Quote:
Originally Posted by loose cannon
People dismissively suggest go get a so called "menial" job to peole that are unemployed. I have to tell you out of touch people it is not easy. I have sat down for interviews with Managers at Red Robin, Chilis, Giant Supermarket act. I have been asked to take outrageous online personality test. These supposed "menial" jobs are not easy to obtain anymore. I really encourage some of you to go try it. 15 years ago there was not the bureaucratic hoops to go through. A person could walk into KFC and explain that he/she is having a hard time and the Manager would feel sorry for you and offer you a job. Now they say, you are not experienced and ask you the nonsensical questions like, "Tell me a time when…." If you are over 40 go to the SS office and apply for SSI. The system is stacked against us.
|
These clueless people (mostly older folk who grew up during the gravy-train/boom times) don't seem to understand basic math.
1. UI averages about $1400/month after tax? I know this personally because I was on unemployment for a brief time a few years ago.
2. Meanwhile average "McJob" averages like, $1000/month? I also know this personally because my younger brother who is fresh out of high school currently works a "McJob" and he takes home a little over $1000 after tax.
With the first one you get paid to do absolutely nothing, play video games, sleep in, relax, etc. With the second one you bust your azz for peanuts, so which is the smarter/more efficient choice??
Then there is also the issue of inflation and cost of living, which has made working a min-wage job basically worse than not working at all and being on welfare. Average rent, at least here in Denver, is.... $1000 or more for a simple 1 bedroom apartment? Car insurance averages $120ish? Food costs up? Health insurance up? Everything up up up as far as price goes.
The economy is so bad that coupled with all the inflation, even if you worked full-time at a "McJob" literally ALL your take-home check would be gobbled up by rent alone. Assuming you had a roommate and split the costs, $500 is still about half of your take-home pay of $1000, using a hypothetical example. The remaining $500 would also be gobbled up by your food, gas, and insurance costs. You just can't survive at all on such low wages, at least not with ever-increasing costs.
A lot of "McJobs" are bad for your health too..... exposure to dust, pollutants, chemicals, the sun, etc for $8/9 an hour? People always refer to fast-food when referencing "McJobs" but the reality is there are a lot more "dirty" jobs that are less reported that fall under the same category. Industrial sites, factory work, janitorial work, outdoor work, etc all fall under this same "McJobs" category.
The health aspect of these crappy jobs doesn't get mentioned much, but it goes hand-in-hand in a lot of cases. I have a relative who briefly worked in a medical supply factory w/ chemicals and such and developed asthma-like symptoms. The job paid a measly $11/hour
You are also 110% correct on the "difficulty" of landing even these menial jobs. In 2016 not only are you competing with teenagers and high-schoolers looking for their first job but you're ALSO competing w/ Bachelor's degree holders, Master's degree holders, and even PhD holders who were unable to land a job in this crappy economy. It's just brutal out there and the whole economy is a giant mess with no stability at all.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
