McDonalds: "What, my peon, you don't work two full time jobs?"

[Malthus]

Agreed.  It used to be that answer to social mobility was education.  That was certainly my answer even if I did back into it by virtue of someone wanting me to play basketball for them.  But given the costs associated with that option I am no longer certain what the answer to social mobility might be.

The problem is we seem to have entered an era in which increasing the level of education for many has simply raised the barriers to entry to match - that is, jobs which used to require a HS diploma to obtain now require a BA/BSc., even though the job hasn't changed.

Credential inflation is only part of it.

Indeed, in some ways the Internet and ease of automatic communications has made the problem worse. Businesses can not set up automatic screening mechanisms and screen thousands of applicants, imposing ever-more specific requirements, because they can screen thousands of applicants. THe result can be very frustrating for those trying to apply ...

[The Brain]

Businesses can not set up automatic screening mechanisms and screen thousands of applicants, imposing ever-more specific requirements, because they can screen thousands of applicants.

Indeed.

[crazy canuck]

He might smack you with his metric ruler.

Reminds me of a Robin Williams joke.

Metric would make every man sound much more impressive.

 

[derspiess]

I think your insistence on using me as a whipping boy for All Things Left on Languish lately is a means to advance your political agenda, you blowhard fuck.

Seedy would support foreign invaders if they had the right (er, left) rhetoric.

[Ideologue]

Oooh.

[derspiess]

Yeah. You're next.

[Ideologue]

Wait, are those pictures supposed to be bad?

[derspiess]

Yeah.  Not an Air Force bomber among them.

[CountDeMoney]

Seedy would support foreign invaders if they had the right (er, left) rhetoric.

Nonsense.  Revolution can only come from within, when one class overthrows another.  Read your Mao, dammit.

[Iormlund]

Credential inflation is only part of it.

Indeed, in some ways the Internet and ease of automatic communications has made the problem worse. Businesses can not set up automatic screening mechanisms and screen thousands of applicants, imposing ever-more specific requirements, because they can screen thousands of applicants. THe result can be very frustrating for those trying to apply ...

At least in my field the requirements in the average job ad are downright insane. One has to wonder if most people who apply are just as baffled and simply try their luck.

In fact I was pleasantly surprised when I heard an HR guy say they realise there's no way someone can have the obscure experience they want (control of house-sized presses) and they are thus going to send the employee to Germany for several months to get training.

[Josquius]

Something I've wondered about- would a minimum employment law be feasible?
That is a law whereby for every x profits y workers have to be employed or for every so many customers or...something like that.

It is on the surface a horrible idea of course, creating artificial jobs where none are needed. But it strikes me that in the future such aritificial practices could be the only way to stop mechanisation driving work utterly to extinction.

[Valmy]

creating artificial jobs where none are needed.

Unless some sort of new demand for labor emerges I sometimes worry this is where we are headed.

[Iormlund]

But it strikes me that in the future such aritificial practices could be the only way to stop mechanisation driving work utterly to extinction.

Why would we want to stop such a thing? 

[Valmy]

But it strikes me that in the future such aritificial practices could be the only way to stop mechanisation driving work utterly to extinction.

Why would we want to stop such a thing? 

Because of the social order.  Can you imagine a class of people who do no work and just lay around?

[Iormlund]

But it strikes me that in the future such aritificial practices could be the only way to stop mechanisation driving work utterly to extinction.

Why would we want to stop such a thing? 

Because of the social order.  Can you imagine a class of people who do no work and just lay around?

And so can you. We call them retirees.