We have been in a global economy for over 200 years. The U.S. was the
dominant industrial power from the late 19th century to the mid/late 20th
centuries. This was because we could produce goods most efficiently/cheaply.
Now we can't do that quiet as easily. Before us it was Britain, lately it is
China. Jobs will go to where ever they can be done most cost effectively.
Not just cheap wage wise, but cheap with enough skill. Asia can deliver on
both counts. A weak dollar hurts foreign businesses. This is why Japan and
Europe are getting hit hard with a weak dollar and why China needs to peg
the yuan to the dollar. Of course business wants to get as much as they can
from a worker for as little money as possible. On the other hand a worker
will want as much money as he or she can get. Free markets equal free
people. Anyone who thinks we can force companies into artificially hiring or
paying higher wages is naive. Companies would go bankrupt while losing out
to foreign competitors. It is not just blue collar workers who get hit. I am
a bond trader on Wall Street. When I start in the 1980's a bond desk would
have 30-40 people. Now we have 9 due to technology. Combine that with half
as many firms and you get the picture. I get paid well, but if I get laid
off I am just an educated store clerk. I have little experience which would
seem obviously useful outside of my industry.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terrible Tom" <SilverEightynine@aol.com>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: DML: Hey Maskalans...
>
> andy levy wrote:
> > There's also the issue of pay. Perception is people with certs will want
> > more money, whether the certs are relevant to the job or not. It's
> > cheaper to hire a non-certified person, then get him the $3000 in
> > training/exams to get certified. Similar to graduate degrees - a PhD
> > will have trouble landing a job because it's believed that they'll
> > demand more money, even if they'd be happy with the same salary someone
> > with just a BS has.
> > - --
> > - -andy
> >
>
> Yet another thread I'm getting into late. Andy raised a good point here
> and I have feeling on this subject too - because I too, am in a state of
> "career flux".
>
> Having been employed by a few big corporate companies in my short
> employment history... I have learned too well that they are out for the
> most money they can make in the least amount of time at the expense of
> their employees. Blue collar workers are cannon fodder when it comes to
> cost cutting in corporate america. My current employer is no different.
>
> I recently threw my application at the University Of Wisconsin and am
> still waiting to hear back from them. This brings me to a point - what
> the hell good is it going to do me? I can't earn good pay without a piece
> of paper that says I know what I'm going - but as many have pointed out in
> this thread - those pieces of paper don't guarantee anything! Andy's point
> of "those with the big ticket degrees are not going to be touched because
> a company wants cheaper (dumber) labor" - is highly valid. I think
> companies want high turn over rates so they can keep employment costs
> down... even if it means having people in positions they are incapable of
> handling.
>
> I have no clue what job path I should pursue. If the jobs aren't in
> technology anymore - where does one look for a job that can allow you to
> live well? When the IT boom happened not so long ago - I thought yeah -
> cool - I wanna get into that someday... since then - I look back and think
> "damn - good thing I didn't rush into an education for that". I guess my
> tangible only brain can't think outside its realm of "stuff that I have
> done before" - - meaning if I haven't dipped my foot in a particular
> pond - I don't even know that pond exists. Does that make any sense?
>
> So - - what now?
>
> Footnote: Perhaps my horrible grammer and typing skills are to blame for
> my low paying job record... the amount of typos Spell Check cought in this
> post was humiliating!
>
> --
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Attention Infidels: I am your official DBDoMPfIWUMOT!
> Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine
> http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/
>
>
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