Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows • Hacker News Board

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#41

Post by SketchySeaBeast » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:39 PM UTC

povertyworld wrote: post #22

Miner49er wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A recession will eventually happen, it happens about every 10 years. The mainstream media isn't talking about it to get rid of Trump. EDIT: not sure why I'm being downvoted, but I'm guessing it's because I messed up the average length of the cycle. I guess it's probably closer to 5 years: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/071315/what-average...

Regardless of one's opinion on Trump, the media basically switched from Russian conspiracy theories to recession paranoia in the span of about a week. That week being the time of Mueller's presentation to congress.

C'mon now, there's also the "this week in dumb decisions" section. We're still riding the wave from Sharpie-gate.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#42

Post by peteey » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:40 PM UTC

brightball wrote: post #18

VonGuard wrote: post #5

The United States is weird in that you are defined, here, by your job or profession. TV shows put your job title under your name when you appear on them. People's first question is always "What do you do?" at parties and at events. In other countries, this isn't always the case. When I'm in Europe, people ask where you're from, what's for dinner, and what's happening? The question of your job is rarely asked up front…

I think it’s a bit of a leap to go from people identifying themselves by their profession to not valuing human life as a country.

The cynicism is uncalled for.

The culture of places are not so well defined in America. It is a new nation of immigrants. Europeans may have lived in the same towns for hundreds or thousands of years. American is less than 250 years old.

Americans identify as individuals. An individual is identified by personal accomplishments or work. Alternatively, a group identity might define a person by location or family name. The root question "who are you?" is asked depending on what approach you take. Identity is a subjective social construct; neither approach is more right than the other.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#43

Post by blhack » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:40 PM UTC

VonGuard wrote: post #5

The United States is weird in that you are defined, here, by your job or profession. TV shows put your job title under your name when you appear on them. People's first question is always "What do you do?" at parties and at events. In other countries, this isn't always the case. When I'm in Europe, people ask where you're from, what's for dinner, and what's happening? The question of your job is rarely asked up front…

These silly “American bad Europe good” comments always find their way into these discussions, and they are as uninsightful as “if you aren’t the customer you’re the product!”.

An equally uncharitable interpretation is: American culture, unlike European, places incredible value on personal agency. We ask each other “what do you do” because we actually have the socially enforced freedom to choose what the answer to the question is. It’s always shocked me how little freedom Europeans have in choosing the course of their own lives. You can see this playing out when they don’t even bother to ask each other what they do for a living (it’s a taboo to ask because most Europeans hate their jobs).

This, of course, is absurd. People all over the world ask each other what they do because it’s useful information to know how somebody spends their time, and may provide additional conversation topics.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#44

Post by lotsofpulp » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:42 PM UTC

glitchc wrote: post #35

I think this reflects a general erosion of trust between employers and employees, which I blame Corporate America for. It used to be a tacit agreement in the workforce that if you worked hard, the boss and the company would take care of you. This illusion has been shattered first by the employers (outsourcing, at-will employment, gig economy), and now the employees (ghosting, switching firms without notice). The lack…

The employees also chose to patronize businesses that outsourced and offered lower prices. Other than forcing Americans to buy products made with American labor, what options are there?

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#45

Post by bonoboTP » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:42 PM UTC

mywittyname wrote: post #33

commandlinefan wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I graduated in 1995, at the peak of the dot-com boom. I'm still pretty much always in fear of losing my job: there's always somebody willing to do it for less.

Especially now with the record enrollment in CS/CE programs over the past 5-10 years. The industry has been awash with fresh talent for the past few years and I don't see it slowing down.

Maybe it's different in the US but in Europe companies still struggle to find good job candidates. They get tons of applications of course but they aren't good/experienced enough. Basically many companies' bottleneck is hiring.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#46

Post by Someone1234 » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:43 PM UTC

mitchus wrote: post #11

Interesting that the two data sources used concern housing and consumer credit, not employment.

Employment figures don't tell you much about consumer confidence.

Decreased employment would be an indicator of an actual economic downturn, this is focused on people fearing an economic downturn which is very different.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#47

Post by manfredo » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:43 PM UTC

intopieces wrote: post #2

My fear never went away. As someone who graduated at the very beginning of the Great Recession, I have a constant feeling that this cannot be forever.

I graduated later, when unemployment rates were dropping continuously. I still have this fear, even though the justification for it is not well founded (I've been able to get internships for all of summers, and had full time offer in hand before the start of my senior year).

It seems much more likely to me that this is an instinctual fear. Our jobs are our primary mechanism by which we get the resources we need to survive. Of course we'd worry about losing that, even when times are doing well. The cavemen that didn't have this fear probably starved at higher rates.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#48

Post by pysxul » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:43 PM UTC

> Americans' fear of losing their jobs

Unemployment rate in the US is only 3.7% (July 2019) Employee fears that they are replaceable and the truth is that most of them are. So they are working hard, they perform, they are productive and economy is better than it has ever been!

I am french and where I worked it is nearly impossible to fire a long-term contract employes (CDI). Most of them do less than the bare minimum at work. Then entire company is taking a hit.

So IMO the fear to loose their job is a great boost!

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#49

Post by povertyworld » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:44 PM UTC

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #41

povertyworld wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of one's opinion on Trump, the media basically switched from Russian conspiracy theories to recession paranoia in the span of about a week. That week being the time of Mueller's presentation to congress.

C'mon now, there's also the "this week in dumb decisions" section. We're still riding the wave from Sharpie-gate.

I couldn't bring myself to even click on those. The media has cried wolf for so long with Trump, if I see a headline saying "Trump to start WW3", I'm just going to think, boy, the NY Times just keeps hitting new lows and not even click it.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#50

Post by Someone1234 » Tue, Sep 10, 2019, 4:45 PM UTC

matz1 wrote: post #29

That's why we need universal basic income

UBI is an interest concept but it wouldn't solve this. If you go from e.g. $5K/month (job) to $1K/month (UBI) you'd still have to adjust your living standards (and if people expect to lose their jobs, even with UBI, they'd still make more cautious decisions which would still trigger the same indicators).

UBI and other social safety nets are "good ideas." But they aren't a one size fits all solution to every problem. It won't restore consumer confidence.