Record Millions Of US Adults Giving Up On Ever Finding Work | Nicholas Eberstadt

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A lot of focus is put on the employment rate by today's economists. And by their measure, the jobs market is still robust, with unemployment, currently at 3.7%, down near all-time lows.
However, those calculations completely ignore the 100 million US adults categorized as "not in the labor force" who do not work and are not looking for work. That's pretty much 1 out of every 3 US adults.
A good number of those people are retired or are students. Some are caregivers and some are on disability. But a growing number of them, especially men between 25-54 years old, are voluntarily giving up finding work.
It's gotten to the point where 1 in 6 prime working age men has no paid work at all.
Economist Nicholas Eberstadt calls the rise of this "non-working class" and the associated despair that comes with it, "America's invisible crisis".
Nicholas is the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the book Men Without Work.
We're fortunate to speak with him today about the implications of our deteriorating labor force & the most needed reforms to address it.
Nicholas, thanks so much for joining us today!
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[@KatieSweeney.]

Working for corporate America is a disgusting, demoralizing experience and people are over it. One salary used to suffice to care for an entire family and now there is a huge amount of educated, single, working adults who are living with their parents because they can’t even pay rent. Salaries need to be higher and employers need to start treating their employees like human beings.

[@cameronb3834]

Agreed

[@ZeCahli]

👏💯👏

[@kgiessen2964]

Ladies, a career in wastewater plumbing awaits! Good news - truly "noncorporate".

[@lisabergsten7562]

This is so true but, also true at the same time is the fact that many people now don't know the difference between a fact and a opinion. And opions are sometimes emotional and self serving. Decisions made on opions usually bite you in the butt if there are facts to go on. Also alot people feel more sorry for themselves and are more entitled than ever. Every generation has it's challenges. The fact that life at it's best is not easy has never changed. I always fought and hung tough to have the best life I could. Not all, but there are many now who have no desire to obtain certain things in life. Marriage, kids, home ownership, unwilling to save, they don't even care if they keep the credit cards maxed out, don't care that they are paying mega interest, quite frankly refuse to handle money appropriately. The bad thing for parents and many wemon from there spouses not working or contributing to the partnership in any way. Adults who refused to grow up. And when parents and partners let them move in you become emotionally and financially sucked dry. And with no help or gratefulness what so ever. I let my two kids live with me I charged them nothing to live here. That dose cost you money. All I wanted was for them to save so when they got out they would have a easier time of it. After over 2 years neither one of them had a dime saved. I did get them to pay off all there debts. Since they both broke the agreement to save I put them both out. What the hell did they do with all that money? I am a older mom. I do have to worry about myself in old age. I can tell you neither one of them have ever been or will ever be there when iam older. I had to higher a elder attorney to over see me when the time comes. Now I no longer have to pay for the extra insurance I had to carry when they were here. Not to mention the hugely lower utility bills and less messes to clean up and drama. How are they both doing now? Same shit different day in every way. Maxed the credit cards out again, don't pay there bills on time so credit is ruined. Why they won't put there stuff on automatic payment I have no idea. That would solve much of the formentioned issues. Another problem for many now is if someone isn't giving them steps to got through, they can't problem solve. Quite frankly they don't want to. If you try and show or suggest how to do something it is resented. I mean if what you are doing isn't working don't keep repeating it do something different. That's where the thinking and tenacity comes in. But they just don't want to and don't think they should have to. Sorry that's just not how things work. But again if your opinion is what you solely live by you reap what you sew. And for God sakes quit zoning out on what ever you are wasting way to much time on the computer doing. And have respect but quit being so worried about what other people think. Know who you are and respect yourself. Other people's bull opions don't matter.. . so what. Even some people didn't like Jesus. Let me end this by saying I love my kids and I love people. I worry about them . I have a really big heart. No one could have tried or done more than I have. I can tell you this is not a situation unique to me. This is a problem for a lot of people. So what I want to know is what are people doing to help them selfs? If they live with someone are they a team player? What are they doing with this time in preparation to support themselves? You know who ever you are living with won't live for ever! And you better not be counting on a inherentance cause lots of things happening in life that can make that dissappear no matter how much money you think your parents or partner has. You know I use to take kids in and love and support them like my own. Iam 60 now. You know what a sycologist told me. When you were a kid people were more on the same page and less drama. Now it is the opposite. When kids are growing up they aspire to be like the majority, because to them that must be what is normal and right. Plus of course they want to fit in. So it's really hard to tell them anything cause you are in a minority today. Your house is drama free and well rounded. S0 of course they think you don't know what you are talking about. My love to everyone out there. May you find your way. This was not meant to criticize anyone. Just telling my story and hoping something I've said helps someone. It truly breaks my heart, be strong.

[@lisabergsten7562]

Ps if you think my above message would help someone pass it on!

[@kents.2866]

"Pandemic relief gave people the ability to get out of the workforce" yeah that 3k really set me up for retirement 🤣

[@rerungirl]

He ought to talk about how the PPP “loans” 😂

[@kents.2866]

@@rerungirl oh yeah the ones that huge business's got, still fired workers, then got the loan forgiven. Marjorie Taylor Green got one for like 55k that was forgiven, yets she's railing against some poor kid getting ten grand taken off their student loans 🙄

[@lastnamefirstname2390]

Laughable isn't it.

[@kents.2866]

@@lastnamefirstname2390 I'm laughing about the lack of help we receive from our government that is supposed to care for our general welfare so I don't cry.

[@lastnamefirstname2390]

@@kents.2866 The government is too corrupt to care about its citizens. The entire system is failing. Let it rot.

[@chemtrooper1]

Worked 70+ hrs a week for 20 years in the oilfield. I bought used cars with cash, put 25% down on my house, did everything right. It wasn’t until I stopped caring about living the right kind of life that everything changed for the better! You cannot get those holidays back with your kids you spent working. You can’t relive the dance recital you missed because you’re working. I regret giving up my family life on the altar of work. I don’t care about the company’s profits or my productivity anymore. Just do enough, that is all that really matters anyway. Hard work is a chump’s game…it took me entirely too long to realize that. We are all cogs in a machine, that’s the message of this video.

[@Michael_Dominic]

we're not even the cogs, we're the grease.

[@pencilme1n]

I’ve found the same thing happens. Whenever I want something important to me and I strive to achieve it, it remains beyond my grasp. As soon as I give up trying it just falls into my lap.

[@redrustyhill2]

In 10 years that dance recital will be forgotten. 10 years of investing that money made working overtime would be huge, but let me guess. Like 99% of oilfield workers, you didn't save anything and didn't invest shit, just went out and bought new toys on credit and a new "work truck" every year

[@jayc4715]

Don't feel to bad tho..I gave up all that 14hr a day oilfield crap and saved like a maniac..to buy rental properties..and my home cash...and to reconnect and spend time with my kid...but either way it's unappreciated.. can't win. Imo

[@ogre706]

​@@redrustyhill2 You just keep on overtiming your life away then in the hopes that someday you might finally start to live. The rest of us will begin living now. Hey, psst, here's a secret the employers don't want you to know: you hardly need any money at all to really live your life, and there's no need to work so hard for them.

[@internettuffguy1197]

I can be broke by myself without going to Work, Thanks.

[@matthewprzystup998]

The aristocracy in this country beat the shit out of working men.

[@scarbo2229]

Actually, working men can do well, if they’re patient. When a doctor or a fund manager has plumbing problems, they’re totally at a loss. Any of the trades will always be needed.

[@DaTooch_e]

@@scarbo2229 lol how many plumbers and electricians is a town gonna have? Doctors and fund managers are gonna be robots in the near future fyi.

[@scarbo2229]

@@DaTooch_e It will have as many as it needs, plus the myriad of other necessary services, as always. Even if all these “bots” appear, real life can’t be botified. Keep lol though, it’s good for health.

[@marktwain580]

And you know what ultimately happens to the aristocracy!

[@Ozzie_Mandias]

@@marktwain580 They kill each other... a tale as old as time. Happened before the flood and still happens nowadays...

[@Falconlibrary]

I retired at 59 instead of working to 63, as I'd planned. Work became so hellish with control freak managers, more and more demands on our time during "non working hours"--I had no life at all and it affected my physical and mental health so much I had a series of minor strokes. My employer pressured me to return to work two days after I was hospitalized for a stroke "because we're short-handed". Many of my colleagues called in sick for "mental health days" and morale was low, rates of depression high. The breaking point for me wasn't the pandemic, it was when upper management told us there was no money for raises--then gave themselves a 25% raise to "compensate" for the "stress" of managing us during a pandemic. And then turned around and lectured us about how lucky we were to have a job at all and weren't we a crew of ingrates. If you were over 50, management bullied you and gave you a heavier and heavier workload because our younger colleagues just refused to do more than the bare minimum (they're smarter than us geezers). Enough was enough. I don't have the money I thought I would in retirement, but I wouldn't go back to work for any salary.

[@AmericaAndAllies]

I think that you hit the nail on the head and I have yet to hear this mentioned in the video. The video is oriented around defect finding of the employee, not the current situation in the work environment. In 2019 my company did a salary reduction across the board, reducing pay by 8%, undoing nearly a decade of the suppose puny cost of living increases. The reason? We were 'overpaid' compared to our foreign counterparts. The company runs a virtual monopoly in the automotive software market. After the pay cuts they had the audacity to have a pizza party because they had achieved all time record sales. Are you kidding me? All of the lemmings went to the cafeteria to get their 2 slices of pizza and coke to kiss the ring of management. That is when I knew I was out at the time of my choosing. I suspect this abuse is rampant and more and more of the resources are directed toward management. And we are supposed to welcome this? Put your head down and take that crap? Get lost I say. Do the work yourself or hire your H-1B workers. Let's see what gets done in this country.

[@zoidberg444]

Yeah - work is a joke. I could maybe earn a bit more an hour than I currently do but where I work at the moment most of the managers and people are fairly nice. I don't dread coming to work. When I was in my mid 20's I did a stint as a manager where I was working. I was doing 100 hours a week. Some nights driving hundreds of miles. Fell asleep at the wheel multiple times and I had very little extra money to show for it after tax and the money I did earn would not get me on the housing ladder where I live so I gave up on it and am resigned to living with my parents or in my car till I die.

[@palapalak.8907]

Smart!

[@catladynj]

Totally agree 150 percent.

[@hyzerfl1p]

my dad retired at 55 and says the same thing.

[@markj3118]

This reminds me of a story I read about the Great Depression. There was 25% unemployment, and NO social programs. Still there were jobs no one would do. They asked the economist John Kenneth Galbraith why this would be. His answer: people know enough not to work when they’re not being paid.

[@oherroprease207]

This guy is not only the spitting image but exactly who Bradley Uppercrust the Third is as a grown man. “Get back to work, peasants.”

[@ich3601]

In 1965 you could feed a family with a single job that was quite simple. Today you can't feed yourself with a simple job. Today you need two heads if you want to feed a family, even if one has a high qualified job. It's not that there is not enough work to do, it's about too less purchasing power you earn with this work.

[@jetstream3528]

EXACTLY

[@vcash1112]

Bingo!

[@hman2912]

People still struggled in 1965

[@firstLast-sn3me]

In 1910s (110 years ago) there was something called the Harvester Judgement in Australia. Minimum wage was set such that a single man could afford to support a wife and 3 children. Not average wage, Minimum wage. 1 minimum wage earner = enough money to support 5 people. Nowadays we just import workers. Rather than caring, for our own. 50% of people are below average intelligence. Where do these people fit in society? Learn to code? Become a scientist? And how do they compete against a highly motivated, intelligent immigrant, who will do anything to stay? Moral for the native has to be at a low point. Look, if you put me in a 100M sprint race against the likes of Usain Bolt, I am not going to run. I am going to go down the pub. In a winner takes all world, I will simply refuse to play. And our leaders wonder why people are just giving up and dropping out. Covid was not the spark of the problem. But when it started, companies sacked a lot of people. Those people made alternative plans and made do. They found the joy of living with less. Why would they want to go back to hell? A place where you are not a "human being" but a "human resource".

[@petelipson3769]

@@firstLast-sn3me you identify a lot of the problems. What is the solution in your mind?

