^^ ran out of edit time. one more thing to say. those who max out their unemployment benefits will likely have little value add in their job/society so what’s the difference?
Serviced by Others, that’s a point well taken and I appreciate your sharing that chart. I agree with your assessment, and I’m certainly not denying there’s a huge issue of unemployment both in this country and elsewhere. However, my main point was that the effects of the recession and unemployment are in some way – and in my belief, in a way that’s not immaterial – affected by people who actually choose not to work and to collect unemployment benefits instead.
bchadwick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Numi, if your stories are coming from “overheard > in bars,” I think you need to consider that you > may have serious representativeness bias. Bias > from two sources: > > > There are plenty of unemployed people who are > watching every last cent (I was one of them at one > point) and can’t make it to bars to talk to > friends about how awesome it is to live on > $1600/month maximum (before taxes, and only if you > were making at least $3200 per month before) while > downing chasers. > > > Even those who find a little time or money to > socialize are unlikely to be telling their friends > about how awful and devalued their life has > become. No, they will try to put a positive spin > on things so as not to be a complete downer with > their friends, and perhaps try to salvage a bit of > pride. This is a good point, and I agree
I find it hard to believe that people would rather be unemployed than employed. How can you realistically sustain living on a US Govt. pay check?
Good question…some ideas come to mind, including saving up incrementally, moving in with your parents, side gigs, etc. But yeah, no doubt it’s very challenging to say the least. With that said, there is probably some bias from this forum as well which I think consists of most people that are college educated at a minimum, are used to working 50+ hour weeks, have some real ambitions to do this or do that, etc. On the other hand, there are also people out there who think what we do is nuts. For example, my girlfriend told me that one of the guys she works with went on a date with some girl. He told her he was an investment banker, and she thought he did retail banking at some Chase branch…even after he tried to explain what he did. Later on, she teased him about how he must be slow, inefficient, lazy etc. because she couldn’t understand why in the world it would take someone more than 40 hours per week to get a job done. So, I guess one’s opinion on unemployment depends on where you come from. No doubt a lot of people view unemployment as challenging, but I’m sure there’s also pockets of people who view finance types as insufferable.
marcus phoenix Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > timotimo Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > LOL at unemployed, sucks to be them > > > Where is your letter to the NAACP…still waiting. Yeah, I’ll finish it up tonight if I have time, I have to make it perfect .
I’d like to start by saying that I generally agree with the move to extend unemployment benefits. Yes, it may bump up against some of my ideals, but I’ve been out in this job market and it’s a nightmare. It’s tough times, and from a practical standpoint, I think it’s the best near term temporary fix we have. To Numi’s point, I’ve frequently experienced the frustration his friend had. People in other industry’s simply don’t understand the competitiveness of investment finance. It’s just above their level of comprehension and personal experience.
thommo77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I find it hard to believe that people would rather > be unemployed than employed. Right, but you might rather be unemployed that go through the trials and privations of looking for a job. You know what potential is? Nothing. Just wishful thinking. A possibility that doesn’t exist unless it’s fulfilled. The truth about the acorn is the tree (Hegel). -little n/t knowledge
Some people may take advantage of it, but you have to work in the first place to be eligible for benefits. And yes, you may get more than you paid in but part of the reason for this system is designed as an economic counterweight. From the unemployed people I know, the situation is really difficult. They don’t work in finance but both have degrees in their respective fields. One is a social worker, has been looking 2 years and can’t find anything, she’s in her mid-50s. Another is a tax accountant, got laid off 6 months ago, told me that it never took him that long to find a job, he’s also in his mid-50s. I think ageism is gonna effect their chances of employment as well. Both are really desperate to get a job. At its not just something where standards are too high. I have a friend who is just out of college, and even McDonald’s and the local grocery stores she applied to aren’t even calling back. For a lot of people, this is not a normal recession.
I really like this forum. But, sometimes I can’t help but get annoyed by some of the arrogant and condescending responses. Not everyone who is unemployed is a lazy loser. The economy is a mess. If you haven’t been affected by it, count yourself as one of the lucky ones. As an unemployed grad, I can confirm how difficult it has been for me. Everyone wants experience, and there is plenty of it in the market. In regards to UI, I haven’t been able to collect it because I don’t qualify. According to the government, I am not unemployed. I have been living at home and tutoring on weekends. For every paid hr, I spend at least 2 hrs preparing. New grad / Unemployment life sucks. But when I get a chance to go out with old friends, I always tell them about all of the books / games I’ve been catching up on in my free time. How great life without school has been. Just between us, I have not been reading or playing any games. My friends know things are not peachy in my life, but why be a downer when it won’t help anyone. One thing I’ve learned about all of this is not to judge someone by the size of their paycheck. Despite how much money some people on this forum make, some are real d-bags.
cpham Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Not everyone who is unemployed is a lazy loser. > The economy is a mess. If you haven’t been > affected by it, count yourself as one of the lucky > ones. > > As an unemployed grad, I can confirm how difficult > it has been for me. Everyone wants experience, > and there is plenty of it in the market. In > regards to UI, I haven’t been able to collect it > because I don’t qualify. According to the > government, I am not unemployed. > > I have been living at home and tutoring on > weekends. For every paid hr, I spend at least 2 > hrs preparing. New grad / Unemployment life > sucks. But when I get a chance to go out with old > friends, I always tell them about all of the books > … I’ve been catching up on in my free time. > How great life without school has been. … > My friends know things are not peachy in > my life, but why be a downer when it won’t help > anyone. > > One thing I’ve learned about all of this is not to > judge someone by the size of their paycheck… > +1. Totally agree for this part of the message, including the “extra spare time to upgrade skills” and the “judged by paycheck size” part. No comment on the d-bags part. This is a forum and “a lot of people say a lot of things” in the real world. Just keep in mind these well-paid “d-bags” are employers in an unusual economy. Better be cautious about what we say.