Ongoing Myth: The Unemployed are 'Untrained'

[radhika]

Note: This is an offshoot of another thread, by Better Believe It: 'Obama's Newest Job Plan for the Unemployed - Work for Free'. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1863174

Apparently, President Obama thinks 16+% Americans are unemployed/underemployed because of some deficiency in their training and skills set. At least he isn't asking the unemployed to take drug tests to prove their moral adequacy as well, like the states of Fl and AL do. Obama's class bias seems clear in an article in The American Prospect by Robert Kuttner. His view resonates with memes pumped by the Conservatives, Fundies and Randians, who have little use for working folks. The economic team he has assembled probably doesn't associate with anyone below hedge fund managers. (I personally gag when Obama addresses everyday voters. Faux southern accent, corn-pone examples, phrases like 'some folks say'. Does he think we're all dropouts, not used to Big Fancy Wurds?)

I quote Obama: “We’ve got to rethink how we do unemployment insurance. There is a smart program in Georgia. What they do is they say, all right, instead of you just getting unemployment insurance, just a check, what we’re going to do is we will give a subsidy to any company that hires you with your unemployment insurance so that you’re essentially earning a salary and getting your foot in the door into that company. And if they hire you full-time, then the unemployment insurance is used to subsidize you getting trained and getting a job.”

Here's my take:

I know so many unemployed teachers, nurses, skilled trades people, experienced customer service personnel and the like. They have many levels of academic and job training - bachelor/masters/PhDs. They are in unions, credentialled. They are tech savvy. The WORK isn't there. The DEMAND isn't there. And the committment of American corporations to expand business/manufacturing operations in the USA is GONE. But they'll take a freebie when it's offered to them. Hell, who wouldn't? Yes, some unemployed persons could clearly benefit from additional training and experience - but why turn a desparate serf into a paid employee when there is another free serf waiting in line?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[undeterred]

1. Overqualified and over-degreed here.

Talked to a person in the unemployment center today who had a masters degree in computer science and is unemployed. Its insulting to have people tell us we need to retrain when we're really too young, too old, or overqualified.

[gkhouston]

12. That's me and my husband as well.

The killer is that there are some people who want to hire him (including one guy who'd like to hire both of us), but there are hiring freezes in place. :nuke:

[virgogal]

13. Same with my daughter.

[Orrex]

2. So in essence they'd be giving corporations free (or vastly discounted) labor

I could almost read about that concept without vomiting if the corporations were under any obligation at all to retain those subsidized employees after the unemployment insurance runs out.

Of course, this is in addition to the billions in subsidies already handed to corporations in the form of food stamps, CHIP & LIHEAP (to name just a few). Every penny of government aid provided to employees is a bonus to corporations and an incentive not to provide a living wage for those employees. Corporations know that paying starvation wages is fine, because chances are good that the starving employee will qualify for food stamps or housing assistance, etc.

It would be nice if--for once--we privatized cost rather than privatizing benefit.

[Starry Messenger]

3. recommend

[RandySF]

4. The problem with "retraining"

is that you spend several months to several years back in school, accumulate more debt and pass up the opportunity to interview for jobs in your own field on the hope that you can find a job in a new field. I know of someone who went to school to become a court reporter only to be frozen out because of her age.

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. Another problem is that

schools can terminate programs withoput refunding monies or giving students enrolled an opportunity to complete the program.

I know several people that has happened to in the last year. One was a disabled vet. One was there trainging through a workers comp settlement. All had professional aspirations.

Theoretically, they could sue but not too many attorneys want to take on these cases and even if they did it would likely take several years for the litigation to be resolved.

[Horse with no Name]

5. When you are unemployed, IF you refuse a job then they can terminate your benefits

So, if you are an engineer and forced to learn a new trade (like stuffing tacos at Jack in the Box)then are offered a job doing this and you refuse, then you will lose all of your benefits.

This seems like a one-way street to either get skilled workers into unskilled jobs (what a great thing for an employer) or a chance to quit paying them if they refuse to take it.

[undeterred]

14. I think thats only a job you've applied for.

[CoffeeCat]

6. Who has the most problems finding work?

I'm wondering if there are particular demographics who are experiencing more challenges than others.

When you lose a job and look for work--does everyone across the board, regardless of their profession and skill level have trouble finding work again?

Do executive-level professionals or white-collar workers have as difficult--or more difficult time--as blue-collar workers?

I heard a scary statistic this morning. That 53 percent of the unemployed have been out of work for an extended period of time. It
just made me wonder...are these people from certain areas of the country? Are they mainly workers without college educations?

Are certain sectors hurting more...like those trying to find IT jobs or jobs in insurance or construction?