[@shawn576]

People are giving up because the economy is broken beyond belief. I've been doing electrical design and electrical installation (I'm currently a licensed electrician) but market wages are down to about $33/hour. That's the wage for 12 years of experience. Wages were about $40/hour just a few years ago. A person entering the trade and doing 10 hours of intense labor every day only gets paid about $17/hour. You can't even afford an apartment if you make less than $20/hour. It makes more sense to just live with parents and not bother trying to move up. I don't blame any of the kids who say "fuck it" and play call of duty all day.

[@blobtv7444]

if you're an electrician it shouldn't be hard to work for yourself, people always need some electrical work done around the house.

[@Shiveone]

"Let it rot," or bailan

[@tonyherdina9142]

$33 an hour, that's $66k a year. That's not bad but I guess it depends on where you live.

[@TimErwin]

@@tonyherdina9142 You think that's not bad because you're comparing it to how horrid the average job pays these days.

[@swampcastle8142]

​@@tonyherdina9142 that's garbage pay. You make $33, they bill the customer $200-500 an hour.

[@TravisPluss]

Not to complain, but a lot of millennials my age graduated high school into the 2008 recession where no one was hiring us as unskilled workers, and with our parents' generation pushing us to go to college during a time when college loans were invalid for bankruptcy and costs for a college degree hyper inflating, I believe my generation is already de-motivated to be hard working because any time we start getting ahead we get kicked in the gut. Some time after the recession when the economy was recovering and I finally got my first office job, I feel like I was getting a late start in my professional development and I see so many retirement aged people STILL working, which is not freeing up higher waged jobs for us to grow and be incentivized to work towards that goal. Our future was robbed from us and we don't want to play the economic game anymore!

[@LMLewis]

Multinational corporations (primarily) play the generations against each other, but each of us has been ripped off, one way or another, by a system that is structured to benefit a few at the expense of the many. The WWII generation had a good life for awhile (45-75) but were laid off in droves when jobs went to China. The Baby Boomers suffered high inflation and high mortgage rates before getting a decent opportunity to buy a home. But, by then, home prices were already inflating and thus came the 2008 housing crash. Investment industry took advantage of many of them through false promises and improper paperwork, and many lost their homes. Government helped investors buy up houses, again inflating the market and now younger generations can't buy a home; plus, are burdened with education loans that exploded as Republicans cut back state funding of higher education (but school administrators made more money than ever as teaching was relegated to low-paid temp staff). It was all orchestrated by predatory capitalists with the aid of greedy politicians, easily paid off. It's disgusting beyond words, and I feel for all workers, in every generation.

[@Bilangumus]

​@@LMLewis Oh i feel you, this was exactly the plan to have a controlled society and Covid showed us once more what the real plan is from those greedy politicians. Make money and respect no protocols nor in health industry nor in any other sector. It a modern western movie we live in to be honest.

[@SeattlePioneer]

[@dumbcat]

"I see so many retirement aged people STILL working, which is not freeing up higher waged jobs for us." the vast majority of those people NEED to work

[@SeattlePioneer]

@@LMLewis > You certainly have your enemies list all figured out, and how convenient that they are all Republicans and "greedy capitalists." However, such education policies are primarily made by Democrats, not Republicans. Democrats in every state, California being an excellent example, joyfully cut back funding of higher education and left student loans and higher tuition as a method to keep the dollars flowing. Democrats had LOTS of other uses for those dollars, and use them they did! That's still true today. California higher education used to be free, but despite being a one Party Democratic state for decades, you don't find any effort to get California higher ed off the high tuition/student loan band wagon

[@dshoec]

The way our society treats it's people is disgusting, profound, and horrific. Why would any sane human being with morals want to go back to that toxic abusive environment?.

[@wet-read]

Few people work for any other reason than getting a paycheck. So guilt tripping people who don't "want" to work is odd and stupid.

[@magpiefriends7554]

I am working 70 to 90hr weeks and cannot get ahead. The folks who quit working have made a smarter choice than me continuing this hopeless endeavor.

[@OhWell0]

What do you do for a living? Where do you live?

[@anonmouse15]

The only reward for hard work is more hard work, endlessly piled onto you until you drown in it.

[@travmanbrett5338]

I hope you’re getting overtime pay if not look for a job that pays OT

[@colettespencer3357]

Change working hard to learning a skill that makes money. Those hours aren't sustainable

[@OhWell0]

Hey Magpie, I just had an idea, if you get paystubs, save them, attach them to your resume. There are decent employers out there who valve a worker with grit and determination. Do not give up on hope.

[@Zoet50]

I have a 36 year old friend. Somehow he has managed to have three young children . He makes $25/hr and wife doesn’t work and takes care of the kids . Housing in my area is super expensive. Long story short his family of 5 lives in his parents basement.

[@amymorales4622]

I’m seeing lots of multi generational households in my area.

[@ianvance9035]

Wise choice on his part. In 50 years he will have many descendants, while the people who delayed parenthood to slave away for a big house will be gone and forgotten.

[@Its_RichieRich]

Kids are a blessing but expensive and I think it’s wise to budget the amount of kids you have to your projected income.

[@gsdlover8967]

@@Its_RichieRich i couldn't agree more. We make pretty good money but decided to have only one child. I am glad we are able to provide good life for her. And it is not materialistic things. I mean good school and private programming lessons. 😊

[@butchnoneed4883]

very common in the Asian culture we Americans are so concentrated on impedance its a joke, we need and should include our family for support.

[@anthonytwohill9726]

I've been building and fixing PCs for decades and though I hear that skillet is in demand, I've been out of work for 12 years. Two years after I was outsourced from my last job (part time IT) I finished my bachelor's degree in Statistics (second major in Econ, minor in applied math 3.8 GPA). I programmed in 5 languages, three of which for analyzing data (another skillet I've heard is in high demand). Before that I worked in grocery stores for ten years (started at 16) and office clerical for 18 months. I gave up looking for work in 2015 at the same time I quit my STEM masters program. I did nothing wrong except work my butt off all my life only to be thrown away by society. I worked hard and all I got was more work or laid off. Got that STEM bachelor's degree only to be told that I had no relevant experience, or that they were afraid that I'd get a couple years of experience and then leave the company. Maybe instead of working so hard in school I should have partied more with the right idiots who had mommy and daddy's connections to get them career track jobs?

[@jackjohnsen8506]

A friend of mine left high school early, and started redoing house, getting a loan on them, renting them out, and getting a loan on them to buy the next one. His first was in 1975, and by the time he quit his real job, and by 2008 had a net worth of ten million dollars, and He never paid much taxes because He didn't take the profits. He had a hard time reading when he left school, but He was always great at arithmetic, and was a Hard worker...and was very good at business deals..

[@RealLifeFinance]

54 here and similar path as you. If I had it to do over again no 3.9gpa double degree, I woulda hung out with the connected kids and buddies up the ladder at a company.

[@anthonytwohill9726]

@@RealLifeFinance While looking for work I realized that the business community is completely full of shit. They don't know what they're doing and can't even figure out what their problems are, let alone solve them. The ignorance and stupidity is bad enough, but it's the entitlement mentality that's really killing them. And the funny thing is that all these labor "problems" they're having is 100% their fault and they weren't problems when boomers were coming up in the workforce.

[@viktorbabchanik]

Same boat here. Two STEM degrees, straight As, hundreds of job applications and nothing to show for it. Connections matter more unfortunately.

[@agentorange20]

Out of work for 12 years, how do you survive? It doesn’t sound like you worked much in IT other than part time in IT. A BS CS degree is fine but it’s only enough to get an interview, it generally won’t land you a job or at least not a great one, for that they’d sure as shit want you to prove your competency. Relevant work experience and the humbleness to grow is important and you gave up trying, likely evident in your resume, so why would any employer take a shot on hiring you if your MO is to fold like a lawn chair?

[@peterkim5956]

A CPA, MS with over 25 years of experience!! Unable to get hired!! Attribute to age discrimination...I was only 47, when I gave up searching for a job and moved out of the country!! This really hit home for me!! Thank you!!

[@TimErwin]

Did you find a better life there?

[@peterkim5956]

@Tim Erwin Indeed! Found peace. I struggled for a couple of years with depression, not knowing what I should do for next 40 years of my life(My dad retired at 83 as a civil servant, so longevity is a concern). I started a small business that keeps me busy and productive. I know the option I have chosen is not for all of us out there. My heart goes out to those Americans who have been thrown to the wayside!! I wish them the best!! Thank you for your question.

[@LIVdaBrand]

Yep. Sometimes you gotta leave the country. I did 3 years ago

[@sweetaznspice1]

Did you by chance move back to South Korea with an F-4 Visa?

[@peterkim5956]

@@sweetaznspice1 I actually live in Mexico.

[@greganastas]

I am a 50 year old entrepreneur, have put 1,000 of people to work over my lifetime. The Gov response to C19 has ended my desire to participate in their system any longer. I closed down my business, losing $5.5M. Sold off all my assets and refuse to get back into this awful system. I am finishing up helping people close to me clean up there lives, as I am incredibly handy, and want to move to a different country where I am not contributing to this corrupt system any longer. I will not pay for endless wars and bullying/enslaving people globally for "our" benefit. I feel it is criminal to require people to have license's to feed themselves and their family. We are all slaves running on a this treadmill as the legalized mafia (gov) steels at lease 50% of our lives.

[@colettespencer3357]

Well said. I'm feeling the same way.

[@ponzo1967]

You are so right!

[@barrybearman3511]

Yes! I am not alone. Thank you

[@mjohnson1741]

Bravo, 👏 congrats! Sounds like you're going through something far more deeper, a massive spiritual awakening. In the spiritual community there's talk about entering the Aquarian Age. I too, can relate I lost my job, best thing that ever happened to me! How, I feel about money now is F 💰! Health is wealth, I'm seriously considering moving out of the country too. I can't take this bullet riddled violent fascist incompetent country no longer!

[@durendalebattlefieldtours6773]

Internal Emigration: get out of the system

[@12Blud]

No brainer. Jobs don’t pay enough. Young men can’t earn a living to support a family thus no sense of obligation to be a provider as the ability is scarce. Older generations and corporations have gotten so good at extracting wealth from the economy there is not much left for younger people. You want people to start working but work for what? Jobs not paying enough to even afford a place to live.

[@CatSimulator2000]

The underclass of society has figured out the deck is firmly stacked against them thanks to soaring inequality...this is also why homeless populations have been increasing. If you showed up to a new job and every day after you left, someone stuck a gun to your face in an alley and demanded all your money, would you keep going? That's the dilemma for many of these folks: rent and bills they can't afford on their meager salaries, medical emergencies not covered by their horrible benefits (if those benefits even exist) and so on and so forth. It is thoroughly unsurprising that many turn to false disability claims and other grifts...most human beings will ultimately gravitate toward choices they feel benefit them in the end, and they see no value in participating in a system where they simply have no chance of winning.

[@computer-training-for-seniors]

It's not that folks don't want to work anymore. It is just that folks don't want to be exploited anymore.

[@mattcarlo1601]

The big thing not mentioned is that most of the jobs available pay $300-400 per week, no benefits, no opportunity for advancement, and require full-time availability (even if part time) with a commute. No one can survive on these wages. This leads to the screen time addiction mentioned, as endlessly searching for workarounds and get-rich-quick schemes which don't pan out results in a feedback loop of never-ending screen time.

[@maxi-me]

I feel you Matt, I was in a similar loop many years ago; just keep gunning you'll hit on something soon, You should look into building trades. I'm sure your old school masters had you believing those jobs are for scum. But I assure you we're some of the most trustworthy, good spirited folks on the face of the earth. Well, maybe not _all_ of us XD Technical trades (electrical, hvac, plumbing), typically start at least $15 per hour round here and pay for your apprentice classes. Comp goes up with every annual level and if committed, you can earn a Journymans card in 4 years which can more than double your start wage. Sky's the limit, give it a think .......

[@domjohnson2579]

If the government pays you more to stay at home than you get if you work then the gov't needs to get out of the rescue business unless they want everyone to be rescued.

[@zoidberg444]

Entry level job: Pay $15/hr. Masters preferred. Must have 2 years experience. Boomers: No one wants to work these days! Remember - everything is exactly how the elites want it. There are no accidents.

