51–60 of 86 posts
35+ y/o here. Every time I hear things like this I call up my mother and thank her for having me earlier than later. Also, I did not like the interface. I'd rather all the data was just there in one map.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A cliché? Or general agreement? I thought people generally agreed that Spain has issues in that regard. "I know the states and bureaucracy..." I wasn't referring to states in general, you were talking about Spain, I was responding about Spain. I'm not a ranting libertarian, I'm aware of a state's role in society. Knee jerk pouncing on a cliché that wasn't here. we've been told over and over again that we have to stay…
I wouldn't say bureaucracy or the State is the problem in Spain, but the political caste (in both our traditional left and right-wing parties), rampant corruption and a general lack of faith in democracy (or, more specifically, in the currently available democratic instruments). As far as I can tell we're not facing this problem alone, but we're pretty young as a democratic society and most of our politicians inherit…
Aside from the economic indicators, which are already being discussed here, the numbers for "never married" (up), "veteran" (way down), and "foreign born" (up) really jump out as trends. "Living with a parent" (up) is also a trend, but perhaps one more directly tied to the employment economy. For better or worse, all these trends have had and will have important societal impacts. Why don't we see more discussions on…
There are many people who think this is exactly what the source of many of these trends. People have been ignoring "who is paying what" for far too long as the burden gets shifted from the wealthy who benefit disproportionately from our civil society to the middle and working classes.
I was surprised at the number who had a degree was less than the national average for California. I guess there's a lot of immigrant workers who don't achieve higher education levels which skews the perception living and working in the valley. States like Virginia and Kansas beat the national average, yet not california, that's really sad.
Someone has to be below average. Dunno why it's sadder to have unemployed Californians than unemployed Virginians.
These numbers are really grim, and considering the job market only gets more cruel a few years after the top end of this age bracket, it makes it hard for young people to have a lot of hope for the future. Granted, maybe some of them are reflective of age-agnostic trends but still! Start in higher debt then make less than ever! As a young person looking at these numbers I realize I am squandering my blessings as a hi…
Welcome to "staying competitive". Here at Spain (and generally Southern Europe) we've been told over and over again that we have to stay competitive, which is just an euphemism for working more and earning less (i.e. becoming Europe's China). In a globalized market with a (still) steadily growing population, competition is growing and therefore salaries are shrinking. It's happening in all industries (e.g. tech firms…
I'm a fan of asking naive questions, so here's one:
If salaries are shrinking everywhere, then where is all the money?
These numbers are really grim, and considering the job market only gets more cruel a few years after the top end of this age bracket, it makes it hard for young people to have a lot of hope for the future. Granted, maybe some of them are reflective of age-agnostic trends but still! Start in higher debt then make less than ever! As a young person looking at these numbers I realize I am squandering my blessings as a hi…
Careful with your use of the word "we". What is happening is that between 1974 and 1994, the generation that was then in power decided to stop paying off their own debts, and started deferring payment to future generations. The effect is similar to being forced to cosign a mortgage before you are even born, then when you turn 18, your parents kick you out of their house and stop making the payments. You then have to…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A cliché? Or general agreement? I thought people generally agreed that Spain has issues in that regard. "I know the states and bureaucracy..." I wasn't referring to states in general, you were talking about Spain, I was responding about Spain. I'm not a ranting libertarian, I'm aware of a state's role in society. Knee jerk pouncing on a cliché that wasn't here. we've been told over and over again that we have to stay…
The problem in Spain is that the government and its regulations are so bad, that the only way Spain can become competitive is if the government gets its act together. Until then (i.e. always) lower wages and longer hours will have to do.
Based on above comments I hope you're voting for Podemos.
* if the government gets its act together*
That won't happen spontaneously.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher, Age 18 to 34 Percent of total population age 18 to 34 years with bachelor's degree or higher
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems to me it's the government which needs to stay competitive, not the workers, ie regulation and bureaucracy.
Governments don't have to be competitive if they mutually limit migration - and this is one problem. People need the option to leave a system that doesn't work for them, or that system won't see a need for change. The same competitive forces that are so important to capitalism should apply to nation-states as well.
Relative to the year 2000 is the part that scares me the most. It seems that largely things have changed for the worse over the last decade. For Massachusetts: Lower employment by an entire %4. Lower wages by 4k/year (%10 less!!!), adjusted for inflation. More people living with parents, fewer people living alone (read: piled into group houses with their former college roommates/friends). More people in poverty. More…
While I agree with your takeaway, I think you have to be careful which of those points you bucket under the same influence. Take Marriage, for instance. There's a lot that suggests that the newer generations simply put less stead in traditional institutions; not as a sign of wealth. Anecdotally, I was "half engaged" ('we're going to get married eventually, right?' 'yup.') but sans the ring/formality part for nearly a…