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Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

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Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#131

Post by Ancalagon »

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…

I wholly agree. Its funny to hear some of the older generations recommend staying at an employer for a long amount of time still (I am constantly told that job-hopping will badlly affect my career in the long run). I think the good advice is the exact opposite (in moderation). Change jobs, take what you want, that's the only way you're ever going to get it anymore in any reasonable amount of time.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#132

Post by r00fus »

tabtab wrote: post #116
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…

To compete with the rest of the world, the US companies cannot create commodity products or services. Our labor costs are too high for commodities. Thus, they must chase the Next Big Thing. The result is that they have to keep "flushing" their workforce to chase a different butterly every few years as the prior NextBigThing turns into a commodity and drifts overseas or is automated. To do this, companies want just-in…

We can compete with the rest of the world, we simply need to do what other countries are and produce local demand for the local supply.

e.g. farm to school is a great way to provide local farms consistent local demand baseline so they're not just selling to the arbitrageurs and megacorps via often-gamed futures markets.

I'm a big fan of de-commoditizing what really shouldn't be commodities in the first place.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#133

Post by ameister14 »

bluntfang wrote: post #63
blhack wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

>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. No we don't, or at least most people don't. People of disenfranchised communities don't choose to not go to college or get a job in software development. This makes up most people.

You mean felons? That's the only disenfranchised community in the US

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#134

Post by chillwaves »

cptnapalm wrote: post #75
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...

Remembering the 1992 election, the press kept hammering "recession recession recession" despite the recession itself being over for about a year. Job numbers had been growing for months, but still it was "recession recession recession" over and over again in the press right up through the election, but not after. The New York Times was talking about the "Clinton Recovery" months before Clinton was even in the White H…

Why was the mainstream media campaigning for Clinton?

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#135

Post by chillwaves »

povertyworld wrote: post #49
SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Your example of the "media crying wolf" on Trump has left members of his inner circle in jail for lying about their connections to Russia. Hardly "crying wolf".

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#136

Post by pnutjam »

Ancalagon wrote: post #130
lotsofpulp wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it possible that the existence of companies themselves is subject to more volatility? How can they provide stability when they themselves have unstable sources of income? I've only been around for a little more than 3 decades, but I've seen many markets and businesses be transformed. Vastly fewer numbers of travel agents, many retail establishments, tv channels, secretaries, hotel front desk, self check out are ne…

I would say sure, if it werent for the fact that a lot of major corporations are currently having some of their most profitable years ever. And if you consider companies like Apple that are sitting on literal mountains of cash, this argument breaks down.

I heard Apple is issueing bonds, since interest rates are low. Can't fathom why.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#137

Post by pnutjam »

romaaeterna wrote: post #127
magicnubs wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> companies actually did take care of employees Was this primarily due to employees having more leverage and demanding it (because union rights were a lot stronger)?

Unions were far stronger yes. And so were communities. The legal changes are minor, compared to the changes from a high-trust society to whatever we are now.

Capital doesn't run things around here, managers do. Think about that.

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#138

Post by seisvelas »

dhhdhdsbdb wrote: post #125
lotsofpulp wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it possible that the existence of companies themselves is subject to more volatility? How can they provide stability when they themselves have unstable sources of income? I've only been around for a little more than 3 decades, but I've seen many markets and businesses be transformed. Vastly fewer numbers of travel agents, many retail establishments, tv channels, secretaries, hotel front desk, self check out are ne…

Otoh, we have far more marketers, professional writers, video editors, programmers, and people who make their own profits via YouTube etc. And a drastic drop in birth rate should mean fewer people so favor labor.

Declining birth rate would also reduce demand for labor, not just supply, no? Assuming that the relationship between population and demand for labor is linear (probably isn't, I don't know economics).

Re: Americans' fear of losing their jobs grows

#139

Post by Ancalagon »

pnutjam wrote: post #136
Ancalagon wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say sure, if it werent for the fact that a lot of major corporations are currently having some of their most profitable years ever. And if you consider companies like Apple that are sitting on literal mountains of cash, this argument breaks down.

I heard Apple is issueing bonds, since interest rates are low. Can't fathom why.

It might be an accounting deal to avoid paying higher taxes?
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