I have a $100k job posted that I got 10 resumes for. I had to keep it open for 3 months to get 10 resumes. Another $75k job was posted by my org, got 3 resumes. I’ve been hiring people for 15+ years and I normally get 20-50 applicants for jobs at various levels (very specialized field). Something is wrong.
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Just saw an article the other day stating that for the first time in history a majority of working class Americans are working 2 or more part time jobs, favoring more flexibility in schedules over a traditional 9-5. Makes sense if the majority working class age is now millennials. With the rising cost of well, everything, having flexibility in childcare is really hard for people.
On a separate note it seems that many people retired early during Covid and there just aren’t adequately skilled/specialized folks to replace them.
A decade ago, aging men in the water and sewage system departments wondered who were going to replace them, as their work had been deemed "demeaning", so no one wished to get into their field.
A field where it would be quite easy to make bank, with benefits and more.
They had a shortage then, and I can only imagine the shortage many of these field have now.
College graduates think they are "too good" for the job, and those that would don't seem to be specializing in any skills that would help them take over.
It's only going to get worse until we start teaching our children (and adults) to take pride in all jobs, and that infrastructure work is not demeaning.
We have to replace the "you won't get a worthwhile job unless you have a college degree" mindset
Honestly, I said work skills, but basic things like good work ethic and pride in your work are lost on the younger generations.
There are many jobs and opportunities that take apprenticeships, or will train you for the job.
There are many of the younger generation who still won't take them, because they look down on anything they might deem "demeaning", even if it's a 6 figure job in the end.
So many young people want a fun, exciting job, where they aren't going to get bored, so they take whatever job they can for the time being, hate it, barely work, and then quit.
The few that do show any type of initiative, get grabbed by whoever they can, and it's always not the best (My brother is an amazingly hard worker, and extremely smart. He became a manager at Walmart at 19 because of his work ethic, and he's been there since. He would flourish at another job, but he's stable and makes good money at walmart, so he stays)
I definitely agree with the majority of what you said in both your comments, especially re: trades/infrastructure being looked down upon and their importance. The one point I diverge on is this:
“basic things like good work ethic and pride in your work are lost on the younger generations”
I disagree, as a peak of career middle class worker, I, and many others my age have watched companies prioritize profits over people, erode pensions, retirement benefits, incentives, pay, promotions - pretty much treat the American worker like a wage slave in India while dangling the “you can be replaced at anytime” sentiment over our head. Companies churn out billion dollar profits year over year and cut their fat cats huge checks while the peons at the bottom have to fist fight each other for a scrap of security. The days of “hard work pays off” is an ethic that is used to try and incentivize what essentially is subsidizing the employee to profit the company. I have family in the age bracket I believe you’re either from or referencing who live now comfortably on pensions and insurance, provided by jobs their spouse worked at and yet the majority of people I know - regular middle class middle aged workers - cannot survive on their current incomes. In many cases their working salary is less than the pensions the retired folks receive. Jobs with a pension are next to none. It takes 2 people’s income to live on. The quality of life has been eroded, and it’s not because young people refuse to work hard. It’s because the rich enrich themselves at the expense of the poor. Peasants vs. Kings. I still work with coworkers who are 60 years old plus, They have worked hard their entire life and have nothing to show for it because everything they’ve done is wiped out by the corrupt system. Most of my generation understand that no matter how hard we work we will not be able to retire. Social Security will be gone by the time we come of age due to mismanagement and corruption. Many of us will not be able to buy a house despite being in our 30s-40s. More wealth has been eroded from my generation than any other generation in recent history. Hard work, does not fix corruption, horrible economic policies, erosion of community and small business, and terrible fiscal policies. The world is changed and the era of hard work is rewarded is over. It’s not wrong for workers to not care about companies who don’t care about them. Companies lack integrity anymore and the average worker can see it. The work reflects accordingly.
Everyone is working part time jobs because they're aren't any full time jobs anymore. They all got shipped over seas.