An illustration of how well the free market works in this country ;) (employment, job openings)
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For those who worship at the alter of the Almighty Free Market, here's an article that you might be interested in that shows how the "free market" really works:
That last paragraph is quite telling - it's basically saying that anyone that's part of the long-term unemployed are going to stay that way, even as the economy recovers. Hard to imagine millions of people who are desperate for work even as employers become ever-pickier about who they hire.
You might as well as take everyone in this country that's been out of work for six months or more and put a neon tattoo on their forehead that says "I am permanently unemployable."
It's stuff like this that makes me despise the "free market" and what it really represents - the freedom of a few to control the masses, just so they can be a bit more richer.
In my next life, I'm gonna be born in Norway - I've got my spot already reserved...lol. I'd certainly not wanna come back to this country, which is surely headed for a third-world state, and soon.
I know quite a few people who were long term unemployed that were able to find work. A lot of it had to do with their expectations of employment. My dad was making over 100K a year for many years. He was basically an engineer without a degree, doing electrical engineering specifically. He was always highly regarded and had no problem finding work. One day, he got fed up with his boss in 96. He walked out in the morning and had a better paying job by lunch. He thought that was the way it always would be.
Fast forward to 2004. Ownership change. A young runt came along and bought the company. He basically told everyone how it was gonna be, trashed the company, and it went south in short order. The kid sold it off to some Japanese firm which basically started to scrap the company for intellectual property, machinery and equipment. My dad realized quick what was about to happen and walked off the job in 2005, during a nasty Michigan recession. He figured he would just go work somewhere else for a cool 6 figures. Never happened again.
After years of sitting at home, he got sick of it. He is now working as a refrigeration tech. Can't say he didn't try to relive his former glory... He and his buddy formed a small engineering partnership, and was even able to secure some small contracts with the big 3 automakers. After taxes and such, they both decided it simply wasn't even worth it anymore.
Moral of the ramble... When my dad finally wanted to work again, and accepted the fact that he was probably gonna make a barely prevailing rate of pay, he had no problem finding work. I know it's not that easy for everyone, but I don't think long term unemployed people are being picked on as much as people want to believe. Unfortunately, the small businesses have been running in survival mode for quite a few years. A lot of people are going to have to lower their expectations if they want to work.
I'd also love a pure Free Market. We do have as close to one as is politically possible, and that is something I am grateful for. Market resets happen of prior salary levels, as anywires' dad can attest to. I am a tad surprised he'd be optimistic in Michigan 2005, smack in the middle of the Granholm/UAW one state recession. 1996 was fine up there, so that one coming right back to where one left is understandable.
But the vital thing is, we all get valuable info constantly from the market, and the wise ones listen to it, and adjust accordingly. The Luddites whine that "it's not 1953 anymore, when all I needed was 4 working limbs", and in 2013, 14,15,16,26, and 36..they will still be whining and drowning as they fail to adjust.
Being an Economic Luddite is like swimming against a riptide..futile.
Wages will drop big time for most people. Only a few will see their wages go up. Unless you have a niche skill IT engineering something medical a few trades. Mostly likely people will see their wages drop between 20% to 50%. Global labor arbitrage is not done with us yet. The floor has not been reached in terms of wages yet. I think in the future the top 5% of the population will do very well. The rest will be in poor paying service jobs.
A lot of people are going to have to lower their expectations if they want to work.
The motto for 21st Century working class America. We've turned into a nation of defeatist sheep-doing circus tricks and fighting among ourselves for the amusement of the corporate masters. Pity.
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