[@maxi-me]

@@zoidberg444 Everything you say is TRUTH, but that don't mean we gotta give into it. _They_ have convinced generations of young adults to get a degree so they might spend their workday in comfort and possibly attain an elevated position in society. How's that worked out for most of the recipients. Those of us whom have learned to tolerate a little discomfort and haven't fallen for the _Brass Ring_ fantasy aren't troubled by _Agenda 2030_

[@OhWell0]

I started this year making 14 an hour and I'm ending it at 41. Two words: nursing school. Also, if you don't want to be a nurse, go into the trades. It's a get rich slow scheme that works and is desperately, desperately needed.

[@bradypatton1094]

I was laid off from a high paying corporate job. I aged out at 46. It cost me my health and marriage. I became the middle-aged box check for the interview roster. After a while, you give up.

[@vvolfbelorven7084]

What are your skills? Machine learning and cloud computing are in high demand.

[@codester1111]

Jeeze that sucks, I'm 37 and never married, after what you said I wonder if it's even worth it. The one person you count on to be there and isn't, that has to be such a let down man I'm sorry that happened to you.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

sounds like the film "falling down"

[@LIVdaBrand]

It happens. So much for “for richer & for poorer”. Hope you find your way man

[@jackjohnsen8506]

why couldn't you have gone to another high paying corporate job??

[@hikikomori_trader]

I am now 57, single and have not worked since 2017. I don't have enough to retire on (maybe 10 years of savings/assets to live on), but I would rather take my life when I run out of money than to work 40+/hrs/wk for another corporation that cares nothing for me and doesn't pay a living wage. I was a single parent and alway did without. I earned 2 degrees. After I was laid off in 2017, my son was offered a job at a salary of twice what I ever made and he has zero degrees. That was a blow, but made me realize my son will be just fine going forward. Since then, I have been consistently downsizing. Feeding myself is my largest monthly bill. I refuse to date because that in itself is a 2 hour show. I no longer need to take care of anyone except my dog. I have started/run my own businesses in the past, but first COVID, then Biden screwing up the economy, I will wait and see if things ever improve. Until then, I trade stocks, play on my XBox and otherwise entertain myself quite easily. No responsibilities. I don't see myself ever working for somebody else ever again. I don't even think a huge salary would make me take the abuse and neglect of another employer.

[@BOSSDONMAN]

Highly doubtful

[@redrustyhill2]

2 degrees and still unemployable. 😂😂😂

[@domcizek]

SORRY, I WORKED PART TIME TILL 77, LOVED IT, YOU WILL LIVE TO 85 AND BE ON THE STREETS WITH THAT KIND OF THINKING

[@oddinaustin]

I am sure there are plenty of men sitting around stoned and not trying, HOWEVER, in my experience there are other issues at play here. I can only speak for myself as a woman, but I have a master's degree, experience in several skilled areas, and a decent work history until I lost a job in 2016. Since then, it has been an uphill battle. The main issue is that I only get offers to be hired as a contingent worker on a temporary basis. This means that I essentially get laid off every three to six months. I spend half the year looking for work and the other half working and paying down the credit card debt accrued during the half of the year I'm looking for work. This is an extremely stressful way to live, especially considering that I have a child and student loans I can't possibly repay under these circumstances. The problem is not a lack of skills (I update my skills constantly), it's not a lack of education, it's not a lack of motivation, or ability. The problem is a labor market that wants only the cheapest labor possible. Tje problem is the profit motive to the exclusion of all else. And I don't think your guest has done his research at all. If he had, you wouldn't have to trust him to rely on his intuition. Did he even bother to interview his subject matter about the issue?????

[@LuvLebaneseWomen]

The "stoners" I know churned investment accounts for a living then fall back on inheritance at age 48. A meaningless existence. Zero charity work, volunteerism is zilch and zero obligation to anyone. "The gods of finance".

[@redrustyhill2]

I am so glad i was smart enough to never go to college for a worthless degree, rather i developed skills that are actually needed. I will never be without work unless i choose to. I can laugh now because women like you laughed at me for being "uneducated" and called me stupid because i never went to school after high school. Zero debt. House paid off. Vehicles paid off. Money in the bank. Investments, rental properties, farmland. Real stupid aint i.

[@oddinaustin]

@@redrustyhill2 You're probably laughing at the wrong woman. I have never laughed at anyone.

[@redrustyhill2]

@OddinAustin doesn't matter, i am still amused and have little sympathy for the typical single mom in her 30s, still has student loans from a decade ago with a worthless degree and no marketable job skills for the real world regardless what you believe. You can't get decent pay because your "skills" are extremely common and easily replaceable. You have access to all sorts of government funds, paid for by me.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

Even though I’m degreed in order to survive I spent 12 years at sea doing virtual slave labor and then 20 years as a self employed barber where you make $60 per hour when busy but are typically only busy maybe two days per week. And forget about teaching. I did that for seven years and the kids were absolute monsters or in many cases actual criminals. Joining a monastery was no good either; being a Catholic monk is worse than the rat race. Teaching brothers in the Benedictines never retire until they’re well over seventy, if even then.

[@aitken1965]

All three of my kids (18,21,23) are either working two jobs or working while attending college. Two of them openly despair of ever having their own place let alone owning their own home. We have socialism for the wealthy and well-connected, but little help for the working class.

[@tedg1609]

You nailed it. Like Warren Buffet says, when billionaires pay less tax than secretaries it’s not a healthy system.

[@angershark88]

You’re godam right. I feel so validated when people that are of your age can actually afmit how shitty it is. I told my church elder I’m leaving this area for another because I can’t afford to raise a family let alome have a house or adequately provide for myself.

[@dreamfire5210]

True - I'm 55. My dad and mom had factory jobs and were able to support 2 kids and buy a house in the CA Bay area. Today that is not possible unless you have a tech or healthcare degree or something like that. Those blue collar jobs are gone. The best thing a young person can do today is work toward those skills that people actually pay for. You are not going to be able to do anything without that.

[@greggutierrez6997]

Hustle.

[@youtubesucks1499]

​@@dreamfire5210 So there are no trade jobs available?

[@gordongekko2781]

The FIRE movement would contribute to these statistics as well. I retired at 36. I'm a male of "working age" but have been out of the workforce for years. So, theoretically I count in these unemployed stats, yet my life has actually been better since leaving the workforce. I've never had a job where I wasn't exploited in some form or another -- illegal trimming of overtime hours on my pay stub -- promised promotions that never materialized -- raises that were literally at half the rate of inflation, so I got poorer with each passing year -- no breaks on labor-intensive jobs -- the expansion of responsibilities well beyond my job description (without any additional compensation). If everyone else's experience is anything like mine, then it's no wonder workers are dropping out. Plus, I think one of the biggest motivators to leave the workforce is the complete lack of respect on the job. None of my employers ever gave a crap about their employees. We were constantly exploited and threatened with replacement if we didn't play ball. Screw that.

[@MorganHoard]

So true.

[@knartfocker_]

I feel the same. How long did if take for you to FIRE? Any advice? Thanks.

[@gordongekko2781]

@@knartfocker_ Well, I started working full-time at age 18, took a year or two off for school, so you could say it took me 16 years to retire. Everyone's situation is different. Had I been making six figures, then I might have retired in half that time. The trick is simply to live as cheaply as you can, and invest your savings so your money works for you, instead of you working for your money. Some of the biggest savings: never buy new cars. I've stuck to buying cars that are 6-10 years old with low mileage on them. This way I'm paying about 1/10th of the original cost, yet I'm consuming 1/2 of the car's useful life! No one needs a new iPhone every year. Androids do 90% of what iPhones do for a fraction of the price. The entire fashion industry is for suckers. I spend about $200 per DECADE on clothing (including shoes). I never traveled while I was saving up, though I might start going on tropical cruises now that I can afford to do it. I had housemates right up until a couple of years after I retired. Some people may be too prideful to have housemates in their 30's but it saved me a fortune over the years! I'm probably 200-300k wealthier today because of the above cost cutting tactics -- maybe more. It all adds up over time.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

what are you doing now for money,, drugs sales?

[@gordongekko2781]

@@jackjohnsen8506 I think it's kind of weird that some people assume I must be a dealer, but I suppose I should expect that reaction. FIRE = Financially Independent, Retire Early. I live on my investment income.

[@NineInchTyrone]

When working 40 hrs a week means you live in your car

[@jaydenp4975]

There’s plenty of good paying jobs. People just don’t want to learn skills required or do those jobs. The ones that don’t require degrees or specialized skills aren’t jobs people want. It is hard work and people want easy money. And lots of easy money. Most want 100k working from home.

[@izzyci]

@@jaydenp4975 clearly not did you listen to his analysis !?

[@andredaedone7732]

I retired during the 2008 crises at 53. It was a perfect time and I was just sick of dealing with nutjobs while giving 1/2 my pay for taxes. I was debt free. Now 67 I am fine and will never work for a company again. I am connected to work, I work on tax free things today, like buy a house, live in it, improve it and sell it. Fixing everything that I own and never hire anybody is tax free work also. Cash work is another way. But I don't do that. I have plenty of my own work. The govt wastes all the tax money with a 31 trillion debt. Terrible.

[@robertjohanning7895]

This is simple to me. “ I can be poor without working for you mr businessman”.

[@codester1111]

Retirement is a serious thing, those of us that saved and invested are not supporting you in old age. I've seen people working in their 80s in order to live. People who don't produce for society deserve what they get.

[@FatherElectric]

@@codester1111 You didn't read the comment did you. Poor folks cannot "save" for Retirement.

[@tlanderso07]

You can see what the problem is not because they correctly diagnosed what the problem is but by how blind they are to what the problems actually are.

[@tlanderso07]

The real disability program that destroys the soul of honest work is having the world reserve currency. If the well fare programs of asset inflation in the stock and real estate market was taken away that would work wonders for the soul of the nation. Having to produce and having a real manufacturing bases with sound money would work wonders.

[@Dystopian.Future]

Feminism

[@tlanderso07]

@ya ma If you run your society that way when a conqueror comes in and offers a better deal the population won’t resist. Byzantium was milking there territories and when the Muslims came in and offered debt forgiveness for converting to Islam, the people didn’t resist. If you want to win a battle forgive the people there debts if a conqueror wants to win promise the peasants you will forgive them there debts.

[@tlanderso07]

The reason the Roman Empire fell is everyone went into debt to private creditors and through the pretorian guard the private creditors controlled the state and resisted change and the population lost all motivation.

[@Michael_Dominic]

@@tlanderso07 almost sounds familiar. cant really place it tho

[@LiveType]

Ah yes, the NEET category. It's definitely growing with no sign of stopping. I myself am now part of that group having made off with the massive surplus from the tech sector over the past decade. I have zero inclination to work a job now that's not fully remote. I am definitely capable of working and "hustling" but I have zero inclination to do so anymore. I couldn't even tell you why. I'm just "done". Lots of reasons for it but when you send out say 300 applications spending 15-20 mins per application (that's like 2-3 months straight of applying for jobs) and receive ZERO callbacks, it sort of tells you "you're not wanted, you might as well not exist."

[@melindagallegan5093]

Send hundreds of applications. Got seven interviews. Rejected in EVERY interview!

[@fedup1606]

"Let it rot". Well said. Probably the mentality of most of those unemployed men.

[@greenlamp9219]

hello fellow neet. 29 yo NEET here who has been trading cryptos for the past 5 years and have no reason to ever stop any time soon. tried applying for jobs for 2 weeks than gave up lol. i just hope the end comes soon

[@agentorange20]

If you’re applying to 300 openings you’re doing it wrong, bro. Think sniper, not shotgun. Taylor your resume *for* the role, include only related and eleventh skills and experience. Ask yourself, honestly, are the openings you’re applying for in your area of competency, do you have sufficient skills and experience that would make you qualified to interview much less make an offer to? Does your resume have tons of red flags? The companies you’re applying for can probably sense the anitwork sentiment so they figure why bother.

[@nickpavia9021]

Not a NEET, but I will not apply for a job if the application requires more than 5 minutes of my time. Jobs are a lot like girls. If she likes you, you don't have to try very hard to get her. If she makes you jump through hoops, she's not interested.

[@prima6170]

Why is the problem always the employee, and not the employer ? ? ?

