Unemployment rate? BOGUS!

skydivr

Jumps from perfectly good Airplanes
Donating Member
As the government releases updated unemployment figures that are crossing 7%, I find the following interesting. I went and got my oil changed today for my pickup at one of the quick-change oil places. I patronize my local Valvoline store - they are quick, clean, cheerful, do a professional job and I get a 15% discount. So today I'm out there getting a little vitamin D (sunlight) while waiting, and I notice a "looking for good people" sign out front. I ask the manager if they are indeed hiring, as I find it hard to believe that they can't fill their positions with an unemployment rate at 7%. He says they they do indeed have vacancies; that they can't seem to get anyone that wants to work and that they were supposed to have had an interview that morning but the guy didn't bother to show up.

Pitiful. If i was out of work, I'd do whatever I had to do to find work, and I know I could find a job if I had to. When it's easier to sit on your azz than it is to go out and work, that's when our social programs have gone too far. I'm not against helping people in the short term, but we've create an entire class of people (who have the same vote as you or I, remind you) who would rather sit around, than go out and get a job.

That's why I like that Mericopa County Sherriff; he makes the convicts WORK (and it's the best thing that could happen to them, too - everyone wins).

How ironic. How bad has it got to get before people figure it out?
 
i'm with you on doing whatever you can to make $.
but some folks can make more collecting unemployment than working a sub $10 per hour job.
add to those folks those who give up looking, people who are overlooked because of affirmative action,those w/o transpo, etc.
7% seems low
 
I am also in agreement that I will do what ever for work. I am unemployed as we speak. I was laid off just before Christmas. Now here is my scenario. I could take that sub $10hr job. After taxes and such, I make less than my unemployment. I am no longer available to look for work when employers are available to talk to me so I am stuck in a dead-end low paying job. I will and do work for cash money to supplement my income. I will not be in these ranks for long, But I do need to be availble to interview and look for work. I have done the sub par pay jobs while looking. It just made it to hard to find the job I needed and was qualified for.
I am not lazy. Far from it.
 
I'm definitely not accusing those actively looking for work or gaining skills of being lazy. At least you are trying Firedog (and good for u and good luck to you!).

Unemployment should never be higher than the minimum wage (raising the minimum wage a different discussion). There should always be incentive to be actually working vs. not. I'm talking about that entire demographic who had never worked, and never tried, who live and have lived on the government dole for generations now.
 
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If you work for $45,000 per year, then definitely, your unemployment is going to be higher than minimum wage. If you work for minimum wage, then your unemployment is going to be lower than minimum wage. That's the way it was designed to work. Otherwise, you risk underemployment which is, by the way, an additional problem which is rarely ever reported upon.

I wouldn't turn down a min wage job either, though, if it meant putting food on the table vs. starving to death.

--Wag--
 
umemployment laws are written for folks that were never making the kinda money that folks today make and thus make it impossible to "work" legally to suppliment their income.

A few years back (8ish?) I got frustrated working 20hr days and basically told the CEO to take a hike. Turns out I got to take the hike and lived off the good ole UE funds for about 2months. I was told that if I made more $100/wk on the books it would negate my UE funds, which were maxed out at $400/wk. Now, thats $1600 a month and didnt cover all the bills, fortunately one of the very few things I learned working 20hr days was that the CFO of the company could "peal the skin off an onion" when it came to balancing bills and money. I made it through but it was *TIGHT* and there was no real way for me to go and earn $$ doing other "legit" things. Now I went and was a clean up guy/gopher for a local construction place that basically paid for food in my tummy...all cash.

If they want the UE system to work, someone needs to rewrite the laws so that folks can take lesser paying jobs to supplement the UE funds.


Firedog what kinda work do you do? ??? Maybe someone here has a contact that can help you out? :beerchug:
 
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