3898: That's Life

[jen_aside]

What I don't understand about the job market [which suggests that maybe taking the financial advisor thing would've been good, if only to learn how to do things if not actually sell shit to people] is this idea of hiring people who already have jobs. I mean, I understand it on a psychological level, but it only remotely makes any kind of "big

Comments

[digoraccoon]

Here is the job market problem from my personal experience-- GREED.Where I last worked, the people at the top making the big paychecks wanted more. Someone coming up to their 5-year anniversary? Laid off so that they don't get to collect that extra week of PTO they'd earn. They have 3 part time I.T. specialists working two campuses? Fire two so the remaining one works full time at one campus and confrence calls the other. Have two college campuses 2 hours apart? Totally commutable, fire the FA Director of one and have the FA director of the other commute 2-3 times a week between campuses

[jen_aside]

Yes, but it's collapsing because it's so prevalent that people put up with that shit because they want to keep their jobs but the jobs and the greed and economy collapse... *head a splode*

So anyway, you've basically described Circuit City. Hey, what happened to them? *shifty eyes* No, this is what the market analysts are criticizing:

1. Why is this happening even if there's a tax break in place to try to encourage having more people employed, instead of only "improving" the positions of the ones currently employed [who get to play Musical Chairs]?

2. How do companies expect to increase their earnings by keeping the number of employed down? People who are employed can spend more, generating more GDP, generating more profit! Shooting themselves in the foot, there!

3. [not addressed, but this is a first-world consequence of overpopulation--more people than demand for people [at least third-world citizens can go hunting and build their own homes and that, though human overpopulation still affects the local environment]]

so yeah

[digoraccoon]

And those are fair criticizing points. The current practices seem ass-backwards and self-defeating, but for some reason that seems to be what a lot of companies are doing anyway. The proof is in the fact that the stock markets are doing pretty well, but unemployment rates are remaining steady.

I dunno. I can only speculate that employers are still scared and clinging to what they have now rather than invest in anything more.

[jen_aside]

But that's the thing. The stock market has no bearing on the economy. It's speculative value on the worth of companies, imagined by investors, but the performance of a company is only marginally affected by how many shares are sold [shares are basically partial ownership, so it's really the shareholders who drive the greed since their payout is based on company performance]. The stock market crash did not cause the Great Depression--that was a symptom of a worldwide phenomenon that started in the US, provoked by the fact we stopped trading with the rest of the world as a result of having no money.

Sad to say the war brought us out of the slump, because everyone was productive, everyone was needed. My brother is actually pro-war as pro-economy [I was asked about this during Dubya's re-election, since he was stationed in Afghanistan].

[digoraccoon]

The stock market shouldn't have a bearing on the economy, but it apparently does. Employers/businesses everywhere use it to measure their own risks when it comes to investing and hiring. Economists use it to guage how many new jobs will be created (and then scratch their heads when the numbers come out lower than guessed).
It's dumb and it's like basing how much milk you'll buy on tuesday based on Saturday's weather forecast.

(Hint: invest in 1%) :'

[jen_aside]

Dag, I guess it was naïve of me to think Time would have a print article online...

Anyway, the SMART economists/market analysts/rich people who want to stay rich look at the whole picture, like, "I can ride oil for this long until just before it tanks, which is when I'll pull out." Who cares about the little guy and that. It's why I can look at selling insurance and say, sure, that's an awesome job for the kind of people who don't mind doing it. [Others have some qualms with the ethics involved, but remember, the worst-paying jobs--like teaching--are apparently badly paid so people don't go into it for the money.]

People do buy groceries based on the weather, though. The local radio guy said, "It looks like a French toast storm coming up. People are buying what they need to make French toast: milk, eggs, bread." Just for the record =p

[digoraccoon]

Wait, French toast storm? :'
I just saw the movie "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" too. I'm a wee bit baffled by this idea of using weather to dictate food purchases. O_o

[jen_aside]

Well, you DO live in Florida. Bet you've never been snowed in in your life 9_9

[digoraccoon]

Ah.

...

...

...okay yeah, I totally get it now. Point -> Julie. :3