USA Today: Ratio of Americans working reaches lowest level since 1983

[Winehole23]

The share of the population that is working fell to its lowest level last year since women started entering the workforce in large numbers three decades ago, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

Only 45.4% of Americans (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Places,+Geography/Countries/United+States) had jobs in 2010, the lowest rate since 1983 and down from a peak of 49.3% in 2000. Last year, just 66.8% of men had jobs, the lowest on record.http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2011-04-13-more-americans-leave-labor-force.htm

[coyotes_geek]

I wonder what the bigger factor here is. Recession unemployment, or the boomers hitting retirement?

[Wild Cobra]

I wonder what the bigger factor here is. Recession unemployment, or the boomers hitting retirement?
I would say the unemployment is since SS payments, if in deficit, were a known factor for decades, and part of the debt, where the federal government owes trillions to the SS system.

Still... Government is simply too big. There is too much bureaucracy and they try to control too much, and spend too much on almost everything they do.

[MannyIsGod]

I wonder what the bigger factor here is. Recession unemployment, or the boomers hitting retirement?

Really doubt its retirement. Give the financial crisis and the economy tanking I don't think many people are actually retiring.

[Sportcamper]

Manny- There is a real crisis in this country for workers over 50…Few businesses want to hire someone over 50 when they can train a worker in their 20’s for a smaller salary…When a person over 50 has been out of the workforce for a year or so their chances of finding employment in their chosen field is almost impossible…I know plenty of out of work folks in their 50’s who are extremely grateful for the extended unemployment benefits which can tide them over until they are able to collect on their pensions….

[George Gervin's Afro]

Manny- There is a real crisis in this country for workers over 50…Few businesses want to hire someone over 50 when they can train a worker in their 20’s for a smaller salary…When a person over 50 has been out of the workforce for a year or so their chances of finding employment in their chosen field is almost impossible…I know plenty of out of work folks in their 50’s who are extremely grateful for the extended unemployment benefits which can tide them over until they are able to collect on their pensions….

WC sees this as a handout.. or rather a hammock instead of temporary help..

[Sportcamper]

Well…To the 57 year old guy that has been kicked to the curb it isn’t a handout…It is a lifeline…

[coyotes_geek]

Really doubt its retirement. Give the financial crisis and the economy tanking I don't think many people are actually retiring.

I think you're probably right. The boomers retiring will probably keep that number from going up though.

[MannyIsGod]

Manny- There is a real crisis in this country for workers over 50…Few businesses want to hire someone over 50 when they can train a worker in their 20’s for a smaller salary…When a person over 50 has been out of the workforce for a year or so their chances of finding employment in their chosen field is almost impossible…I know plenty of out of work folks in their 50’s who are extremely grateful for the extended unemployment benefits which can tide them over until they are able to collect on their pensions….

Yeah, I don't doubt this one bit. But there are also a lot of people in their 50s who are looking at 401ks that took huge hits and are having to work longer. The people you're talking about are almost being forced into retirement because unemployment.

Its a really tough time out there for almost everyone. I have had several moments in the past 6 months where I get really nervous about what my future holds.

[TeyshaBlue]

In B4 the VWRC.

[MannyIsGod]

I think you're probably right. The boomers retiring will probably keep that number from going up though.

That was the hope but its not really materializing from what I can see. My anecdotal piece of evidence (take it for what its worth) has to do with Jekka in here field. She's been sold on the older generation of librarians and archavists retiring opening up many positions in her field and the economy tanking has virtually stopped that in its tracks.

[Sportcamper]

Its a really tough time out there for almost everyone. I have had several moments in the past 6 months where I get really nervous about what my future holds.

Well I wouldn’t be alarmed…The economy moves in cycles…Plus you are a young healthy guy who can do what ever it takes to pay the rent…In 1982-83 I had a tough time with employment & supplemented my income painting apartments, hauling garbage to the dump, negotiating more favorable repair bills for owners of apartment buildings, etc etc…

Slowly things improved…When things really got going again in 1985 I was afraid to let go of all of the jobs I was doing not knowing if the recovery was real…Fortunately I have been working full time in my chosen field ever since…

[MannyIsGod]

You're right that its cyclical, but man its scary at times.

