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Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

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Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#101
post #30

The economy and the education system are out of sync. We are turning out a TON of degrees for a few jobs and expecting people to be able to just succeed based on a 4 year degree program. All the while the economy does expect a 4 year degree for some jobs that really shouldn't. So you're expected to waste money on a degree you don't need to work a job that won't help you pay back your degree because they aren't paying…

> Again, I don't know the solution. Regulate the number of graduates within a certain degree field? Stop providing loan guarantees for all students regardless of the marketability of the degree they've chosen?

> Stop providing loan guarantees

Full stop.

Need-based public aid (whether it's the recipients financial need or societies workforce need, or both) should be grants, and there should be broad opportunities for public civilian service that provides service-based grants not based on specific need, too. The former should have payoff considerations, the latter should not.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#102
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the root of the problem. Anyone can get a degree regardless of aptitude. Loans will pay your way in, the school will do everything in their power to stop you from flunking out.

We have to take a lien on loans for cars that in some cases are much less money than school loans. Maybe make schools take some brunt of the loans. If they feel so strongly that their degree is worth it, its like they should back you as an investment.

Several schools are investing in their students, using the Income Share Agreement (ISA) format. Students do not pay any upfront tuition, the school takes care of it. Then, students only pay when they find a job with a % of their income. Alternative education[1] but also more traditional college are offering this[2][3].

[1] https://www.inc.com/salvador-rodriguez/long-term-coding-scho... [2] http://time.com/money/4568213/income-share-agreements-colleg... [3] https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/07/21/i...

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#103
post #36
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government should become a temporary employer of last resort for workers who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. They could clean up parks, tutor children, paint over graffiti, update public records, provide child care for other workers, etc. Stuff that would be of value to society but which we often can't afford to pay regular government workers to do. This would help to keep unemployed people in the wor…

All of the examples you gave of jobs that government should be paying people to do are jobs that are already done in the private sector. Tutoring and child care alone are very large industries. The biggest issue with your proposal is that if those employees paid by the government to do these jobs are paid less than the private sector, you'll put the private sector out of business. If they're paid the same or better,…

You could just as well argue that we should eliminate existing government jobs and contract them out to create more private sector businesses. It's just a matter of degree.

I would propose that the temporary government employees be paid minimum wage. This isn't intended to be permanent.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#104

>"She once had her own office, secretaries and assistants, along with titles like “director” that spoke to her decades of experience. Now, she’s a temp — one of many. >Levi was laid off from her job at a law office during a merger in early 2015, and has struggled to find long-term work. In late 2016, she filed for bankruptcy." How do you go from director at 59 to filing bankruptcy in fewer than two year after losing…

Indeed, bankrupt in two years after a high paid career speaks of financial irresponsibility. However, it does seem that in today's world the good jobs are far and in between. The middle class of the 1950's keeps getting squished. And the bridge from low class to middle class is financed by debt that takes often 30 years to pay off (student loans).

If you have a severe loss in income, bankruptcy after 2 years is probably too late. She probably cleaned out her retirement funds, which used to be largely protected from bankruptcy. Just because she looked important at work, doesn't mean she was compensated as much as you all seem to believe.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>How do you go from director at 59 to filing bankruptcy in fewer than two year after losing your job? Fiscal irresponsibility This is a very entitled and selfish statement. The act of simply existing is very expensive in the USA, and if you have children or have unexpected medical bills that can be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, you can easily eat through all of your savings very quickly and not be…

This is a very entitled and selfish statement. It doesn't take a huge imagination to realise the unexpected could happen, especially at that age. If you have had a reasonable career in a well paying job then it is irresponsible not to put something away for a rainy day.

2 years is a lot of rainy days.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, bankrupt in two years after a high paid career speaks of financial irresponsibility. However, it does seem that in today's world the good jobs are far and in between. The middle class of the 1950's keeps getting squished. And the bridge from low class to middle class is financed by debt that takes often 30 years to pay off (student loans).

If you have a severe loss in income, bankruptcy after 2 years is probably too late. She probably cleaned out her retirement funds, which used to be largely protected from bankruptcy. Just because she looked important at work, doesn't mean she was compensated as much as you all seem to believe.

It seems natural that bankruptcy filings would normally be “too late” from a retrospective position; the negative consequences favor delay if turnaround is reasonably possible, but the best time too have filed will probably be in the past once you've determined you need to.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#108
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

4 out of 5 of your examples are about income inequality, which isn't the same as how strong the economy is IMO. Everyone could be living in a shack and the poverty line = no shack and by your definition the economy would be strong if everyone could afford a new shack if their current one collapsed.

if you separate income inequality and economy, then you basically say that economy's goal is not to improve everybody's life. Benefits of successful economy should be shared by everyone.

The economy doesn't have a goal. Our economic policies have goals.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#109
post #93

What is paradoxical is that American voters keep voting to reduce taxes for the rich, who don't do anything with that saved money to increase businesses. Taxes should be lower for the poor who would thus spend more and keep the economic engine running and create jobs. Taxes should be much higher for the rich so that that money is used by Govt to do infrastructure work (create jobs) or pay down debt (and thus provide…

They keep electing people who reduce taxes for the rich. If it was up for a direct vote, I doubt most of these tax bills would pass. The last one was deeply unpopular with the public. Some of it's just failings of a two party system. You vote for the one you like better, but given a binary choice it's a fairly non-specific vote.

I think this a great opportunity for someone to make a real time "consequences" website.

Whatever the candidate says, fact check it and display a few important impacts to people directly. Economic is the easiest. Another good one is jobs, taxes, quality of life, debt, inequality.

Re: Millions of educated, experienced workers are tossed aside by a strong economy

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>How do you go from director at 59 to filing bankruptcy in fewer than two year after losing your job? Fiscal irresponsibility This is a very entitled and selfish statement. The act of simply existing is very expensive in the USA, and if you have children or have unexpected medical bills that can be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, you can easily eat through all of your savings very quickly and not be…

This is a very entitled and selfish statement. It doesn't take a huge imagination to realise the unexpected could happen, especially at that age. If you have had a reasonable career in a well paying job then it is irresponsible not to put something away for a rainy day.

In the United States, a bad medical problem can cost five-to-ten years' salary. That's one hell of a rainy day fund.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100840148

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