[@europa3962]

Adam, I'm part of this group I'm 60 and I quit a 6 figure job this year after my company outsourced my team to Kuala Lampur. I started a new job in June but quit because I have Gone Galt. I am tired of my taxes being wasted on military equipment left in Afghanistan, freebies and stimmies to others (which I neither wanted nor qualified for) and the overall increasing kleptocracy that governs us. I'm done and will live off of my stored nuts. What needs to happen to the USA is a "Zippo" raid like we had in Vietnam. We will need to destroy the village in order to save it. I am not drug addled or lack for a sense worth. I have simply redirected by energies away from the rat race

[@christiankruse1970]

Early fifties and dropped out of rat race to start my own business (after multiple lay offs). Living life on my own terms. Employers do NOT value people. Also see fentanyl destroying many young men. I see them on the streets or in roadside camps.

[@scottyflintstone]

Interesting take. How do you spend your time? Do you travel? Volunteer? Are you living off savings? I imagine being in your position someday (I'm 51). I feel better when I'm making plans

[@europa3962]

@@scottyflintstone Im currently a stay at home husband. I take care of the household for the Mrs and our 4 legged children. I have enough savings from working in IT the last 25 years that I can afford to quit. Next spring I will start doing volunteer work

[@steelwing7532]

We are an economic zone. Stopped being a nation decades ago. Importing millions of low IQ illegals can do that. We have been subverted.

[@daniellee8720]

What do you plan to do, given that many countries are actively de dollarizing and this could accelerate to a point where it suddenly and violently happens. When this happens, your store of nuts might just be not enough because the value of the dollar will melt down and civil unrest becomes common place. I too have stored nuts but continue to work and divest because western civilization are quickly eroding with corruption, woke and cancel culture.

[@chrismcdonald5569]

I also felt like this was a little narrowly focused and did not take into account the big picture in that younger folks really feel like there is not much to work towards. My kids are in their twenties and really struggle with any long term planning simply because they really don't feel that there is a long term to work towards. If it isn't the climate that will get them, then it will be economic collapse, crappy healthcare, rising costs, and so on. I really feel for them. When I was there age, the impression at least was that things will be great. They don't share that feeling.

[@solidfixes]

Climate won't get them.

[@superstar5123]

@@solidfixes MIT says otherwise

[@solidfixes]

@@superstar5123 all just fake fears. I've been around for 70 years and the next generation has another 100 minimum

[@superstar5123]

@@solidfixes I wish being ignorant, and praying for the best worked, but it doesn't

[@solidfixes]

@@superstar5123 go head and waste your time worrying over nothing then. I bet you still lose sleep over catching covid too

[@capitalismismoderndayslavery]

IF you cannot beat the evil system, THEN disengage from the system and let it rot, burn, decay, being diseased, in eternal pain! I will go find my own peace of heaven on Earth outside all major cities and live to the rhythm of my own dignified drum!

[@andredaedone7732]

People don't want to punch a clock today just to give 1/2 their pay to the govt while dealing with nutjob companies. People want work on their terms.

[@serafinacosta7118]

You don’t get to work on your terms. You earn the right to set your terms. May I offer my hankie.

[@andredaedone7732]

@@serafinacosta7118 I didn't say me because I been retired since I was 53, now 67. So you can keep the hankie 😂

[@nomadundercover3018]

I can't understand how anyone makes a complicated issue out of something very simple. Men are dropping out of the workforce because they don't believe that the income they make & purchasing power that will give them would be worth the time they spend working. It really is that simple. If peoples' salaries could afford the lifestyle today which said salaries (inflation adjusted) would have afforded 15-20 years ago, then people would go back to work.

[@detectiveofmoneypolitics]

Great content cheers Frank G Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@carlpoppa1788]

There's work out there that pays a decent salary even at entry level. I know a mine that can't find people, they hire guys, they work a day and don't come back. It's a decent paying job but they just don't want to work. I understand what you are saying but it's not completely the case.

[@mikehawk4856]

Nailed it. These economists always try to complicate it when it’s simple. If I can never afford a home then why even bother working?

[@carlpoppa1788]

@@jboss1073 How? The pay is decent yet these guys don't want to work. I've actually seen men come into a job interview wearing slippers. I kid you not.

[@durendalebattlefieldtours6773]

I think this is part of it, and maybe a large part, but not all. But to have my house painted I have to earn the money first and when the hourly fee you can get is lower you may decide to work less and paint your house yourselves.

[@charlesbrown9213]

For +40 years, the owners of capital in this country have "given up on workers", by exporting middle-class manufacturing jobs to our strategic competitor (China). "Globalization" gave up on the workers of the West. That many Western workers now "give up" on jobs seems like.. karma. The basis of every relationship is "reciprocity".

[@youngtrench3711]

But men are just lazy today. Only want to smoke pot and play PS5! Damn liberals give away all this free money! Hell at my work we offer $20/hour now and we can’t get anyone to come and even apply! $20/hour ain’t shit and it’s def not shit when it’s purposefully 20hrs a week just so they don’t have to provide benefits.

[@marsmotion]

@@CosmicDamian that is something that ideological people miss that people are truly pissed off from being abused by this system that really does not nor really ever has valued labor. labor has always been treated as disposable and thats the real crime here these econ people dont get.

[@daverave5743]

Why are we paying these slugs not to work?

[@MrRoundel]

Yes, that was well said indeed. As much as globalization gave up on workers, they gave the workers up to some virtual diety. Like a sacrifice on the altar of said globalization. 100% free-marketeers, proponents of unfettered capitalism, worshippers of the "invisible hand", etc., helped send jobs overseas without giving a crap about what would happen to US workers. "Oh, don't worry, you ocan work in the expanding services sector". That things are different than when employing companies valued their employees, should come as no surprise to anyone. And here we are. Unions are coming back because of this.

[@chrispaul1117]

Ayn Rand in Atlas shrugged didn't include that in her book

[@danielmccoy423]

I’m a 41 yr old OSV captain with a wife and two young children and make six figures annually. I still struggle to stay ahead of my bills this day and age. We don’t live extravagantly and try to live relatively minimalistic. I could imagine most people feel it is almost pointless to continue to keep going through the motions with no future pay off. It seems that retirement might be a thing of the past and most people nowadays just want a better system that would be more beneficial. Struggle working or struggle being at home. We all need to figure out how to get back to where it actually pays off in the end again.

[@RealLifeFinance]

Yes when someone spends a year or a few giving it their all and they still only earn enough to rent a room and ride public transit and barely have enough food to eat....moving back home and not working is barely a step down. Not everyone gets the raises and promotions.

[@Michael_Dominic]

why would we get back to the point that people can retire when we can instead watch 3 guys go to space and amass more wealth than any nation?

[@redrustyhill2]

If i made 100k I'd be a millionaire in a decade.

[@xap81]

Why is nobody talking about rich people who don't work?

[@namelessone3542]

I only watched the clip at the beginning. I spent 30 years in school going all the way to a PhD. I then spent 8 years trying to find a job but couldn't. This caused major depression and suicidal ideation. I then inherited a million dollars. My wife works. And my money generates tax free income. So, I just retired at 38. If I were to get a job I'd just have to pay taxes, which I don't want to do. I'm the happiest I've been my whole life. For the first time I feel like a free man. We live frugally, and I reinvest most of the dividends. But they are there if we ever need more money.

[@al-du6lb]

lol. nice.

[@bsb1191]

Cool story, bro.

[@catfoodgeneration]

So, what are you doing with all the education?

[@namelessone3542]

@@catfoodgeneration Well, there a few categories where my education comes into play. First, I still write academic papers for fun when I have an idea I feel strongly about. I also write some papers with my wife, which helps her out. Third, I use my critical reasoning abilities to analyze the markets and make investment decisions. Honestly, with education comes the ability to educate yourself and think for yourself. So, I am easily capable of always keeping my mind busy. It's a much better life than being a slave to institutions. If you have enough money, I don't know why you would work. We live in a society that transmogrifies workers' self-respect into money for the owners.

[@jenniferchristiano6971]

@@namelessone3542 Sounds so similar to my experience, busting my ass and living on nothing while "paying my dues" for a high-level education that never paid back. And nobody cares about the educated, our stress and feelings and the loss to society from sidelining us. But, no inheritance, here. Thank God my husband has a good professinal job but he's getting near retirement and is extremely burned out. We do a lot of financial studying together and like yiu I also write for education and amusement while keeping abreast of the financial news and making most of the investment decisions. I'm worried about hub staying in the game a few more yesrs (especially since he didn't fight the jibber to keep his job) and how we're going to navigate retirement (if he lives that long). What we're getting is NOT what we were promised and paid for. Huge social bait and switch. I'd claw back whatever I could get to make up for some of what I was forced to give up along the way, but for me, there's no help. The government and private aid organizations comsider me just my husband's rib. Thank you for seeing yur wife as more than that and not feeling embarrassed to be a stay-at-home.

[@gordonmiller6691]

A big part of the problem is that the American dream is totally dead. Even as a 20 year professional I will never be able to afford to buy a home. For every year that my salary increased after I started working in 1997 property values increased far more. Now I can't even see the carrot off in the distance. The Fed has made a deliberate effort to destroy the middle class with decades of zero interest rate policy. Their goal with this was to have sustained, top-down inflation caused by the wealth effect wherby asset price inflation benefiting the rich would trickle down to keep the CPI at 2% in spite of the fact that real wages have been falling since the 70's.

[@T4nkcommander]

While I agree with most everything said in the video, this is absolutely a big factor in why people are checking out. When wages are so low that you basically are penalized for working, you don't work! I see lots of places hiring but not offering livable wages

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

The math of working at low wages, having a family, and not living off the government dole does not work. I do not agree with much of what either one of these two clowns said because their entire purpose was to completely blame people rather than acknowledging a problem with low wages that leads to a lack of motivation. Their solution to a carrot shortage is to increase beatings with the stick. In capitalism, if something is scarce and still has a demand, like labor, then it's price should go up.

[@TheD_R_G]

@Thomas It seemed like they were only stating what the data said. I don't think they were trying to put down people. Their concern is two fold - what this means for our economy and what it means for individuals that don't have work. It is bad for both. Getting into they 'why' behind low participation in the workforce would be an awesome follow up to this video to get into the points you made!

[@gabrielmartinez2455]

You are 100% correct, this clown is putting the blame on young people as being lazy or having mental problems, when in reality the Federal Reserve has been distributing the wealth to corporations and Wall Street and in reality people are just sick and tired of working like slaves and not be able to afford anything

[@TheD_R_G]

@Thomas I would disagree. I never sensed this video was set up in order to blame young people. I never once felt like they ever got into this topic in that depth. They referenced data that talked about screen time and drugs, prescription or otherwise. But never really the 'why.' That would be a great part two but beyond the review of data discussed.

[@steamhammer2k]

UK: I gave up work at 51. I did go for jobs but i was up against the age discrimination. I got all the buying signals at many interviews, then got the not wanted letter after their HR dept. had pulled rank on the person that wanted me to hire a younger person. I now think this was a good thing as I have so much more time and feel so relaxed and lay back it is not true. It is true that i contribute nothing to society and do not feel bad about it because i have been put in this position by the system. I don`t not count as unemployed as i do not claim so i am under the radar.

[@Iquey]

I don't know anyone who was able to escape the work just because of $1800 total in stimulus money. 🤣

[@ReversGames]

Four - Five decades ago, someone decided that we should up end many of our societal norms. The old rules don't apply in our new modern world. Welcome to one of the consequences. Men aren't giving up. They are living their best lives. Why should they work like dogs for this new society?

[@oroville12345]

I am not working so I can pay for all the single mothers mistakes try being a man and getting welfare that's proof enough.

[@nononsenseBennett]

Why work when there's nothing to work for? Used to be you could hope to buy a house for example. Now, with the high prices, you are simply a tenant in a box that looks like a house but is forever owned by the bank.

[@kelliethommes7426]

Indeed, with the societal bashing poured on men like "toxic masculinity", why try?

[@serafinacosta7118]

I have a hankie for you …. Because you have to …until you can’t no more. And if you think your situation is worth all the mopping , may I suggest you your Third World Countries. Then you will see what’s what.

