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Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#111

Post by MeinBlutIstBlau »

BossingAround wrote: post #21
calltrak wrote: post #7

I am an unemployed programmer. I am 50 years old. I have 15 years of C#, 15 years of sql server, two years of golang, two years of node.js, vue.js, svelte, css, html, postgress, rabbitmq, etc etc etc.... My skills list is about 10 times this short list I just threw up. They tell me there is a skills and labor shortage in tech. That's complete bullshit I am UNEMPLOYED for a year. I don't believe one dam word the gover…

Might also be an attitude problem on your side. If you're serious about getting a job, consider coaching. This "nobody is hiring, everything sucks, and I'm the victim here" narrative isn't really helping you. Also, bringing up stuff like "lies about the cough" (which I assume is OP talking about COVID) absolutely undermines your credibility as an individual capable of critical thinking, which is necessary for softwar…

The media downplayed covid until some places started closing. Then they kicked it into full on "zombie virus everyone is gonna die" mode real quick. On top of that, they (meaning social media as well) tried to circumvent the CDC numerous times by flagging things they've said because the media doesn't want COVID to die now that Trump is out of office. Trump was a damn goldmine and they're trying to force COVID to be another one.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#112

Post by cactus2093 »

calltrak wrote: post #7

I am an unemployed programmer. I am 50 years old. I have 15 years of C#, 15 years of sql server, two years of golang, two years of node.js, vue.js, svelte, css, html, postgress, rabbitmq, etc etc etc.... My skills list is about 10 times this short list I just threw up. They tell me there is a skills and labor shortage in tech. That's complete bullshit I am UNEMPLOYED for a year. I don't believe one dam word the gover…

I agree with the other commenters, you sound completely detached from reality and I would never even make it far enough to evaluate your skills before declining to work with you.

The best thing you can do is probably to get some therapy. Yes, there are some legitimate scandals and lies in the media and government. Most other people are able to take this in stride and still live happy, productive lives. Standards of living are higher now than they ever have been in history. Things aren’t all bad. If you shift your attitude and stop conveying that you think you are not getting what you deserve and everyone is out to get you, and become nicer and more humble, I think you’ll have much better luck.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#113

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

paganel wrote: post #63
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, try being over 50. I just gave up, and retired early. Best decision I ever made. I'm working for free, with NPOs, and it's been a joy. The worst part, for me, has been the naked contempt and disrespect. I don't expect to be worshipped, but raw insults are beyond the pale. It's -literally- like a hazing ritual. With all the news about "frat boy culture," I think I see where it comes from. I don't think it's just…

> The worst part, for me, has been the naked contempt and disrespect. If you don’t mind and if it’s not sensitive do you mind to share some examples? I’ve just gone past the 40 year threshold myself and I think I’m starting to see/notice some of the same things you noticed, i.e. less “camaraderie” (for lack of a better word) and more “getting on top of the other”, a feeling I didn’t have when I entered this industry…

I will not give specific examples. Here, there be dragonnes...

But I have been told "You know, because you're older, you'll need to ask for less" by recruiters (recruiters are the worst).

I've had testers (silly tests), be quite disrespectful, and use tone and engagement (or lack, thereof), to make it clear that this is an annoyance for them, and I should just "get it over with," so they can do something "more important," I guess.

I've had numerous recruiters suddenly develop "connection problems" on the phone, moments after I've made it clear that I'm older. They promise to get back to me, and I never hear from them again (I believe that kids, these days, call that "ghosting").

I've had initial screeners (I assume HR), do the same thing.

One pleasant experience was actually Facebook. They have been polite, respectful, and cheerful. I have not felt discriminated by them. I don't think that I want to work there, but I feel as if they would be approachable. I have had other FAANG companies that were shockingly rude, and that surprised and disappointed me.

Probably, the worst thing, for me, is the unwillingness to check my portfolio. It’s friggin huge. Many years in the making, with lots of shipping products.

I’ve actually been told that “I probably faked it,” and given a stupid binary tree test.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#114

Post by freeone3000 »

lucb1e wrote: post #103
Waterluvian wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know you’re not trying to interview right here and now, but listing tools doesn’t move the needle. That’s not what employability in tech is measured by. I’m trying to hire for a number of software positions and that’s a common issue I see in resumes. I don’t want to hear that you’re a wizard with a hammer. I want to know about the times you lead a team in building a house from start to finish.

> I want to know about the times you lead a team in building a house from start to finish. What if that's not something I can do? If I'm really good at tech, am really good in terms of writing code fast, correct, and readable, but management just isn't for me? Would you not hire me for a software position, also not at a lower salary or with a junior label or something?

