What causes unemployment?

[MadImmortalMan]

The rules for being successful in the education arena are so vastly different from the rules for being successful "on the outside" that everyone is being set up for failure from a young age. In a way, it's like an uber-Darwinian economic crucible.

[crazy canuck]

If they were "sold" on it and didnt have the intelligence that their highly paid education assumes to look around to see its a competitive world out there they have no sympathy from me.

Well their lives are pretty much ruined with thousands of dollars of debt they cannot default on.  That sorta sucks.

I would rather have a ruined life then the life of someone trying to compete against someone with a university education while having only a high school education.

[Martinus]

If they were "sold" on it and didnt have the intelligence that their highly paid education assumes to look around to see its a competitive world out there they have no sympathy from me.

Well their lives are pretty much ruined with thousands of dollars of debt they cannot default on.  That sorta sucks.

That is a common problem in many European countries, and the themes are the same. Claiming that this is because young people today are lazy or stupid - the way CC does - is retarded, considering the problem seems to be ubiquitous. The economy and the job market have shrunk and the young people were left apparently alone, with consequences of actions they were told before are the best course of action. That is both unfair and socially irresponsible.

[crazy canuck]

Claiming that this is because young people today are lazy or stupid - the way CC does

I also understand that you cannot disagree with my position that having an education is better than not.  After all, no way in hell you would go to manual labour.  So you must now invent a position - I think Grumbler would call that a strawman.

[Martinus]

You must be quite blind to have such views, considering the current economy state.

I realize that you have told us many times that Poland is backward.  But trust me when I say that every else in the world having an education is better than not.

I don't even know what you just said there.

[crazy canuck]

You must be quite blind to have such views, considering the current economy state.

I realize that you have told us many times that Poland is backward.  But trust me when I say that every else in the world having an education is better than not.

I don't even know what you just said there.

It shows.

[MadImmortalMan]

In a vacuum it's better to have an education, but there is a risk/reward to everything.

[crazy canuck]

In a vacuum it's better to have an education, but there is a risk/reward to everything.

Certainly.  But having experienced the workforce on both ends of that spectrum I definitely prefer to be educated.

[Valmy]

Certainly.  But having experienced the workforce on both ends of that spectrum I definitely prefer to be educated.

My wife does very well and she doesn't have a college education.  Alot better than many of the people I know who do.  In fact most of the people who she manages have college degrees.  But I am not talking about you or my wife specifically but a growing problem in education today.

[DGuller]

One of these days we will have to realize that barring any major scientific breakthrough creating new industries or anything, full employment is a pipe dream. There is simply no need for this much unskilled work, and this is is also getting into the skilled part of the workforce, especially since globalization means an Indian will go and do a UK skilled job, or a Hungarian will do the IT job two Germans were too lazy to do properly.

What to do about it? I have no idea. Sooner or later we will solve it via a big war, or an epidemic as usual, I just hope it will happen after my time.

This has been continuously realized for hundreds of years now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy

[HisMajestyBOB]

I am not sure if this thread is meant as a troll or as a legitimate question.

Why can't it be both? 
Originally I was inspired to post this thread because of CC's arguments and the statement from Cain. But after thinking about it, I realized it's a pretty interesting question, and I'm honestly interested in hearing serious answers.

Since you mischaracterized my argument I will assume you did an equally bad job summarizing the other arguments.

Your argument, as I understand it, is that young people are unemployed because they feel "entitled" to good-paying jobs right out of college. You say they should accept lower paying jobs and work their way up. Correct? If not, then please clarify.

[crazy canuck]

Certainly.  But having experienced the workforce on both ends of that spectrum I definitely prefer to be educated.

My wife does very well and she doesn't have a college education.  Alot better than many of the people I know who do.  In fact most of the people who she manages have college degrees.  But I am not talking about you or my wife specifically but a growing problem in education today.

Ok so your wife is one of the very few lucky ones that made it without an education past high school.  On average having an education is better than not having one.  Your point is apt, we should be talking about general experience. 

[crazy canuck]

I am not sure if this thread is meant as a troll or as a legitimate question.

Why can't it be both? 
Originally I was inspired to post this thread because of CC's arguments and the statement from Cain. But after thinking about it, I realized it's a pretty interesting question, and I'm honestly interested in hearing serious answers.

Since you mischaracterized my argument I will assume you did an equally bad job summarizing the other arguments.

Your argument, as I understand it, is that young people are unemployed because they feel "entitled" to good-paying jobs right out of college. You say they should accept lower paying jobs and work their way up. Correct? If not, then please clarify.

No, there are a lot of young people who are not priviledged enough to be able to obtain post secondary educations.  My heart does go out to them.  I think they do have it very tough.

I think that young people who are educated have it much better and yes they should expect to have lower paying jobs as they work their way up.  Since when has a university degree automatically guarranteed someone to a high paying job.  That is the overly developed sense of entitlement I am talking about.

[Razgovory]

My guess is that unemployment is somehow linked to not having a job.

[Josephus]

There's no question that being educated is better than not. In fact, if I had kids, and we could afford it, right now I'd recommend that they stay in school as long as they can.

Undergraduate degrees are becoming more and more worthless these days. You really need a Masters now, at minimum to get good work.

On another point, to say that kids today are lazy, and I don't think anyone is really saying that, is missing the point. I think it's quite the opposite. The market is so competitive that I get calls in the summer from students willing to work for us for free.

Is there a sense of entitlement? Yes. I think so. I think it's generation wide, this growing sense that they deserve more than they're getting. this was especially true just before the recession hit a few years ago, where kids fresh out of shcool shuddered at the thought of entry level positions and thought they deserved better.

Is it going to get any better? Not under the present conditions, no.