[@WGPower_Nonchalant_Cafe]

Is anybody else just about sick of rich people telling us how we "sHuld all bE wOrKinG!!!"

[@oroville12345]

Well they want you back on the hamster wheel so you can pay them social security benefits..

[@WGPower_Nonchalant_Cafe]

@@oroville12345 I just love how they ALWAYS say " lazy kids just smokin' weed and playin' vidgeoGamez!!"

[@anonmouse15]

"After all, somebody has to, and we have no intention of doing so ourselves."

[@josefj1776]

They are crying about the 100 million out of the labor force that are 16-120 (and older)year's old.

[@oroville12345]

@@WGPower_Nonchalant_Cafe yes I know right they assume. They always do.

[@jackjohnsen8506]

I worked part time at enterprise car rental until age 75, after retiring from a full time job, I found that they were paying college grads $16.45 an hour to rent cars, I did some research and found that translated to what minimum wage was in 1962, in buying power. The businesses of this nation are going to have to give people a living wage and health insurance if they want them to work...

[@fedup1606]

Or offer them money that is actually valuable and holds value over time. You remember when there was silver in the coinage? The Dollar is shit paper.

[@hud86]

As someone who's barely survived on hard manual labor most of their life. I've always wondered how the people I worked for never did labor but had so much money. I'm not sad or worried about the US dollar collapsing, I know how to build and fix things. The people I worked for were rude and ungrateful, so I doubt I'll help them when their money becomes valueless and they can't just demandingly pay people to serve them

[@makeyourlifeeasier5794]

We're missing a BIG PROBLEM. Younger men used to want to be successful to pursue and support a wife. No fault divorce, lifetime alimony & unrealistic online dating has destroyed the incentive to get married, have a family or even get in a relationship. Men might as well stay in the basement & play video games & watch "other men's stuff." With more than a 50% divorce rate ( women get the kids, the home, child support & alimony.. & the men get crushed), many older men lost their home & family & incentive to succeed. Young men have seen this happen & are avoiding marriage at record rates. This broken system is destroying family units, children, and the current & future Work Force.

[@fjb7380]

Women are in part to blame here, more specifically society as a whole pushing them to think they’re worth is dependent on leaving home and being a corporate slave instead of marrying and raising and supporting a family. Thomas Sowell was the canary in the coal mine regarding the shifts of the 60s onward, culture, government policies and the degradation of our nation. And here we are.

[@oroville12345]

COULD NOT HAVE SAID THIS BETTER MYSELF 👏.

[@bsb1191]

And the root of this problem, the welfare state and the demonization of the patriarchy.

[@globalsolidarity55]

@@bsb1191 that coupled with the zero interest rate policy created an entire army of young men who jdgaf!

[@mgtowlife54]

Excellent comment, with the advent of online men of all ages are learning about the perilous pitfalls of marriage and the divorce courts. I'm 47 years old. I checked out 12 years ago and couldn't be happier. I paid off MY house, MY five cars. I laugh at women nowadays. I have found out that without an economic boat anchor "woman" in my life I don't have to work near as hard. Life is good once you learn how to live it.

[@rickferyok2462]

Let's be clear - this guy is from the American Enterprise Institute. Old Nick, he likes to look at 1965. Well let's see. If the minimum wage had the purchasing power it had bacl then, it would 22 dollars an hour today. Let's see, over 50 percent of the work force was unionized, now it's 9 percent. I come from western Pa and back then you could get out of high school, get a job in a steel mill, coal mine, glass plant, construction, home building, and afford a home a car and a family at 25. It's really quite simple - high levels of inequality impoverish the population. High levels of income and wealth concentration mean the productive resources of the country are in a small number of hands and a large portion of the population is disabled and note able to work for itself. It has been successfully subjugated. He has no resources to employ. You guys are too much. Oh the Covid Programs. Let's see, 80 percent of the benefits went to businesses and 20 percent to individuals, the private wealth of the wealthiest people in the country exploded, and you guys look down upon the less fortunate in society and talk about their deficiencies. Well how about this - HOW ABOUT ECONOMIC JUSTICE? The wealthiest people in the country pay income tax rates below people at Walmart - now there's a topic for the Enterprise Institute!

[@charlesbrown9213]

AMEN!

[@dreamfire5210]

So it is harder than it used to be and you can no longer party through high school and get a good job. Yes, that is true. You actually have to do more today. You actually have to build your skillset to a point that people will pay for it. Economic Justice? Just take the time to get a skill that people will pay for. (Nurses, coders, plumbers, start a business).

[@LilyGazou]

👏👏👏

[@Tamar-sz8ox]

I hear you loud and clear .

[@SeattlePioneer]

> Oh dear! We got rid of those factory jobs making steel, glass and coal! Don't want to muss the environment! That's really more important than the people working those jobs isn't it? And those factory workers were PRODUCING WEALTH for everyone. Too bad you can't eat the environment created by government! So we have shut down many of the sources of wealth ---and people wonder why they don't get paid more? Really?

[@Raymondjohn2]

Nobody can become financially successful overnight. They put in background work but we tend to see the finished part. Fear is a dangerous component, hindering us from taking bold steps we need in other to reach our goals. you have to contend with inflation, recession, decisions from the Feds and all. I was able to increase my portfolio by $289k in months. You have to seek for help in the right places.

[@bob.weaver72]

I think it's not always about fear, Sometimes realistic factors discourage people from reaching their goals in life. For instance, I've tried investing in the stock market several times but always got discouraged by fluctuations of stock value

[@lipglosskitten2610]

This is the problem! Most times people with little or no knowledge of the stock market try investing by themselves. It once happened to me, then I learned my lesson and contacted a US-based finance consultant by name Catherine Morrison Evans and everything changed. In in the first quarter of this year i made $370k and counting.

[@hermanramos7092]

@@lipglosskitten2610 Hello there, please how do i find the lady you just mentioned?

[@Oly_laura]

@@lipglosskitten2610 Thank you. I just checked her out now and I've sent an email. I hope she gets back to me soon. I've been thinking of doing this for a long time now, and I've procrastinated enough already.

[@pzdf8v]

As an unemployed while male, one thing you didn't mention is the anti-while male diversity policies in vouge at many companies. I can't tell you many applications I've filled out that have race/sex proudly displayed on the form. Even if I make it to the interview they ask questions where they can infer my age. The government needs to abolish the EEOC and let the most qualified person get the job.

[@Nick84525]

It's time for all corrupt workforce companies to close the doors

[@pzdf8v]

@CW , if a company uses affirmative action it's anti-white male.

[@skylinefever]

@CW Such people exist. Just handing them jobs to fill up a number isn't fixing anything.

[@onewomanandsomesongs]

I was already retired, but my hubby got laid off from his company in 2020 at 62 and a half. They shut down the office he worked at, so others got laid off too. He got a good severance package though, and he got on Obamacare until he turned 65. Luckily, we had planned well for retirement, and we both got decent social security checks, so we were able to retire comfortably. He just decided not to go back to work as he knew that it's hard to get a job with the salary he was making at his age. So far, we have managed well, we have funds saved for retirement and our house is paid off and we have no other debt. Why go back to work if it's not advantageous to your situation, he is enjoying his retirement. I guess there are other people like him who decided that retirement was doable.

[@andrewpinkham9904]

why would a man want to work hard.With the advent of on line dating the prospect of having a family for 80 percent of men is almost zero.40 percent of men never have kids now.just how hard do you expect someone to work when they already have enough to eat and theyre left with xbox for their free time

[@hollybardoe4075]

I hear you. I was involuntarily retired from my corporate job at the age of 67. along with a dozen other employees all over 55. I was of full SS age, I had a great SS amount coming, and I had some investments and a small pension. I chose to be retired for real. I knew I could never get another job that paid like my former one, so why even try? Retirement has been GREAT!!

[@LIVdaBrand]

Yep. Makes sense. Why would people work to go backwards in health, etc🤷🏾‍♂️🤡🌍

[@scabbymonkey1928]

in 1987 i worked at McDonalds for $3.10/hr and made enough to pay my rent and utilities and food. And i went out on weekends. Now, even at 13.50/hr you cant pay for anything but food.

[@LIVdaBrand]

‼️⚠️

[@sct4040]

I also worked for $3.10 an hour when I was 19, part time while attending college. I remember a fellow worker was renting a studio apartment for $150 per month. How things have changed?

[@wolfman_jagermeistro8445]

Holy crap. I've never been able to afford something like that on such a simple job insane

[@nicholashaley4397]

Federal minimum wage in 1987 was $3.35 an hour. At full-time employment, that was about $450 after taxes per month. Average rent across the U.S. in 1987 was about $550. You live in an unusually cheap market.

[@serafinacosta7118]

McDonalds is your first paycheck. You learn the value of eating crow , being accountable , shove poop. Dave Thomas , Wendy’s founder , toiled in restaurants. Long hours. Before he franchises with KFC. And then found Denny’s. He died a fulfilled man. Food service might not be your ticket , but for many , it was the stepping stone. Hospitality , same deal , hotels. You start at the bottom. Cleaning rooms. You go through night college. Only a few will get their schooling at Columbia University. General managers are decently paid. And CFOs. In some chains , you get to see the world while under employ. Some successful hotel chain actually started in the food service. Holliday Inn, Howard Johnson, Marriott.

[@heidilee3290]

It’s a symptom of a much deeper societal problem. Why are these men staying away from the workforce? Mistreatment, no value placed on life enjoyment and fulfilment by employers ect. There is no incentive to work. They feel safer at home watching screens than exposing themselves to harsh environments, harsh treatment and a lack of reward in more areas than just money for their time and efforts. Also a symptom of a society that does not value and foster people’s Unique interests and skill sets and contributions, but instead tries to force square pegs into round holes until they burn out and quit forever.

[@bsutton2084]

I am one of these men not working. I worked 20 years as an engineer along with my wife. After moving across the country for her job, I found it difficult as a white male almost 50 getting back in a professional role I desire. I applied for over 200 positions the last 6 years. I found out later many of these positions didn't exist as a funded and open position, many companies were just fishing for unique talent with a falsely advertised open job(verified through my contacts). For the companies actually looking for an employee, some employers even told me I was too old (in spite of federal law) or told me I didn't meet their ESG goals/demographics. My spouse is highly desired as a female engineering manager that knows what she is doing. We live day to day on her income. I started a passive income business that is building equity but pays no salary to anyone and has minimum expenses. This has been a blessing in many ways as we have 3 kids that need parental assistance for school and extracurriculars. Having my own company gives me the flexibility to fill those needs without having to hire babysitters and tutors galore which my wife and I used to hire when we both worked 60+ hr a week jobs. I am not being counted in the government stats, but it doesn't mean I'm not contributing.

[@emzywillrich7243]

200 applications is not near enough. I applied for over 1,600 positions before I got one. It was a good one got too!

[@ryanjacobson2508]

What's crazy is that with all the sensitivity about employment discrimination, a lot of places will openly tell white guys that they won't be hired due to "diversity goals".

[@bsutton2084]

@@ryanjacobson2508 I have an email from a manager of one company that literally told me I was too old back when I was 44.

[@skylinefever]

@@ryanjacobson2508 D.i.e. will just tell whites they are paying the price for something someone else did 300 years ago. Screw the d.i.e. I love seeing dems scream "Poor whites vote against their own interests" without bothering to think about how screwed they are by d.i.e.

[@nickpavia9021]

@@ryanjacobson2508 It probably doesn't matter, but I never fill out the "optional" race/gender questions on applications. If it is not being used as criteria to hire me, then why are you asking for it during the application stage?

[@stinkystu1]

I was planning to start a business, but now I am planning to leave. I am tired of paying money to people who see me as the enemy.

[@LIVdaBrand]

It’s sad bruh. Chaos for no reason

[@waultz4143]

Me too!

[@Paul-um1zw]

I stopped working at 57. Had a professional, “dream job”, but still, the grind of it produced debilitating health issues. The issues all but resolved a year after work cessation. Financially not ideal (a prudent burn rate for my savings limits my budget to about $2,300/month), but my sense of well-being is through the roof. I prepared by being an inveterate saver, and currently have no debt, own my house outright, have minimal expenses, and am currently in outstanding health. For a large segment of the population, how we are forced to use our minds and bodies (non-use or mis-use in many cases) when employed full-time is simply not sustainable, even when employment is in a dream job category. The best strategy for folks like me is a lay-low one, minimizing expenses - larger implications for society be dammed.

