Employee shortages: Where have all the workers gone? • Hacker News Board

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

#481

Post by is_d4ng_erect » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 2:24 AM UTC

syshum wrote: post #471

eropple wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then shouldn't they be working more personally? Or shouldn't they no longer be in business? (And yeah, I'm well aware how much many small restaurant owners work. See door number two.) People around here talk a lot about unsustainable business models. I don't think it's really any better if it's offloading its unsustainability onto its workforce, which is what's being described here. From where I stand, as somebody wh…

>>>that there isn't actually a need for everyone to work to make the whole thing "go" So what is the proposal? Pay people to stay home forever? Who determines who gets a free ride paid for by productive people, and who has to be the ones that provide that free ride to others. be sure to sign me up for the free ride, but I sure as hell do not want to work 50+ hours a week so other people can play Call of Duty all day.…

I thought hackerses work because they love hacking

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

#482

Post by Dracophoenix » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 4:12 AM UTC

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #431

ipnon wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All high achievement types are like this, because high achievement[a] requires selfishness. Compare the law firm partner who works until midnight everyday while his wife and children languish at home, with the priest who volunteers at the food kitchen and adopts orphans. Both add some value to society, arguably, but one of them lives in a mansion and one in subsidized housing. Highly prosocial behavior is not always…

"High Achievement" is probably in the eye of the beholder. I've written a fairly massive infrastructure system that is used throughout the world, and has, undoubtedly, saved lives. It will probably continue to do so, in some form or another, long after I take my dirt nap. It has formed the nucleus of an entire Service structure; not just one application. Did I do it to be considered a "hero"? Did I do it for financia…

Your screed reminds me of a scene from Justice League Unlimited[1] in which Luthor is questioned about why he continues to strive for great heights (or, in the view of the Justice League, nadirs) despite, on a conventional scale, having already achieved the high status of being rich and powerful and ,on a cosmic scale, being bound by a relatively meager existence that will eventually pass on as a forgotten footnote.

All said and done, what you describe is another type of high achievement and one that isn't necessarily opposed to massive earnings (at least as a means); that of the skilled artisan. Even if you have helped millions of people in lieu of lucre, the pursuit of high achievement of any kind still required selfishness on your part. You still decided how everything was run and as well as the standards under which it should be run following your departure.

In that sense you're a hero of a sort. Even if you don't see it. It takes heroic effort to scaffold one's integrity, vision, and time into a project with the goal that said project will improve itself years down the line. All of what you've worked on is ,directly or indirectly, a product of your choices.

[1]https://youtube.com/watch?v=K4TC1xMyZDI

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

#483

Post by alisonkisk » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:24 AM UTC

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…

> workers have moved on

Moved on to what?

Not other jobs, obviously.

Unemployment insurance for income, eviction moratorium (reducing expenses), maybe, but that's all ending.

Lower income standard of living? More efficient higher density households? Dropping out of the rat race?

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

#484

Post by alisonkisk » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:28 AM UTC

throwawayboise wrote: post #344

Closi wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, when I hear about people struggling to recruit, it’s often minimum wage jobs on awful conditions. People don’t want to work for absolute minimum wage on a temporary contract picking fruit? Colour me surprised!

IDK about everywhere but I'm not seeing anyone still paying minimum wage. McDonalds is paying $12.50/hr for day, $15/hr for night work. That's $30k/year FTE for a job that you can learn in a week and that requires zero prior experience or education. And they are still begging.

That's the old minimum wage. $15 is the upcoming (catching up to inflation) minimum wage. People (especially people who have experience and education!, which is most people!) are really done working for below living wages.

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

#485

Post by dazc » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:30 AM UTC

aix1 wrote: post #286

dazc wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are currently many more licensed UK drivers not working in the industry than there are vacancies. Maybe ask why so many people have chosen to do other things such as amazon delivery or other such jobs that pay better, have better conditions and don't require regular medicals and certification, etc paid from one's own pocket?

> There are currently many more licensed UK drivers not working in the industry than there are vacancies. Do you have data to back this up (specifically for HGV-licensed drivers, which is what the post you replied to was talking about)? I briefly looked for stats around valid HGV licences out there, but couldn't find any recent figures.

It was from a radio interview I heard the other day, not sure what the actual figure was or the official source. So, take my comment as unproven.

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

#486

Post by alisonkisk » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:34 AM UTC

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #172

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the employer perspective: Why would I try to compete with unemployment benefits that are ending in a few months? The situation is temporary and has obviously causal factors that are coming to an end soon (unemployment benefits, school out for summer). Journalists seem to be going out of their way to ignore these and pretend that something else is happening.

The only shitty thing here is, that many companies will fail and close down in the meantime, meaning less jobs openings for people who just lost unemployment benefits.

That's the creative destruction of capitalism, eliminating net negative value enterprises.

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

#487

Post by alisonkisk » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:35 AM UTC

jonathanlb wrote: post #212

whall6 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. Why would I seek a job if the unemployment benefits pay me nearly as much to do nothing?

It might be important to distiguish doing "nothing" from not being on the job market. It's possible to contribute to society by making art, writing, cooking, spending time with family, caring for others, etc. as well as self-actualizing via exercise, reading, meditation, and so on.

self-actualizing doean't pay bills.

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

#488

Post by sizzle » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:39 AM UTC

zikduruqe wrote: post #386

mellavora wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Our software has improved since the domestication of animals and crops. Our hardware has not changed and we are still on H. Sapiens 1.0.

Will CRISPR on humans usher in Homosapiens 2.0 in our lifetimes?

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

#489

Post by nuker » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 5:46 AM UTC

wallacoloo wrote: post #391

eropple wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hadn't heard of this, but the WHO seems to have indicated that this is no longer a variant of interest, let alone a variant of concern.

I believe it was a joke that, as emergency covid policies are extended a couple months as each new variant arises, and since there will be no end of variants for an endemic virus, that means the policies are actually permanent. Or maybe I misunderstood.

you got it right

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

#490

Post by tonyedgecombe » Sun, Aug 01, 2021, 6:00 AM UTC

simonCGN wrote: post #393

In contrast to the article, I rather believe that Brexit is more responsible for the shortage than Covid-19

We don't know because we don't keep proper statistics on people entering and leaving the country. The figures for net emigration last year are between 300,000 and 1.3 million but they are largely a guess.