I'm amazed at the hours some poeple manage to work...

[Locut0s]

When I worked retail I knew tons of guys who work 2 and 3 full time jobs. Most of them were Philipino (legal) immigrants working 2 or sometimes 3 jobs to make a living for themselves and to send money back home. The income from one or more jobs probably would go entirely back home to their relatives. I just couldn't see how anyone could work 3 full time jobs but these guys did it!

[TwixVoy]

1. With the rate the dollar is losing value as opposed to other fiat currency....

in a few years it won't be worth it to send a dollar anywhere else in the world....

[Locut0s]

2. That's a bit of an exageration but otherwise true. Although I'm in Canada here.....

The euro is where it's at and soon china's rmb.

[One_Life_To_Give]

3. Whats normal hours in their home countries

I have been told by a number of immigrants that I've worked with that their normal was 6 days a week.
The concept of a 5 day work week with only 32-40hrs seems to be a construct of the industrialized west.

[Locut0s]

4. Very true back home they would have worked to death for much less.

[DFW]

5. I have only the one job, but it takes 80-90 hours a week of my time.

You don't need 2 or 3 jobs to get there--one very demanding one will do it.

On the other hand, there's no way I'd trade it for a desk job back Stateside, so I take the good with the bad.

[Skidmore]

7. America expects its workers to

get paid for 40 hours of work and donate a second 40 hours to the company. In a way the company profits since it doesn't have to hire the number of workers it actually needs to complete its work.

[DFW]

8. I'm in sort of a special situation

Painted myself into a corner jobwise, but I do get to take German vacation time (6 weeks), even though I work for an American outfit, and I get a six-figure salary for my time, so I can't really bitch. I can do less if I want to, but I just can't figure out how.

[stray cat]

6. Americans in general lack the motivation and drive they used to have.

just look at the textbooks from 30 years ago for elementary schools. We will have to get tougher and smarter if we want to compete for jobs with people from other countries who work and study harder to get ahead.

[ret5hd]

9. And younger!

Repeal those child labor laws! You're right, americans are lazy and dumb!

[Fumesucker]

10. You are misinformed..

American productivity has been on an upward climb for decades..

[Duer 157099]

11. Wasn't the point of industrialization to *reduce* the work load on people?

I just cannot reconcile the move towards automation and efficiency and yet a parallel move to have people devote their whole waking lives to "working" in order to earn a living wage.

[onethatcares]

12. what would have happened if they moved to France

or some dumb bass socialist country that mandates three weeks of vacation every year? Do you think they would have worked their vacation time too?

Jeeez, if all we're supposed to do is work, work, work, it's not worth it.

[Xenotime]

13. That's something to be proud of?!?

Taking jobs away from other people is NOT something I think that should be admired.