[z0sa]

Things won't be improving in my field (Journalism) ever again. I'm close to graduating with my BA and if it wasn't for my GPA and the AF (almost entirely the latter, in reality, as my GPA isn't anything extraordinary), I'd be more than scared shitless.

[LnGrrrR]

Things won't be improving in my field (Journalism) ever again. I'm close to graduating with my BA and if it wasn't for my GPA and the AF (almost entirely the latter, in reality, as my GPA isn't anything extraordinary), I'd be more than scared shitless.

Yeah, the Journalism field is going to go through some major upheavals in the next decade. You're going to have to have a unique voice to get paid well, and even then, you'll probably have to supplement your income. (I'm thinking types like Greenwald, DKos, etc etc)

Or maybe if you're lucky and attractive enough, you could get on TV and talk about Britney Spears latest album. (If you call that journalism.)

[Wild Cobra]

WC sees this as a handout.. or rather a hammock instead of temporary help..

Wow...

You really believe that?

I hope you aren't that...

[boutons_deux]

Top "US" Corporations Outsourced More Than 2.4 Million American Jobs Over the Last Decade

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/wherejobs.jpg

http://www.truthout.org/print/1263

When UCA Corporate-Americans stop trashing Human-Americans (and USA), I'll stop trashing Corporate-Americans.


And you Repugs, "Where Are The Jobs?" that you trashed Barry about?

[boutons_deux]

I wonder what the bigger factor here is. Recession unemployment, or the boomers hitting retirement?

How about:

US firms pitting "overpaid/overprotected" US labor against Asian sweatshop/unprotected labor? Globalization! yea!

US firms exploiting the poor job market to force/intimidate employees to work harder, and longer, with no increase in compensation, but rather cuts in compensation (like higher health insurance/pension participation)

Union busting.

Simply no jobs available, like 5 or 6 jobs seekers for every job. Jobs are a high cost to be minimized, so jobs are engineered out of every business, while the businesses reporting records profits and $2T cash.

But don't nobody say anything bad about sacred UCA Corporate-Americans.

The criminal Bankster's Great Depression is not just another trough in the cycles of capitialism's instability. For Human-Americans, it's lasted 4 years now, and will continue many more years, America's own version of Japan's Lost Decade.

And Repugs cutting taxes and cutting spending will make it all worse, bad-faith policies to create a bigger disaster for Corporate-Americans to exploit as "shock capitalism".

[Marcus Bryant]

The fruits of offshoring. As the boomers retire this ratio will get worse.

The fundamental problem is that the focus in this country post-60s has been on widespread consumption and borrowing as opposed to production, saving, and creation. Public policy has been geared towards encouraging buying crap you don't need rather than the boring old WASPy habits of thrift, delayed gratification, and entrepreneurialism. Happiness is now found in acquiring crap you don't need, bought with money you don't have, from corporations with no loyalty to the nation they expect to protect their interests. In fact, personal happiness is now the paramount end in our society, and of course the quickest way politicians can make people happy is to help them buy shit more easily. Tax increases and spending cuts are demonized as heresy against the American materialist gospel. What a cluster.

[z0sa]

Yeah, the Journalism field is going to go through some major upheavals in the next decade. You're going to have to have a unique voice to get paid well, and even then, you'll probably have to supplement your income. (I'm thinking types like Greenwald, DKos, etc etc)

Or maybe if you're lucky and attractive enough, you could get on TV and talk about Britney Spears latest album. (If you call that journalism.)

Unfortunately, yes. I always dreamed of writing extensively for a newspaper as a reporter. What a joke.

[Winehole23]

The work is honorable and the continued need for it is undeniable -- it's the business model that's unstable. I'd advise you not to give up just yet...if you haven't already given up on it...if it's still what you want to do.

*Something* comes next.

[LnGrrrR]

Unfortunately, yes. I always dreamed of writing extensively for a newspaper as a reporter. What a joke.

Sorry man. You can still lead the way if you can find a good niche though. Greenwald has a pretty devoted following.

And we could always use people who actually want to do investigative work, rather than parrot what our leaders say without criticism.

Maybe in the end, this is better for journalism in the long run. The only people doing it will be the people who are dedicated to the craft. Maybe.