[@mikeinportland30]

Wow - that is almost exactly my situation.

[@stype8468]

Mgtow

[@bennykwong3172]

Well said!

[@detectiveofmoneypolitics]

I can agree 👍 cheers Frank G

[@detectiveofmoneypolitics]

Adam had Nailed it with this content 👌 cheers Frank G Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@Iquey]

A lot of people want to use up their savings and then commit suicide or run up a credit card, be a baller for a few months and then go out with a bang. Not everyone wants to work their whole life then be treated like shit once they get old. Especially if they are going to be alone.

[@kitgin4504]

Stop projecting your thoughts onto others

[@skylinefever]

Well, if the bankers are going to screw people, I'm glad some people have finally found a way to return the favor.

[@TrueYankeeFan]

This is me

[@mikey92362]

Retired at 40. I didn't want to retire. Almost 55 now. Haven't looked for work in over a decade. It's just not worth it. The more skilled you are, and the better the work you do, the more you're going to get treated like garbage.

[@ThunderStruck94660]

Amen, I retired from the military. No one will hire me. F it, I give up.

[@ponzo1967]

I've been in the workforce since 1984 and feel like it's gotten more and more unbalanced in favor of corporations. We could argue the reasons but Powell's last speech says alot. The medical system in America is ridiculous too, nobody can afford health care, if your working you can't afford to get sick, that's slavery not employment. The whole thing sucks and the younger generation is calling it out and people my age are just sick of it. Work in this country doesn't pay and the workforce knows it. Wake up and get real, parents are willing to support their kids longer because we understand what they are up against. My kids pay $1200 just for rent and monthly take home pay is about $1500. I have a 20 year old attending Indiana University and have little faith in his future because the Boomers voted in policy to get filthy rich while the younger generations break their backs for petty rewards. Why do you think we have an open border policy in this country, it needs body's to exploit.

[@jercasgav]

As a nurse you are totally right! You know what is even more disgusting? My husband sees tons of medicaid patients in the ER that could work but choose not to. They literally often smirk and think it is funny that they will not be paying the tab...they don't care that they are screwing the working person. They are constantly in the ER for non-emergency issues because they know they owe $0...not even a small co-pay for their visits, with no limit on how many visits they can have. Meanwhile the working lower and middle class cannot seek even the healthcare they need and deserve. The hospitals do not pay nurses, staff, or docs very well, but they have legions of administrators with zero medical experience that get paid bloated salaries micro managing and bossing around the actual medical providers on the floor doing the real work breaking their backs...it is all such a sick system and needs to be taken down and rebuilt as it is so broken. Oh yeah, one last tidbit?? The hospital charges the average joe with private health insurance MORE money for the same services than a Medicaid patient...why? Because Medicaid does not reimburse well enough, and thus they try to overcharge and extort the private insurance holder for a few more bucks to make up for all the bums that do not pay their bills at all or that have govt insurance.

[@clarekramer411]

I think young people are starting to recognize that capitalism is in fact a pyramid scheme

[@biff3917]

@@jercasgav maybe then the working person should stop supporting this system and let it burn. At a certain point it's your fault you tolerate it. You continue to support it. The working person supports the entire system. Want to fix things stop supporting it. You are the only thing keeping it afloat and you are the only one not benefiting from the situation.

[@CaptBeefart1]

I was agreeing with all you were saying up to when you criticized a group of people I fall Into the category of as the blame. I'm 71 yrs. old and still have to work just to get by Unfortunately I do have a Injured back and neck and I worked with many kids who ridiculed me as a boomer acting like I had all the money and all while they were thwarting their duties and responsibilities as employees and why would I still be working at the same shitty job as them. Please don't teach your kids to discriminate against us older people just because a few of us had the money that we needed to make ends meet. I made under a dollar an hour In 1960's. There Is no official organization called baby boomers that can be legitimately held responsible for cheating the younger generation of fair wages. Let's be more specific and bring the truth to the table and avoid the hearsay stories from book writers who cause more trouble than good In the world.

[@ponzo1967]

@@CaptBeefart1 fair enough. Not everyone in any group are all the same and there is plenty to admire about the generation as well. The Baby Boomers grew up under a pretty stuffy and stern generation and liberated society for the better in many ways. ( Not to mention you guys made the best music in my opinion) ✌️

[@vinanddex]

I retired early a couple of years ago and I'm glad I did. I grew sick of the work environment I kept running into. I think there is something sick at the heart of capitalism which has turned so many people off. Corporations seem to take a hostile attitude to employees where they want to maximize workload (and stress level) while minimizing payment. Everything is bottom line orientated and the hamster wheel seems to spin faster every year. I think the pandemic caused a lot of people, especially those getting close to retirement to reconsider what life is all about - why should I burn myself out so some jerk in the management ranks can get a bigger bonus? There is a lot of focus in this video on how to take away safety nets and brow beat people into returning to work for the man which is annoying. You talk about coddling people, what about the coddling of Wall Street banks after 2008 and the huge QE that has boosted the financial assets to the stratosphere. Talk about gaming the system. All of this abuse leads to cynicism about a rigged system with inbuilt inequality.

[@vinanddex]

@@HEELMACHINE Who said anything about communism? My post was a critique of the current state of capitalism, not an advocacy for communism. You seem to have a comprehension problem. You're not one of those jerk's in the management ranks are you? LOL

[@victoriameyers5870]

I ran my own architectural office, I can attest that the persons I employed often felt that I pushed them to work too hard. On the other hand, I was really burnt out from pulling all-nighters trying to pull together presentations. I was the primary 'work getter' which means I had to figure out the design we'd be presenting to the client(s) and how I would pitch it. Not fun. Work is difficult. But if when you leave at the end of your work day and notice your boss is still there, and often at work until late at night, you might consider having a conversation about how you can help with their load.

[@janasher4940]

I agree. All the tax breaks go to the wealthy, while middle and lower classes have every deduction being sucked under. Corporate America as stripped everything from workers - full time, PTO, health benefits, 401K, etc. But they constantly threaten us that we need to do more (for less) and be grateful for the job. I just read yesterday that 10% of the US population owns 89% of all the stock.

[@tomsmith6513]

@@victoriameyers5870 From what you've said, I'm wondering why you didn't hire someone with the same skills/knowledge as you had and did the same job was you (minus the decision-making). It sounds like the people who worked for you were "minions" who didn't know enough about your business. Also, was it not possible to get those people to work the same number of hours?

[@Lori1976]

If you think capitalism is sick, move to Venezuela. A Socialist nation that is so broke due to inflation, they literally burn their currency notes for heat.

[@ryoran9545]

The only power we have left is withholding our labor.

[@FatherElectric]

YES YES YES!!!

[@skylinefever]

In China they say "Lie flat" and "Let it rot."

[@skibum914]

I retired this year at 59 after working a lifetime in Manhattan for 27 yrs then outside of it for another 7. I quit my job of a little over 1 yr after dealing with the covid nightmare and finally getting laid off/early retired from a really high paying job with lots of responsibilities and travel prior to the one yr job I did. I definitely relate to the population you are referring to although I think I dodged a really early retirement just due to timing and luck. The juice just doesn't seem worth the squeeze anymore...I get free healthcare from Obamacare due to my ability to manage my finances to maximize this benefit legally. I am also single for life and just not motivated to date the women of today...all in my city are super liberal and I am not...they make me sick with their mindset ...I can not relate to them at all and I am sure they don't relate to me. Overall, I'm very happy and enjoying life with no responsibilities. I feel really bad for men today and even women who have been sold on radical feminism. I am definitely not PC and I don't have to be, given my retirement status. Ok, gotta go to a concert now...see ya!

[@swampwiz]

The free ObamaCare for older folks exacts a HUGE disincentivizing implicit tax on them. I myself (mid-50s) have calculated that my total yearly cost of an ACA plan would be about $20K, and so since I would need to earn about $33K gross (as a 1099; no one hires mature folks as W2 anymore since we are so expensive to insure) to get that $20K, and so the scenario of me earning $18K per year and getting ObamaCare Medicaid would be equivalent to earning $51K and paying for my own coverage. Of course, we could just do Medicare-For-All paid for by a 10% VAT (i.e., Medicare-For-All would make costs go way down), but conservatives would cry out SOCIALISM! As for working to impress woman for dating like the egghead says, BWAHAHA!

[@skibum914]

@@swampwiz You have to have non-retirement investments/cash to get the free Obamacare. You need to show an income from interest in those accounts and or other types of passive income totaling $20K. Then you live off your cash savings or those investments. It is simple to do but you have to have the flexibility of cash/investments that are not in IRA'S or other retirement type accounts. Josh Scandlen on KZbin explains it quite well and how I learned how to do it.

[@serafinacosta7118]

Dude, you are completely what producers devised the character of Dirty Harry towards Clint Eastwood for. Props for you.

[@serafinacosta7118]

@@peggygilespie7412 Well, there are things to be taken into context 1. Yes , dating is become more transactional than ever, thanks to technology. The finer aspects of Courtship arr gone out of the window. It’s a lost art. 2. Men gotten more liberal. It takes two of a kind . Women became more licencious too. Men are just reading in between the lines. 3. Masculinity. That is a social more. It varies with culture. If in Texas , men are known to be more daring , but they understand chivalry. At least , that is the stereotype. 4. Allergic to commitment. I spent 28 years in the US, and the last ten years in Brasil ( and I can’t stand Brazilian women , they are to shallow ). What I hear …… Most of the American males I met ( middle aged ) complaint about the typical American Women , all consumed by their career pursuits. That and they not being feminine enough. Hence why so many of them flock here , and yet quite a few are taken by some gold diggers, only to be taken latter on divorce courts. The Brazilian, Russian, Ukrainian brides aren’t the solution. The point is , neither side is getting what they idealize. Simply , the dynamics at play changed, yet the sides haven’t quite adjusted to their new realities. Men see what’s out there and become non commital. And Women have a lot in their plates to run off with the man who “swept them under their feet “. And yet, both sides still want the romantic engagement. Not quite easy to digest. The hookup culture you aluded to…..It has not changed in ages. It only took a different twist. In the good ole days, men tookup to visit prodtitutes. With frequency. To conspire against this fix, the ranks of working girls has been decimated to the point this type of engagement became expensive. At least in the United States. Not to mention whoremongering being uncool , and seen with askance from women. Men has always been dogs. Some more then others. It’s a conjunction of factors such as testosterone , cultural influence , lack of attention from local women , being taken for granted. As for man not knowing dating etiquette anymore , there is some truth into that. It also comes to women making too many concessions and actually not being trained in the art of enticing man., as generations of yore did. Men need to be dating , women need to be alluring.

[@hagbardc623]

As a person who runs a Service Business, Window & Exterior Cleaning, this story hits home for sure! We see so many of the elements of what's talked about here. We will definitely need to get people back to work but we also need to make work worth while again. It's gotten very demoralizing for people in the Red Queen Syndrome. So many predatory forces at play and not enough common good.

[@ponzo1967]

Amen Brother!

[@grc_whale1304]

Just started a carpet cleaning company myself, was a carpenter for 23 years and got sick of working for people. I’m ready to grind day and night!!!!

[@standalby6949]

Parasites at the top , the bottom feeders never get their collars felt

[@swampwiz]

Uh, what you "need" for your business to succeed is to get folks to work for you at a total rate that is a good bit less than what you charge your customers. There is a term for the type of "value-add" that you are doing: it's a 4-letter word that starts & ends with P.

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

Let's do some simple math. A $20/hr job at 40 hours per week with an after tax take home pay of around $500 a week or $2,000 per month. In the Northeast, monthly costs are about this: Rent: studio $1000-1200/month Two bedroom $1800$2,200 Food: $200 per person Phone: $35/line Electric: $60-200 Winter heat: $150-500 Car insurance: $150/car Car payments: $300/car Misc automotive bill: $120/hr plus parts and mark up Health insurance: $1000/person if you try to be self employed Childcare: $1,500-2,000 per child It does not take a genius to figure out why people are not forming families and some have given up. The economy is set up to go big or go home(less).