We're not interested in hiring "perpetual juniors". The increased oversight of junior employees is an investment in them becoming senior in a 2-3 year timeframe. The skills listed above are for independent action, follow-through, communication, and teamwork, in a tech lead position, which are more important than writing code. If you haven't acquired those skills by now, it's unlikely any amount of mentorship will teach them to you, so it's going to be a pass.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#115

Post by jansommer »

jen20 wrote: post #102
bko wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a market economy there is no such thing as a "shortage" of workers. You just don't want to meet the market price of the workers with that skill set. You could imagine a widget factory whose economics rely on paying employees X, it doesn't mean there's a "shortage" of workers, but the workers demand a wage that makes your work unprofitable. The fact is a lot of people are paid not to work through generous covid-rel…

> In a market economy there is no such thing as a "shortage" of workers You need a license to drive a truck in the UK (the actual subject of the article). It takes a minimum of two months acquire [1]. Even paying a thousand dollars an hour does not magic more qualified candidates into existence at short notice as you appear to propose. The reason for the shortage is the trivially foreseeable effects of idiotic hard-l…

If the pay is good, demand is high and all you need is to go on a two month course, I'd bet a lot of unemployed people would be eager to do that. The "shortage" is indeed because of Brexit, but paying a thousand dollars an hour will most certainly magically summon workers en mass in a few months.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#116

Post by beerandt »

BossingAround wrote: post #21
calltrak wrote: post #7

I am an unemployed programmer. I am 50 years old. I have 15 years of C#, 15 years of sql server, two years of golang, two years of node.js, vue.js, svelte, css, html, postgress, rabbitmq, etc etc etc.... My skills list is about 10 times this short list I just threw up. They tell me there is a skills and labor shortage in tech. That's complete bullshit I am UNEMPLOYED for a year. I don't believe one dam word the gover…

Might also be an attitude problem on your side. If you're serious about getting a job, consider coaching. This "nobody is hiring, everything sucks, and I'm the victim here" narrative isn't really helping you. Also, bringing up stuff like "lies about the cough" (which I assume is OP talking about COVID) absolutely undermines your credibility as an individual capable of critical thinking, which is necessary for softwar…

>absolutely undermines your credibility as an individual capable of critical thinking

Nothing says "critical thinking" like believing everything you're told by government and msm.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#117

Post by sundaeofshock »

Retric wrote: post #87
honkdaddy wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would you call it if we had 5 positions at the widget factory, but only 4 prospective employees looking for work? Wouldn't that constitute a worker shortage, as no matter how high I make my wages as a widget foreman, there are still less workers than there are open positions? Or is that not something that could really happen outside of a textbook problem?

Offer people enough money and they will move. Offer even more and they will train specifically to do the job. Jobs that require lots of training can have short term global shortages of skilled workers. But, that quickly self corrects as long as salaries increase.

That does not necessarily follow. It’s very difficult to put food on the table while going to school in hopes of landing a job in a new field.

Pay living wages and provide paid, on-the-job training. That will get prospective employees through the door.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#118

Post by minikites »

jesusthatsgreat wrote: post #41

The harsh reality is that there's not enough incentive to work for a lot of people through a combination of state supported welfare, lack of job security (i.e. short term contracts / zero hour contracts) and the financial and mental health cost involved in working (transport to and from work, paying for childcare etc.. it's a financial cost but also impacts work / life balance i.e. a lot of people realise they have n…

>a roof over their heads and buy food

Why should death be a threat for not working?

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#119

Post by marcinzm »

calltrak wrote: post #7

I am an unemployed programmer. I am 50 years old. I have 15 years of C#, 15 years of sql server, two years of golang, two years of node.js, vue.js, svelte, css, html, postgress, rabbitmq, etc etc etc.... My skills list is about 10 times this short list I just threw up. They tell me there is a skills and labor shortage in tech. That's complete bullshit I am UNEMPLOYED for a year. I don't believe one dam word the gover…

We reject more senior candidates for soft skill issues than we do for technical issues. Most common one is them aggressively saying "why did you do it this way, you should have done it this way" during interviews without knowing any context.

>boarding up New York City

Not really, we're doing rather well over here.

>there is homeless everywhere

There have been homeless everywhere for decades, if you think this is new then you haven't been paying attention.

edit: Also believing covid isn't real indicates that you have overall issues with rational understanding of complex topics or processing third party information. That underlying mental model tends to leak in interviews and is definitely a massive red flag.

Re: Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone?

#120

Post by xwdv »

bruce343434 wrote: post #85
xwdv wrote: post #69

Don’t know about UK but in the US former employees are sitting at home collecting juiced up unemployment benefits thanks to COVID and not paying rents. But the free ride is finally coming to an end and the evictions are starting soon. These people will be living on the street for the foreseeable future. Many companies do not hire homeless.

This massive destabilization/bubble you are describing is not a good thing by the way.

Don’t care, I’m sick and tired of kicking this can down the road. Let the bodies pile up in the streets, in the end they’ll beg us to save them.
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