wallets and pay like it.

If the pay is good enough, you'll have people applying in droves.

[Keeper]

Folks.. keep the discussion about the original topic. Do not attack other members because you disagree with their post.