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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?

#291

Post by Broken_Hippo »

tzs wrote: post #221
m0llusk wrote: post #88

It is strange that the top known factors for this are not even mentioned in this or other similar news stories. First, closing of schools caused large numbers of women to leave the workforce in order to care for children. Until schools are fully open and day care is available those women will probably not be going back to work. Second, all markets are cultivated things. Employers in the most troubled sectors have rec…

> It is strange that the top known factors for this are not even mentioned in this or other similar news stories. First, closing of schools caused large numbers of women to leave the workforce in order to care for children. I'm a bit skeptical of that explanation in the US because schools close for 3 months every summer, without an accompanying large number of women quitting their jobs.

As many others have said, there are programs in the summer and folks can plan - and these programs have been in place for years. Unfortunately, these programs mostly stopped and on top of school closing, there wasn't enough day care space. And for the school age children, not all of them could do online schooling themselves, needing someone to help them with the computer.

Schooling at home is a lot of work for someone, and it is work daycares aren't prepared nor staffed for.

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

#293

Post by forz877 »

bachmeier wrote: post #208
dbattaglia wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife and I have both been hearing this narrative from coworkers outside of where we live (in NYC), asking if we're living in a ghost town or warzone. It feels strange. By the way I think the term "flyover state" is probably a bit offensive to folks that happen to live outside of coastal cities.

> By the way I think the term "flyover state" is probably a bit offensive to folks that happen to live outside of coastal cities. It's not. It is, however, a certain way to get us to ignore anything you have to say.

That's already happening anyway.

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

#294

Post by freeone3000 »

grosswait wrote: post #170
freeone3000 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don't have an intermediate role, the step after Software Development Expert II is Senior Software Development Expert. This is pretty consistent among peer companies. Your description of senior isn't inaccurate, but, after many years of schooling, personal development experience, and on-the-job training, it's expected that people will gain that level of expertise in at least one domain -- maybe not to the same degr…

Have you considered that this model is perhaps only a current trend and that it isn’t necessarily the “correct” model?

Sure, but, we're already well over capacity as it is. Feel free to experiment at your company.

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

#295

Post by LatteLazy »

fundad wrote: post #158
minikites wrote: post #121

>Add Brexit into the equation, and the old assumption that companies can just hire extra people from Eastern Europe to fill any gaps can no longer be taken for granted. Wild idea, but maybe companies should pay higher salaries. I bet they would find plenty of workers. If their business relies on paying people sub-standard wages, maybe their business deserves to fail to make room for someone else who is better at maki…

Wasn't this one of the stated motivations for Brexit? Fewer immigrants pressuring owners to raise wages for British citizens. It was the same here in the States with border wall construction, turning away asylum seekers instead of letting them work while their cases were processed, issuing fewer visas and detaining and deporting more people. Strange to see who is carrying water for owners instead of taking credit for…

It was one of the motivations. BUT the people who voted for brexit were mostly not employed (too old, on various benefits etc). And as consumers they didn't want the immigrants THEY rely on sent away. So their wages remain unchanged and suddenly they have to wait longer in restaurants or the corner shop is shut early...

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

#296

Post by derefr »

rantwasp wrote: post #289
kktkti9 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turns out a “services based” economy is a euphemism for austerity based economy. Adam Smith claimed that “…landlords' role in the economic process is passive. Their ability to reap a revenue solely from ownership of land tends to make them indolent and inept, and so they tend to be unable to even look after their own economic interests". Look at dollar rich rent seekers destabilizing their value store. Dead guys alre…

> Humans haven’t literally evolved that much in 200 years. You’re being generous. I would say we haven’t evolved in thousands of years. I mean sure, the tech is better but we’re the same self absorbed, careless bipeds we’ve always been.

> I would say we haven’t evolved in thousands of years.

We’ve become slightly more lactose-tolerant!

