Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 291 posts

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#141

Post by blattimwind »

mockingbirdy wrote: post #60
Deestan wrote: post #9

While not as bad off as the US, we are still seeing similar trends. They still can't afford to buy apartments until their 30s if they have good jobs, while their parents bought houses at the age of 20 working as factory drones.

There are a ton of reasons. - Adolescence lasts longer (until mid-20s) which means that people don't grow up so fast anymore. Why? Because of the wealth of the societies they live in. - More people study. Many are around 25-27 when they finally start to work. - Real wages didn't increase although inflation did. - The workforce is divided: Too many marketing experts, but a shortage of craftsmen. Too many people want j…

These are some good points, but people still compare themselves to the prior generation and notice, that while they have a whole bunch of luxuries their parents never had [1], that they also can't afford other luxuries. Like housing. My parents had a huge house and property by the time they turned 30. While some people still buy houses in their 20s, they're usually small shit houses with tiny properties.

[1] The whole computer thing, generally much better healthcare, much better daycare offerings if you're the sort of person that wants or has to give her children away, etc.; or even things like being able to buy a used car for 5k with excellent interior, crash safety and gimmicks. (But you of course can't afford to fuel it, so maybe that's a moot point).

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#142

Post by nottorp »

arthurfm wrote: post #4

Shouldn't Norway's be Norwegian [millennials] in the title? I have never heard of a Norwegian referred to as a 'Norway'. To me, the title reads as: "Unlike most millennials, the Norway countries are rich" which doesn't make any sense because millennials are people not countries.

Apostrophe and s means possesive. no apostrophe and s means plural.

If you're confusing them you must be a native speaker of English ;)

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#143

Post by madengr »

Latty wrote: post #26
franciscop wrote: post #15

As a Spaniard who has discussed this in lenght with many other Europeans[1], it really seems like the US is the main country with the University debt issue. I also really believe that "score inflation" is a big issue mainly in the US. If everyone can finish University, then having a university title becomes pointless! [2] In Spain, Germany, France, Italy, etc if you get a degree in STEM it means you put a lot of effo…

> If everyone can finish University, then having a university title becomes pointless! Only if the value of a degree is having an edge over others, not if it's value is learning - primary school isn't pointless even though most people master it. This feels like it links back to the same problem as everything else - as time goes on automation removes less skilled jobs, and more and more people will need to do more ski…

Disability claims in the USA have soared over the last 10 years, so it’s already happening.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#144

Post by mockingbirdy »

antpls wrote: post #138
mockingbirdy wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a ton of reasons. - Adolescence lasts longer (until mid-20s) which means that people don't grow up so fast anymore. Why? Because of the wealth of the societies they live in. - More people study. Many are around 25-27 when they finally start to work. - Real wages didn't increase although inflation did. - The workforce is divided: Too many marketing experts, but a shortage of craftsmen. Too many people want j…

> I think many don't understand how money works and that money is just a number. So few people think strategically about their salaries and just accept their circumstances. You should be more humble. You are on an "hacker" website. Did someone say we can't hack money? If you earn 10k a month, that's great, what about sharing it among the people who didn't have the same luck than you? People aren't born with the same…

> what about sharing it among the people who didn't have the same luck than you?

That's one big thing what taxes are for: To redistribute wealth. And I have employees which earn good money. I don't know what you expect from me.

> Some people can afford to take risks and earn even more while some simply cannot.

That's why a solid social system is so important. It gives us the room to take risks because we can be sure that we can get food, shelter and healthcare. See [1].

[1]: https://youtu.be/A9UmdY0E8hU

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#145

Post by hocuspocus »

Thiez wrote: post #8
arthurfm wrote: post #4

Shouldn't Norway's be Norwegian [millennials] in the title? I have never heard of a Norwegian referred to as a 'Norway'. To me, the title reads as: "Unlike most millennials, the Norway countries are rich" which doesn't make any sense because millennials are people not countries.

It's referring to them as 'the millennials of Norway', short: 'Norway's millennials'. You are correct that those millennials would be Norwegians.

Not all of them. About 17% of the population aren't citizens, and probably more so within the millennials.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#146

Post by A2017U1 »

chiefalchemist wrote: post #134

Perhaps I read / skimmed too fast but I felt there wasn't enough mentioned about buying power. Income without context is meaningless. Making $100k in NYC or London is not the same as $100k in Costa Rica, etc. It's not what you make that matters. It's the ratio between income and living / life costs.

I'd include quality of life in that too.

Have earnt decent money in unpleasant places where the cost of living is cheap, it's not worth it at all.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#147

Post by kiliantics »

loblollyboy wrote: post #80
bufferoverflow wrote: post #32

Norway is a very special case. A small country with lots of oil, fish, and a small population (just 5.2 million). They would have to go really wrong to be poor.

And fishoil. But seriously, I'm on this cruise around Scandinavia right now. All these countries are incredible. And not all of them are so blessed with resources. Then you get African and South American countries with similar resource:population and they're f-u-c-k-*-d. I think it is very much about the culture and that is at the household and governmental level.

Not culture, that's being xenophobic. There's a much easier explanation which is the history of colonialism.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#148

Post by NightlyDev »

cosmic_ape wrote: post #133

>>Employers will also have to be more open to attracting international talent to fill the jobs created outside its oil and gas sector, she suggests. On the other hand, young Norwegians “used to being able to work wherever they like” may need to become increasingly “focused on where the skills are needed”... So she means that while the population is well educated, many do not choose the "right" education?

There is a lot of students in Norway who studies what they want with no plan at all when it comes to work.

Eg. a lot of students are studying finance and management or maybe history, but there is basically no demand compared to the supply.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#149

Post by mockingbirdy »

mockingbirdy wrote: post #144
antpls wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think many don't understand how money works and that money is just a number. So few people think strategically about their salaries and just accept their circumstances. You should be more humble. You are on an "hacker" website. Did someone say we can't hack money? If you earn 10k a month, that's great, what about sharing it among the people who didn't have the same luck than you? People aren't born with the same…

> what about sharing it among the people who didn't have the same luck than you? That's one big thing what taxes are for: To redistribute wealth. And I have employees which earn good money. I don't know what you expect from me. > Some people can afford to take risks and earn even more while some simply cannot. That's why a solid social system is so important. It gives us the room to take risks because we can be sure…

> Some people can afford to take risks and earn even more while some simply cannot.

I would like to know what you mean specifically. When you are jobless, the German system gives you enough to rent an apartment and eat something. It's not luxurious, but it's better than those anti-social systems like those in the US. You don't have to worry about getting enough food.

When these basic needs are met, you are free to open your mind. Most people don't - even those that have jobs - and I think that's pretty sad. Many people accept the pointless work and shitty environments because the fear of social decline is so big in their heads. I think most of those points you talk about can be changed on the psychological level. Money doesn't necessarily change this, it's a mindset.

Re: Unlike most millennials, Norway's are rich

#150

Post by NightlyDev »

alkonaut wrote: post #129
tonfa wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Beer might be a bad example, isn't alcohol generally very expensive in Scandinavian countries? (Though indeed cost of living is probably on the higher side)

Yes half of or more of the unreasonable $15 beer is likely taxes. But that pizza slice you take with it is another $15...

$15 is more like a portion sized pizza, not a slice.
Post reply on HN