[@doradestroy]

49 year old with dementia parent in care facility that I have to pay a portion of to add to that list, that is my pay and my 2200 rent and my phone bills are more like 65/line, I have my own health issues and can barely cover taxes without help from friends and loaded with debt. Work like dog, no savings, no retirement. The government doesn't care about your problems, they just want your money and your blood.

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

@@doradestroy This whole podcast reminded me of the term "willfully ignorant". Never once did they mention that for most workers wages have decreased since the 1970s when compared to actual inflation. Now with more aggressive inflation, things are becoming unbearable for many people, many of whom will choose to give up and drop out.

[@Zoet50]

$200 for food?? More like $400

[@user-uo8cd6de8d]

$200 in food would last about a 1 week now 🤣…

[@AS-zk6hz]

If you are a male and get a divorce you are guaranteed to get screwed. I was at the Daley center with a fellow lawyer who dies divorce. His client was complaining how badly he was treated. My fellow lawyer told him see all these guys. They are all going to get screwed today

[@blobmonster9494]

The federal government has a program that pays counties money based on how much child support they put on people. It is a racket. Parents should not divorce even if they hate each other if they love their kids.

[@cherylcampbell7495]

I got screwed by a week of being married for 10 years. Crummy lawyer. Social security won’t even look at me. Why because they got free money.

[@marygood8920]

As someone who fractured her back had to have fusion surgery to fuse two vertebrae and am in pain 24/7 the dismissal of those that need pain medication and or disability is continuously frustrating. The two main problems with the lackluster workforce is lack of a living wage being offered and the dearth of supervisors treating people civilly and with respect at the workplace.

[@Monkeybongoes]

The lack of meaningful work and livable wages lead to loss of hope for the future and the desire to work. The massive offshoring of jobs starting in the late 70s played a big role. Trickle down economics (such as taxing earned income more than unearned income) have only exacerbated the situation. Fed policy over the last 20 years may have been the final blow. Meanwhile we spend almost $1 trillion/year on the military, yet do almost nothing for working people. then wonder why so many have lost the drive to work.

[@LuvLebaneseWomen]

Excellent synopsis!

[@vex6559]

The 1/4 is largely because we're having to do the job of 3-4 people by ourselves (& it's been that way for awhile). Lots of blown out warehouse worker backs.

[@sandi6818]

I got laid off in June and I decided to focus fully on my side hustle. No regrets

[@Oh6Torch]

I’m 53 and live in Houston, TX. I love that they cut the unemployment in Texas and refused further federal assistance, thinking that a lot of people would go work when unemployment benefits end. Well, it didn’t go according to their plan. Employees still didn’t go back to work and they stayed home. I guess a lot of people decided they didn’t have to go back to a shitty job for lousy pay. I like to think that my fellow Texans probably had to do without cable TV or eating out so much.

[@Ozzie_Mandias]

Oh I'm sure they got job as farm hands or teachers... but as for the accountancy firms.... those arseholes get the bonuses... let them do the work themselves.

[@serenas8144]

I was a peak worker, and lost my home to illegal gov/banks foreclosure in 2008, and became a renter for the first time in my adult life. Then I lost everything in Irma, in October of 2017. I was 62 and able to walk 5 miles, play golf once a week, and go dancing once a week, and I had a full-time job. I got myself put back together and was still in my Peak. It took me 3 years to patch my life back together with a beautiful home again, and a great job and covid finished me off, and I lost everything again because of all the gov lockdowns. So I'm a person that gave up and left the workforce, two years ago. It was just ridiculous. It's not worth it to try to work. My Son said Gen Millenias don't care, and Zoomers are focused on social identity and being wronged by everyone.

[@serenas8144]

@Mr. Tibs Thank you. I shall read it. 😊

[@biff3917]

Why would the young care the gov has created a future where they have no future. Doesn't exactly promote caring.... I can't blame them.

[@southernbanker1946]

Always interesting how it's someone else's fault you lost your home.....if you paid your mortgage payment in 2008, you'd still have the property. No one forced you to buy something you couldn't afford.

[@serenas8144]

I can see that you are a traditionalist. There was a clause in my mortgage that said if the condo association was sued I would go into foreclosure, and they were being sued. Additionally, my home was a ROBO signed MRS fraudulent mortgage. So I sued my mortgage company for fraud and ask them to remove the clause, that said if the Condominium Association what sued that I was in foreclosure. They refuse to remove that extreme condition clause, and my judge happened to be a juvenile judge that did not understand business. Additionally because I was pro se there were actually Court hearings without me present, that I wasn't noticed. Exactly 7 years later, I heard that HSBC, (which held my Mortgage), was being fined by dot gov, for fraudulent mortgages and foreclosures, so I called my RE attorney and told her, I can get my home back or be made whole again. My real estate attorney laughed and said no, the government waited until the statues of limitations was up (7 years), before they fined the banks for fraudulent mortgages and foreclosures. 50 percent of foreclosures were fraud. It's whatever now. I'm not a Dumbass, deadbeat.

[@briangodby8405]

And the millennials are confused on what bathroom to use and are oppressed pro ball players with millions in the bank...with a drug problem worse then gen x. Gen x are sick of the babyboomer government leaders and then the elite 1% wants to depopulate the earth . I am just glad I'm Still willing to work love and pray and fight... I'm glad my side believes in God and has the most guns and ammo...

[@OhWell0]

Since we're sharing personal stories: I fought tooth and nail to get through nursing school. I was working part time, I was frequently ill and my program director hated me. And there's no way, ever in a million years, I would have put myself through it if it weren't a *necessity.* And I think that's the thing people (men in particular) are missing. There is no reason to fight and struggle and break yourself when it doesn't directly benefit you.

[@ennuiblue4295]

That's the message 'keep contributing, even if it doesn't benefit *YOU* , do it. Or Else!'

[@jaysant6958]

I sense a big revolt coming once people have had enough of this.

[@skylinefever]

I'm sure this is why some religions used to be powerful. "Do a bunch of stuff for the clergy. Score bonus treasure in heaven. Stop being selfish. Also, you'll burn in hell for not getting other people sucked into the Lord's pyramid scheme."

[@Rev-di1vl]

Exactly, i dont care about this society anymore, they can have. Good luck ladies.

[@elir.torres8642]

Same thing here fought tooth and nails to get a BSc in Computer Science and Security. One professor hated me and wanted me out it went all the way to the Dean President of the University. So, I come kut diploma in hand in 2019 and 3.5 years later no job in the field. Doing Uber Eats right now. Everyone wants 5-10 years of experience. I can't go back to factory work I am 45 not 25 and I have to s of student debt.

[@jeremylindemann5117]

A simple way to sum up why so many people are dropping out in modern times is disenchantment and disenfranchisement. To put it another way, the workforce and society at large isn't a great place to live out your life for a lot of reasons and people can feel it. Those two terms quickly blow out into an umbrella of issues that are all very complex and interconnected as well as profound. It gets into existentialism and questioning everything about modern life, modern society and what it means to be human. Wages have stagnated for a long time, the value of money has decreased significantly, the economy and all of it's systems have become corrupt because of power and greed. People have become aware of not only criminal activity within governments and corporations but have become quite aware of how our food is poisoning us and our medical system can't be trusted because it has become a system that mostly channels people toward paying for prescription medications we don't need, that often don't help and often are more harmful then the initial problem. I could go on but all of these issues are enormously complex and interconnected. You would need a multi-disciplinary approach from many experts to sit down and talk about it in order to start to see a picture of how bad things are for your average citizen. As for this video, I started to dislike how you two guys were discussing sensitive issues for a couple of reasons. Firstly, approaching the issue of unemployment rate mainly through the view of an economist is always going to move toward a conservative stereotypical judgement of those people. And secondly, I could see that both of you have at least some preconceived notions of judgement about these unemployed men and you look down on them. It was quite obvious in some of your expressions, your wording and also what you weren't saying. You seem to come from the old school paradigm that "work is life". Dropping out of work and doing nothing can become a good or a bad thing but it tends to take deleterious effects on people because of the strong negative perceptions and old fashioned stigmas that still exist around being idle. The old fashioned ideas around not working and contributing to society are still very present, pervasive and ignorant of the problems we face in just being human. What if this is our nature? That if we stop moving, we automatically start to die .. That is a deeply troubling thing for an unhappy, disenchanted person to think about. It's an order of magnitude scarier if you have a mental illness like depression/anxiety. The workforce is not a friendly place and society itself it deeply sick.

[@danpearson3099]

What about the homeless people living in tents all across the country addicted to fentanyl? They aren’t lazy. They aren’t having a good time. They are just trying to survive

[@GamersBay]

I'm 43 and left the workforce just before the beginning of the health pandemic. Not because I wanted too, but because my health had deteriorated from decades of working literally to death! I was working 75+ hours a week in the restaurant industry from the time I was a teenager. It was hard, but that's what I had to do to survive, and unfortunately it destroyed my health. I'd imagine many my age are also physically tapped out at this point. America did go thru several decades of stagnant wage growth and rising costs of living. To add insult to injury, there were periods when work was impossible to find, there just wasn't any, and I literally starved. I think the periods when I was unable to find work greatly contributed to my health related issues as well. I still do labor jobs at times, but am always forced to stop at times because of the health issues. I managed to work in a restaurant for 6 months last year before crapping out. And more recently I went back to work in another restaurant, which I know wont last long, but I keep trying anyway. On a positive note, I've worked so much I reached the 40 credit threshold to collect social security retirement a long time ago. But I'm doubtful I would ever live that long given all my health problems. Despite my declining health, I still try and make the best of life, regardless of the circumstances. I work on my gaming channel here on youtube any time I can, it gives me a sense of purpose in life and something to always look forward to. I hope to eventually earn enough from it to survive on it, as I know my days of doing labor work are pretty well over.

[@randymillhouse791]

I went back to college and graduated at age 42. At that time I was making $15.00 per hour. Now I am 6 figures in a managerial role. It was tough working days and attending classes 3 nights per week for 3 hours each. But I had a tunnel vision. I needed to do something and better myself. It has worked. I still don't quite believe it really. And am ultra-paranoid that something might come along and wipe it all away. That is why I live almost as if I still make $15.00 per hour. All else goes to saving and investments. It is good revenge.

[@GamersBay]

@@randymillhouse791 The harsh reality is something can come along and wipe it all away. I'm college educated too, I went back to school when I was 28 and studied computer science. After the economy crapped out in 2008 and 50+ million people lost their jobs, I found myself unemployed for several years. Anytime the economy stalls out like it did in 2008, ones education and work experience becomes totally irrelevant. A degree wont get you a job when businesses don't need anyone. I honestly made more money working in the restaurant industry in the 90's when I was a high school dropout than I did with a college education. I earned $45 an hour at Steak N Shake when I was 19, I never earned that much in the IT field. I earned just $20 to $25 an hour on average in the IT field, and earned more than that waiting tables at Denny's, not kidding. After 2008, I never saw my income rise again. Even now, I earn just $15 an hour, a far cry from the $45 an hour I earned doing the same work decades ago.

[@GamersBay]

@@randymillhouse791 That's good that you're saving, that right there is the best single thing you can do to secure your future.

[@randymillhouse791]

@@GamersBay That really sucks. I wish you luck.

[@houseboatin]

51 years old here, saving like mad for retirement because I don't expect SocSec to be reliable after the next few years.

[@buddykerr1]

Just try to conceal what you've saved. Means testing is coming to SS soon. If you have money saved, they'll tell you that you have enough already and don't deserve any benefits.

[@jl696]

@@buddykerr1 Divert some of your savings to gold, silver, and cash outside the banks. Yeah, I know they will try to stop all of that but they won't be successful at it.

[@raymondlin8728]

I had probably 5 different jobs in the past 10 years. I quit when I don't like it anymore. No more staying at a job for 5, 10 years anymore. Employers don't respect their workers so neither do I. Jobs are a dime a dozen. Now my health has improved, my hair grew back, I've lost weight,

[@duanecarr6712]

I love how your all about how great work is and without it life has no meaning. I don’t know what work your talking about. But the experience I have had isn’t pleasant or seemed to have enriched my life other than temporary monies which now are irrelevant. The things that I desire have little to do with money. If that was the case it would be easy to fix.