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

#297

Post by cwbrandsma »

atrettel wrote: post #79
WJW wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> any kind of engineering > Applied for dozens of cleaning (...) positions Is this a common thing to do when applying for engineering jobs? What kind of qualifications do you even get where you 1. Are not specialized in a specific type of engineering (chemical, electrical, software, etc)? All these fields needs massive amounts of technical knowledge and I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be hired as a chemical engineer even…

I'm a mechanical engineer and I believe I can answer your first question. My take is that many engineering employers value the ability of entry-level employees to learn new things rather than what they know (their expertise). They want blank slates many times, to be honest, to be molded into the kind of employee that they need at the moment. As long as you have the most basic relevant engineering knowledge and a degr…

I've been hiring a lot lately (software development), two senior level positions (5 years or more experience) and one mid, three hires so far, two more roles to fill. These are all remote positions in a full remote team. Just be living the continental USA.

For the senior level positions we had maybe 10 applicants. Only two met the requirements (5 years experience with Asp.Net and C#, and be able to legally work in the USA). We hired both of them. Both had multiple offers within a week or two.

For the mid level position (2-3 years, had done web development, we prefer .Net but will take Java, Rube, Node, etc) we had 150 applicants. 140 of them were fresh grad school grad with no work experience, all needed visa help. OK, threw those out, now down to 10, found 1 of those with decent web development. Hired.

Really, I don't think I'm being crazy with the requirements, but we just are not seeing applicants.

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

#298

Post by mellavora »

rantwasp wrote: post #289
kktkti9 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turns out a “services based” economy is a euphemism for austerity based economy. Adam Smith claimed that “…landlords' role in the economic process is passive. Their ability to reap a revenue solely from ownership of land tends to make them indolent and inept, and so they tend to be unable to even look after their own economic interests". Look at dollar rich rent seekers destabilizing their value store. Dead guys alre…

> Humans haven’t literally evolved that much in 200 years. You’re being generous. I would say we haven’t evolved in thousands of years. I mean sure, the tech is better but we’re the same self absorbed, careless bipeds we’ve always been.

Both you and the parent seem to assume that 'evolution' means 'improvement'

Humanity has clearly evolved, even in the last 200 years.

Doesn't mean we are getting better

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

#299

Post by wildrhythms »

White_Wolf wrote: post #78
bserge wrote: post #3

I literally can't find a job in any kind of engineering. Applied for dozens of cleaning and production positions and couldn't get a job. You know what the media has become? A cesspool of bullshit unworthy of any trust. No wonder so many people mistrust actual experts, it's hard to even tell who they are.

"Any kind of engineering" is a bit broad. Loation matters a lot with available jobs. Take a look at London and a 30 mile radius around it(or so). You can't find enough skilled (not talking about diplomas here) electricians, PLC/automation controller programmers, Security system engineers, Maintenance engineers and I could go on with the list. I would suggest going straight to companies(managers and such) with your CV…

I work at a massive, well-known tech company, nearly 5 year tenure, and I apply to jobs on LinkedIn, directly through the company website, to government jobs (via USAJOBS), about 5 per week. I live in a major U.S. city. I'm willing to relocate anywhere, or work remote. Full-stack developer. I never get contacted back. Am I just not good enough?

I know the discourse is around London, but I think this is an issue happening in many places, and seeing the "where are the workers?" articles is really troubling for me.

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

#300

Post by kktkti9 »

rantwasp wrote: post #289
kktkti9 wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turns out a “services based” economy is a euphemism for austerity based economy. Adam Smith claimed that “…landlords' role in the economic process is passive. Their ability to reap a revenue solely from ownership of land tends to make them indolent and inept, and so they tend to be unable to even look after their own economic interests". Look at dollar rich rent seekers destabilizing their value store. Dead guys alre…

> Humans haven’t literally evolved that much in 200 years. You’re being generous. I would say we haven’t evolved in thousands of years. I mean sure, the tech is better but we’re the same self absorbed, careless bipeds we’ve always been.

I still believe our social evolution is possible. We have to talk about those things and take a break on economics.

We’ve seen the value of modern technology. There’s no need to continue to obsessively speculate about the advantages they provide to daily life.

Having beers with a grey haired VC yesterday, I couldn’t help but think this guy really just wants to feel relevant. These guys are the real energy vampire; IMO. Constant reverence is exhausting. It started to feel like he was one of those guys who peaked on the high school football team. “Yes, I’d like to hear about your car collection. Again.”

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