If anyone knows, it would be interesting data to understand. I'll Google as well.

[Horse with no Name]

10. The one stat that I keep hearing is age barriers

If you are newly unemployed and over 50, the chances of working again are slim.:(

edited to add link
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/economy/20older.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

>>>snip
But that does not seem to matter, not for her and not for a growing number of people in their 50s and 60s who desperately want or need to work to pay for retirement and who are starting to worry that they may be discarded from the work force — forever.

Since the economic collapse, there are not enough jobs being created for the population as a whole, much less for those in the twilight of their careers.

Of the 14.9 million unemployed, more than 2.2 million are 55 or older. Nearly half of them have been unemployed six months or longer, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate in the group — 7.3 percent — is at a record, more than double what it was at the beginning of the latest recession.

After other recent downturns, older people who lost jobs fretted about how long it would take to return to the work force and worried that they might never recover their former incomes. But today, because it will take years to absorb the giant pool of unemployed at the economy’s recent pace, many of these older people may simply age out of the labor force before their luck changes.

[undeterred]

15. Over 50.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. K&R - Glad you decided to make this an OP of its own. The streets

today are littered (figuratively) with the resumes of folks who went back to school to get degrees, certificates and credentials, often taking on massive amounts of student loans to do so. And there are no jobs. I actually know a young woman, very bright but unemployed, who took on some 20K in student loans doing exactly that, ran through the various deferments available and is now being dunned and garnished left and right by various creditors on the order of 25% of her gross wages. And Obama proposes more 'training' (unpaid) as a solution?

The problem, as you point out, is NOT insufficient training or skills. The problem is insufficient aggregate demand. Standard Keynsian doctrine says that when consumer and business spending drops, government spending must increase to maintain a given level of GDP. Another way of thinking about is is that the government, through fiscal stiumulus, can prime the pump.

Here's my counter proposal to Obama's warmed over milquetoast Reagan-Fordisms. Let's resurrect George McGovern's concept of a 'Guaranteed Annual Income' for each person (aka 'negative income tax'). Let's finance said GAI by raising marginal tax rates on the wealthiest to 75% on all income over $500,000/year. That's called a self-financing proposal that solves a grievous social problem at the same time.

[leftstreet]

20. Nixon had a similar idea

For a Guaranteed Annual Income. If you can find it, Daniel Moynihan wrote 'The Politics of a Guaranteed Income' and in it he describes Nixon's push for it. Pretty interesting.

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. Loooooooooong-term unemployed here

I don't even remember the last unemployment check I got.

And the desk that resides in a corner of a spare bedroom represents job creation - even though it does not generate the income of a part-time McJob.

The problem isn't that I don't have skills. I have three graduate and professional degrees, two professional licenses and a host of practical and artistic skills. The problem is that I have too many skills. I don't fit neatly in the requirements that describe a traditional career path. Therefore, I am unpredictable or lacking in direction, committment and vision.

[myrna minx]

9. Thank you for making this an OP. I appreciate your essay. K&R n/t

[zazen]

16. and universities and NSF are incentivized to perpetuate the lies

because they have dwindling funds and the only way they continue to justify their existence is to go along with this "too many untrained Americans, especially in STEM" crap.

Faculty justify continuing programs and getting grants and grad students; NSF keeps a budget and justifies its investments by making the tired "crisis" arguments about how we're being outcompeted by China.

Bullshit. Global corporations that do business here must adhere to mandatory minimum guidelines or else we tariff the shit out of them. We need to bring jobs back home and not let them pay pennies on the dollar to other poor saps in other countries.

There is NO SHORTAGE OF STEM WORKERS. It's a crock. But there's a huge industry between academe and research funding industries (and their corporate "partners") who collude in perpetuating this bullshit at conference after conference, in news, to high schools, to other faculty, to Congress, yada yada yada.

Academic administration is infested with neoliberalism.

[chill_wind]

17. Great OP. Reality has gotten far too lost

in Washington DC. K & R.

[Creideiki]

18. Include the underemployed--it would be really nice to be able to do what my degrees are for

Sadly...

[leftstreet]

19. K&R

Excellent post

[Silver Swan]

21. My daughter

Is a health care worker with a masters degree who has been unemployed for over a year.

She was recently offered a job for much less salary than she had earned before. Still, she was thrilled to think she had a job again. However, when she attempted to negotiate a slightly higher salary (like 25 cents more per hour,) the job offer was rescinded.

I consoled her by saying she wouldn't want to work for those cheap bastards anyway.... which doesn't help pay the bills, but what can you do?

[Lugnut]

22. My daughter has a masters degree.

She's been unemployed for a year-and-a-half.