[@TheSpottedArtist]

I hope you feel better soon, Adam. I’m a 47yo woman with years of teaching experience, but I just had to get out when I was told I couldn’t teach my mostly-minority high-school students about stereotypes anymore. I started teaching online classes in China part-time instead. My budget is tight, but I have freedom in how I teach, how often, and when. In my experience, US employers are on such a power trip, they’ve dumbed down every job with low expectations and boring paperwork - no independence or critical thinking allowed.

[@paulheydarian1281]

It's by design. They don't want the educational system to produce students with critical thinking skills.

[@TheSpottedArtist]

@@paulheydarian1281 Absolutely!

[@BG-me3pc]

A Carrot and Stick That you and your guest never brought up Is the Punitive nature of divorce courts on men in the modern age , How many of those Young men Simply don't become Producers because They decided that being a Husband and father It's no longer rewarding .

[@Mysticaltyger]

@@BG-me3pc A valid point. But the problem is what they've replaced it with is not an improvement (generally speaking).

[@alphaomega1351]

It's the traditional top down corporate model of management where a few get to dictate the direction of others that continue to ruin everything. 😶

[@merlingrim2843]

Let’s be clear. The situation is more complex. There is an education bias … for example, as a senior systems analyst and engineer with over 30 years of experience in pretty much every discipline relating to software solution development, I was told that I had to have a four year degree in something and that they didn’t care what the degree was in, even a degree in poetry. This was from a hiring manager who was far less experienced, had never published, and had zero claim of accomplishment except a 4 year degree. Moreover, I was told by a manager at Autodesk that they prefer program managers to be female.

[@Hotel_Chuck]

Exactly. But a degree from the community university college of Punjab is exactly what they need. Never mind that it’s a degree mill, no one will check. They are to busy confirming that your credentials are invalid.

[@lesterdiamond6190]

Just get some fake tits and dye your hair purple, and you’re in there like swimwear.

[@jjjackson5183]

Degree bias. It is real.

[@one4change4thebetter]

There is a whole generation of American women, ~60 years old now, that hate men but tolerate them.

[@DoubleOhSilver]

Definitely. I worked with someone who didn't have a degree who was really good at what he did, but so many places require a degree over experience. Most of my friends who aren't working didn't do well in school and don't see any way to build a career because k-12 pushes college over everything. They make it discouraging if you aren't the academic type or doing well in school while lying and saying you can do anything (the stereotypes that's always brought up). Luckily I did well in college and have a degree, but there's a load of other problems that make it all discouraging anyway.

[@clarekramer411]

Now he's saying that all the lazy man playing video games and smoking dope had some kind of somatic depression. Yeah dude working is definitely depressing. I'd say they were recovering from it

[@kgiessen2964]

Quite often it's the physiological that drives the psychological. So yeah, physical/ mental disability is very much a truth of an overworked population.

[@susannahfaria3588]

I am 75 and have no intention of retiring. I love teaching my 10th grade students English and History. The only indoctrination they get from me is the importance of close reading and good writing. By the way, this is probably my fourth career. If you are unhappy working where you are, do something different--it could be fun.

[@EitanNatanzon]

Much Respect!!

[@krissyr3393]

The summer job... 45 yo housewives doing it now. Hairdressers just above minimum wage doing 12 hour days earning $10 mor pH than I did in 1980's and houses cost ten times as much now. It's not the young not wanting to work or not being hard workers, the oldies like me worked hard (sometimes) and had a home deposit saved up in a year or two and paid off in 10 on one wage. I'm boomer we didn't work THAT hard and things were cheap (home, utilities, food... Tv's and whitegoods etc expensive but just got second hand). Also productivity expected is much higher now. Staff in service/office jobs used to have time to do their nails, chat to co workers etc.

[@waultz4143]

We're fxcked.

[@id10t98]

I would love to have a job, it's been 32 months and I've sent out hundreds of resumes/applications, to no avail. Companies do not want someone with experience, they want no experience people that will work for 1/2 the pay and no benefits.

[@geoffmcintosh3]

Are you a male over 45? That is the reason

[@djchilto]

This...right here.

[@timothygibney159]

That's how to get employed. You work for cheap for 2 years then leave or do contracting. I had to do it and live with my parents. It beats being a loser and in the end you become employable again

[@emzywillrich7243]

You're not applying for enough online jobs. I applied for over 1,600 jobs (with a bachelor's & professional doctorate) before I landed one. It was a good one too! Never give up!!!!

[@shootermcgavin4999]

The average man can't get the average women anymore thanks to datings apps, social media, etc. Why do men get up in the morning and go to work? Women. What's the point now. I understand why they just stay home and play video games.

[@jabroseph]

@Wealthion thank you for bringing such deep, insightful analysis on these workforce and economic topics. I have often wondered about the changes but couldn't find info on this.

[@DoubleOhSilver]

I'm about to give up on getting a house. But that's my main reason for working anyway. I have enough money to live off of for maybe 5 years. Then I can just give up completely.

[@melissasmess2773]

Buy land, tiny home.

[@mrscassandrasolano]

There’s lots of KZbinrs like @realestatemindset who are saying your change is coming up if you’re prepared in 2023 :)

[@DoubleOhSilver]

@@melissasmess2773 I'm looking into that now. Housing development I was looking at (for affordability) is still 3 years out. Might just do tiny home and try entrepreneurship for a few years

[@KennyG233]

beans and biscuits only ... build you and underground bushcraft shelter live out rest your days free

[@andypandeewzeri856]

Agreed. Asset distortion and demographics should have been mentioned.

[@omgyeaXD]

Also I wonder if that guy even has a job that isn't just lecturing about other people not working

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

Maybe a trust fund?

[@domjohnson2579]

Oh do you want to sift through hundreds of thousands of pages of statistics? i thought not.

[@mistermann569]

@@domjohnson2579 If it pays well, yes. Yes I would.

[@KevinODonnelltelebanger]

Corporations still require 3-5 years experience for an entry level job. They are just as picky as they were 20 years ago. They will still blow you off either by email or phone if you don't meet their requirements. Also, the people with experience will not work for the low wages that the corporations want to pay them. People are not quitting because they want to.

[@anthonytwohill9726]

Severely underrated comment.

[@paulschell2712]

They do indeed require 3-5 years for entry level. However, I have seen when they are desperate enough, they relinquish these expectations.

[@anthonytwohill9726]

@@paulschell2712 Not nearly enough businesses seem to do that though.

[@skylinefever]

This is why some people said that job signs look like "Virgins wanted, minimum of 5 previous sexual partners required."

[@izzyci]

@@paulschell2712 since covid on Indeed companies require 5-10 years experience and a masters degree to apply for an entry level job and compete with 100 other candidates

[@scudinferno]

There’s no reason for your average person to work for the average wage. You can’t buy anything worth having or support a family.

[@boondoggle4820]

I wish that I could say that I’m surprised but I saw this coming in the 90s when I was still in high school and college before I even entered the professional workforce. It was easy to get a low paying job with no benefits but difficult to find a job with benefits that would actually allow you to support yourself independently. A lot of people were like me and were coming from a position of having no professional connections through my social circle which makes it extremely difficult to even get an opportunity.

[@AmethystGirl1776]

Same. Graduated college in the 90's and was never able to get a decent job that I could support myself on without being exploited by bloated managers who were getting all the high pay, benefits, bonuses and no room for advancement for those on the bottom. When you start out on the bottom, there are far too many employers determined to keep you there.

[@jaylandman4359]

Sadly majority of employers require college degrees. No longer is getting a job based on character, moxie or even experience. College is a sham. Working in a corporate environment is slavery. Majority of managers, bosses, etc. have no real understanding of managing people. Those that make it through college without college debt & get a good job are rare. Those that have a good job with little to no college are rare. What do they both have in common? Those people are not lazy, are not victims, they view the glass as half full.

[@djja8844]

The college degree is not enough. You need 2-4 years industrial experience to qualify for an interview as an entry level lab tech because these are mostly filled by h1bs trained in the company's foreign plant. If you get a Masters like I did, then you will be told it's the wrong type of experience. If you get a doctorate,then you will be overqualified. I did a few postdocs, then tried to go teach overseas, where being an American is not a handicap because you are training the new h1bs rather than trying to take one of THEIR jobs (from the employer's view). COVID blocked travel 1 year, and then the 2nd year I couldn't get a new visa to leave the US. So I went truck driving again. I don't pay rent, and I don't pay a woman. I use my intelligence to make money off the market dives when fools think that inflation has come down even with high diesel prices to ship everything. I'm debating whether to buy a truck and lease it to someone who wants to be owner operator. I plan to join the FIRE group as soon as possible and retire alone in the middle of nowhere or in another country. America is dead and gone, and I wouldn't want to bring kids into this world. Boomers flooded this country with slaves to fill every job that they couldn't outsource so that they could charge rent equal to half a monthly salary. I'm hoping most of these 5 booster, vax stalinists will have removed themselves from the work force (and gene pool) soon.

[@NoSpam1891]

I tell people get a trade unless you can pick a field where you can make a high income. In 1958 my first year of college cost $25 for a year's tuition. That was different.

[@randymillhouse791]

@@NoSpam1891 I am against workers going into trades for one reason; the physical toll it takes on the human body over time. Also, making, let's say $43.00 per hour as a Tool Maker, even with OT, does not really earn as much as a college degree career would. Any teen in High School that asked me about the trades would get a NO answer from me. Work with your mind, not your back. Nothing wrong with back work when one is young and attending college. But not for the long haul.

[@lynndowless5152]

Back in 1965 they had real jobs, entry level jobs, union contracts, they had apprenticeship schools in 1965, there were more of these jobs than there were people to do it. You skirt the true issue, man. There is no incentive to work.

[@CouncilofOneElectronic]

Yes and your average worker could expect to buy a small house within 10 years of work. Having a job nowadays is becoming more trouble than it is worth espeicially when you factor in the inflation of House prices and even fuel to get to and from the workplace.

[@timothygibney159]

@@CouncilofOneElectronic Also they had 12% interest rates

[@agentorange20]

@@timothygibney159 18% interest in 1980.

[@agentorange20]

Unions got too aggressive in their negotiated contracts to the point where they helped forced the demise of unions. Union corruption and ineptitude helped kill off more union support. It forced companies to seek labor that was more fairly priced.

[@infoillness4222]

Exactly - "the pie" as it were is increasingly being shared unequally and the legitimate bribery that reinforces our politicians to do bidding of corporate interests is not in the interest of the average person...no one voted for a stagnant standard of living since the mid 1980's it was bought and paid for...

[@computer-training-for-seniors]

Mike Rowe puts it well on his website: "America is lending money it doesn't have to kids who can’t pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist. That’s nuts.”

[@chrisgingerich9786]

That's the most accurate description I have heard .

[@__BERSERKER__]

Flight from work = escape to freedom

[@mikehawk4856]

If I’ll never be able to afford a home then what’s the point? Wages are too far behind asset prices to make it worth it to work

[@jayarran4941]

Behaviour is based on incentives. Simply put, people see less and less incentive to strive for more.

[@oroville12345]

Yes exactly because they will just tax you more if you make more so what's the point..... oh and if you have to pay child support and you make extra overtime and the mother finds out she can take you back to court and get a nice increase and you as a man are going to have a hell of a time trying to get it reduced.

[@Zoet50]

I disagree, behavior for most is the easiest path. That’s why the US has a 40 percent obesity rate and a smart phone/social media/video game/drugs, alcohol/ addictions

[@AJourneyOfYourSoul]

Nah, you could guarantee wealth and most still wouldn’t be willing to put in the needed sacrifice and effort to get it. Imo, the biggest issue is the lack of any positive mindset. These guys can make an excuse why any future possibility or opportunity is the worst thing ever. If it is isn’t the perfect utopian life (which is completely unrealistic) they want zero to do with it. These guys have given up on themselves before they even got started.

[@skylinefever]

@@AJourneyOfYourSoul Maybe there should be something that effectively creates a positive mindset. When business think their workers aren't positive enough, they pay the motivational industry to have smug condescending jerks tell everybody to think and act positive.

[@kgiessen2964]

​@@skylinefever Too true!

[@malindasanna4731]

Amazing, insightiful interview!!!

[@4000angels]

This is an awesome channel. Thank you.