General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Unemployable 50 Something Will Be Permanent Part Of The Labor Landscape Now [View all]TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)It was a business set up. In any labor market there will always be a number of workers with lower skills. And only a small part of the labor market really ends up in the moderately or highly skilled arena. People with few skills actually work harder than other occupations.
Lower skilled workers still deserve fair pay and decent pay that allows them to live with some dignity. There was nothing wrong with being in manufacturing or the trades or a lower level job. If we have a system that says unless you are a college grad or are highly skilled with extra schooling you won't be able to live, then that system is failure. There are many jobs that require little skill extended education but are necessary like trash hauler, janitor, recycler, laborer, etc. Many are dirty and dangerous but crucial.
So I don't buy the standard skills argument and the former workers were overpaid. That is a strawman argument. As a matter of fact we have a lot of educated people who cannot find employment because the private sector cannot or will not create it.
Somehow writing off 60% or 70% of the population having to live in poverty is absurd. Only about 30% to 40% of the labor market ever requires higher education. Even in the most advanced society top tier jobs in those categories are a smaller part of the market.
When I was at DOL there were many more jobs in industrial, construction and service than professional and clerical occupations. As a matter of fact in our occupational code system only the 000 to 200 in a 999 classification system were upper level. And only 000 - 150 were professional. So 80% of job classifications fell in the less skilled category of which you speak. The skilled mantra is pretty much BS. And when it came to job injury and longevity 85% of comp claims were in those higher risk occupations.
Even supposedly lower skilled occupations do demand skills and knowledge. Even common laborers have to understand the use of certain tools and have to know certain work and safety techniques. Even the lowest skilled jobs are skilled jobs in some ways. Some are outright dangerous like mining, oil riggers, machinery operators etc. And many are very demanding physically and require great strength and mobility. I worked in that arena and there were a lot of jobs that were a lot more complex than you can imagine that would be considered unskilled.