10 replies to this topic

[duke_Qa]

I found this article on timesonline. Its about the large amount of unemployment in the age group 18-24, and I found it to be pretty spot on. Luckily I'm not in the same position as the poor person mentioned in the article, but I certainly feel that being in this age and getting a job with something you want to work with is not easy.

Link

Nor can we just blame the recession. Before it started, during the boom years, we had 15 per cent of 16-25s out of work. An inconvenient truth is that employing people has, for sweetly idealistic reasons, become so hedged about with regulation, cost and commitment that hiring someone is almost like marrying them. Any company thinks twice these days before taking anybody on, especially anybody young and untried. The employers’ national insurance rise is hardly going to change that for the better.

Edited by duke_Qa, 26 April 2010 - 09:22 PM.

[Tom]

Sometimes I read the arguments that Libertarians have for getting rid of the minimum wage and I wonder if they are right. Everyone is paranoid about employers exploiting workers, but in the 21st century is that even possible anymore in western society?

Maybe we should get rid of the minimum wage for under 21 year olds and that would help get some young people on £3/hour jobs and ease unemployment. It's partly due to employers not wanting to pay the full wack for unskilled young people.

Also the increase in the number of people leaving universities with a degree means that the degree essentially is becoming more worthless. Which reminds me, I need to apply for a Masters course within the next few years xD

[duke_Qa]

EXACTLY! The inflation in higher education is a problem, nowadays you either have been doing what you will be getting a job in since you were 12, or you need minimum 5 years of higher education in it to get a chance to try it out. And then there's the risk of over-competence, a paradox in itself.


And minimum wage is a problem when it comes to getting that first job. Who in their right mind wants to pay full wages to a kid that just got out of education? I sure wouldn't give myself a proper salary until I knew for certain that I was competent.

Even though it goes against a few of my beliefs, I have to admit that too much organized labour and rights can be a problem for those that wants to get a foot in the door.

Edited by duke_Qa, 26 April 2010 - 09:35 PM.

[Pasidon]

18-24

They all quit and tried out at American Idol. That's the exact age group they accept... What else could explain it? But I'm unemployed as well, so I'm not one to say much without complaining.

[Beowulf]

This age group isn't a shocker really. It's the group right out of high school and college. And from experience, landing that first gig fresh out of school is a really, really hard thing to do. And it's especially so without that piece of paper saying you graduated from some arbitrary curriculum at some school.

[garratt]

18-24

They all quit and tried out at American Idol. That's the exact age group they accept... What else could explain it? But I'm unemployed as well, so I'm not one to say much without complaining.

You got dumped from being a baby sitter already Shade? Thats quite funny.
Hate to make topic this look like a joke but people between 18 and 24 are in college. Like Beowulf said but theyre either going into college or drop outs. You damn well better be unemployed if your a dropout and you go to college to get a job. Getting one right when you graduate is unlikely as well. But that isnt the case here in Taiwan. Jobs are easy to find but the pay is a practical joke. But this is probably talking about the US since its complaining about the recession. No shit fresh graduates arent getting jobs where this survey was done.

[duke_Qa]

College is accounted for in these sort of things, but I guess if you spend 7+ years in higher education then you are technically out of the zone. But then you have that over-competence problem that can come crushing down on you.

The problem remains the same, if you got an education in a business that ain't heavily undermanned, you are most likely not going to get a job until you get work experience.

[Beowulf]

If someone has no experience, it's natural to be paid less than a contemporary with real experience. I'm not sure what you're driving at, Guest, but you're looking at it the wrong way. Not to mention, as an avid job seeker myself, I see gobs of jobs looking for people in fields right out of college with degrees. I'm not sure what your job market is like, but the positions do exist and will continue to exist if there is a need for it.

Besides, everyone is going to work a less than stellar job at some point. Right out of college is one of those points. You're out of school, you need to be working even if it's not in your field. Just having a job does not prevent a thing.

Almost sounds like you're a lazy ass who is unwilling to put in any hard work when it pertains to jobs or the job market.

[Imagine]

Yeah I can understand an inexperienced youth not being paid as much as a senior fully experienced worker. For example in September I should be starting an internship or apprenticeship with Nokia and will be paid £5 an hour to learn from my tutor who is paid at least 7x what I earn which isn't much of a problem considering he has more experience in manufacturing than Pamela Anderson does in low quality pornography. Being unemployed is a good thing IMO because when you get a job eventually you'll know what it's like to not have one, so you'll work that bit harder to keep it, right?

[Ash]

No, you misunderstand me (I was the guest poster).

Why should the minimum legal wage be less? By all means base a payscale on seniority and time in the job, but I don't see why age should have any bearing on how much you can earn. It basically disincentivises young people to try to get a job (especially if they aren't studying as well). What's the point, considering you will be paid about half what someone older would be paid?

If someone has no experience, it's natural to be paid less than a contemporary with real experience. I'm not sure what you're driving at, Guest, but you're looking at it the wrong way. Not to mention, as an avid job seeker myself, I see gobs of jobs looking for people in fields right out of college with degrees. I'm not sure what your job market is like, but the positions do exist and will continue to exist if there is a need for it.

The American job market is probably even worse than the British one. Also, we're talking about applicable degrees. I used to check graduate recruitment websites all the time, and everything was for sales reps or investment bankers. At best, they would be engineering. Everything was like that; stuff that I have no aptitude for, no interest in and no knowledge of. Psychology (what my degree is in)? Forget it. There are bugger-all jobs for everyman, let alone graduate.

Besides, everyone is going to work a less than stellar job at some point. Right out of college is one of those points. You're out of school, you need to be working even if it's not in your field. Just having a job does not prevent a thing.

Yes it does. I went to university to NOT have to go to work in fucking Tesco, not to HAVE to as a result of going.

Almost sounds like you're a lazy ass who is unwilling to put in any hard work when it pertains to jobs or the job market.

INCORRECT. I was out looking all the goddamn time, and I didn't get one single reply from any application I sent out. Not that it ended up mattering, because my police job started. I can't see me looking for another job any time soon.