Community Chat

[Snoopp]

---

@PamfromCT wrote:

One critical factor I have read about is the lack of affordable child care.  It seems that there are fewer centers that have reopened.  And child care costs are quite high in many areas.  

Perhaps more jobs will be filled when schools reopen at the end of the summer.

Both my son and son-in-law will be permanently working from home now.  They both don’t miss their former long commute.  

My daughter and daughter-in-law went back to their respective work places quite a while ago.

I don’t want to ignite a fire here, but more than one economist has offered another factor.  Namely, the shortage of workers in our country who want to work in service positions.  Their theory is that immigration is down, and that immigrants have always filled many service positions.

The estimated number of individuals who cross into the USA who are not apprehended is around 1000 PER DAY. 

I agree that child care has changed, not for the better.  I can think of a few places that went under during the pandemic.   

---

[decaf]

---

@on the bay wrote:

Yes, let's see.

Say someone used to make $7.50 per hour. That may be their first job. Or their spouse has a job too so they are able to get by. Or one stays home and watches the kid(s).

Childcare for someone coming to the home particularly for under preschool age costs $15-20 an hour average.That comes to over $2,000 a month to go to work just for one child care cost.

So they are paying more than one of them might make.

 However most daycares and preschool programs unless some expensive private schools, are less expensive then many untrained babysitters coming to the home surprisingly. But a babysitter during this past year may have been preferable to any daycares still open during the height of the pandemic.

Now say one lost job due to illness or layoffs. So they are trying to pay rent, food, car if they have one. If they have a spouse who still works, he or she may have a car unless access to public transportation to work.

Now medical. Would you believe one of my children''s insurance has a $6,000 deductable and pays 60% of costs after that! I have never heard of such awful insurance.

So if a government program offered

unemployment at any equal or higher cost to stay home and not pay childcare, or gas or wear on car, etc,

or enough from stimulus checks etc to be able to stay home, I think any intelligent person would do the same.

I don't think many are so eager to return to a $7.50/hour job. Even minimum wage at $15/hour, you would probably be living way beyond poverty level.

I always think of that basic well known advice, "walk a mile in anyones shoes." Or "there but for the grace of God go I."

I know you all get the idea.

---

If I were that person making $7.50/hour I'd become a babysitter at $20/hr.  And take care of a fewchildren. 

[Teddie]

@haddon9 , I was just reading along, following what you were saying and it just struck me what you said, that you have just recently lost your mom. And finding the unopened cards... 🙁

[KACEE1115]

People don't want to work because they're getting extra compensation. That's our new generation

[haddon9]

@Teddie Yes she sadly passed away May 17th.  She lived in an over 55 community with aides for the last several years and didn't want to go into assisted living...she was happy where she was and lived to be 94.

I was annoyed about the Mother's Day cards since I mailed mine over a week before the day and she was still at home then.

[on the bay]

@decaf,

Yes, I might too. But what if the person was unable because they were sick?

Now imagine a family with lousy insurance has any serious health problems, er visits, rx costs and they are wiped out.

And yes, so many businesses not able to keep afloat. Some can't afford to pay employees more or even get employees.

Just saying that this is how so many struggle everyday across the country.It becomes a vicious cycle.

I don't know the answers. It just is always amazing and sad to me that one of the supposedly greatest countries in the world has so many people struggling so much just to live each day. We have so many descrepancies in wealth. I know other countries do too. I just wish it wasn't this way.

[CelticCrafter]

Just because the jobs are there doesn't mean they are going to be filled any time soon...

[Teddie]

@haddon9  Thank you for sharing that about your mom. My heart is touched...

[decaf]

@on the bay  I'll probably get a lot of flack for this. II don't blame it on illness or,a myriad of other things.

They just don't want to work.  They think someone owes them 100k/yr for doing nothing, they don't want to be tied down to a 9-5 job, they want to do what they want to do, they think having a full time job is too much stress, they can't find a job/career that's fun.

I have a nephew who's 38 who fits this description, two friends with grown kids that do also. It's an epidemic of false entitlement.

ETA- I live in a touristy area, the beach, etc. Hotels here are advertising work/play vacations. The commercial shows a guy and girl in bathing suits on lounge chairs at the pool. With laptops. Sipping icy drinks. The ad says "why stay at home and be bored while working, rent a luxurious room for a day,a weekend or as long as you like.  If you have to work you might as well make it really fun."

OK, sure.

[Greeneyedlady21]

So much judgment and jumping to conclusions here about other people, as always. Was just reading an article this morning about the record numbers of workers leaving retail over the last few months for OTHER jobs. They are working, not collecting unemployment. They say it's not worth their lives to be treated and paid that way. That's one reason retail can't find help.

These people delivered for us and risked their lives working in essential businesses. Now some people here sit in their comfortable lives and judge them. If you are so concerned about lack of retail and restaurant help, maybe go to work there and help out.