I didn't cityhopper, boast anyway, and I can't say I noticed many who did but yes the job market has changed so my cousins/nephews/neices who are 15 years plus younger than me, these have been the only jobs they can get, but funnily enough where ever in the country they live they have all found jobs from 16 plus whilst at college, uni or this is my life jobs, I have family in Easterhouse Scotland all working, I use this, as this is an arse end place to live and find work (and it was them who told me this not my opinion), Nephew's in Barnsley who are working one in a petrol station, one as a cleaner, they are 20 and 23, my cousins in the South East one has never found a proper job as it where, but she has always worked she is 25 now, chamber maid, pub, waitress, cornish pastie shop place, I and cousins Mum both realised how much life had changed last summer when she got a salaried job, and after hunting through her contract she asked "where is my hourly rate? " that was sad she was 25 and never had that or regular hours.
nephew in Glasgow working whilst at college, my 18 year old cousin works in his holidays as a builders labourer on his collage hoildays, (just like my DH did) he is training to be a carpenter or joiner,? I get confused,
on the point or It is all down to circumstance and largely what your parents decide for you, and a job is not the only way to have responsibility and empathy for others in a different situation than you. I didn't quite understand this, as from 16 you can have a job and appart from cig/alcohol and marrage you are and adult, my Mum in the 60's at 17 went against her parents wishes and became a student nurse, the hospital in those days became in loco parentis, didn't work in all case but did in my Mums and My mums family had a pile of money and their own business, which wasn't just a small concern, factories in South africa, canada, australia, belguim, midlands, kent/london, so I could play the posh card, as in up until my grandad sold the business to a multinational, I could have worked there, just didn't both my parents at times worked for the company, but moved on. I actually don't see anything wrong in nepotism, so long as it doesn't trap someone in a work situation they don't want, one of my summer lacky jobs was just that, daughter of the boss, but I was still expected to work hard and was put in a place with no family in the department, believe me they didn't give me any favours.
work is work and these days sahm/students do ebay, boot fairs, working people do the same on top of their job, I am not saying where you live it isn't tough but if you use you imagination you can make pin money.
My DH has been unemployed for 4 months now, mid 40s professional. but he realises that e-bay is the way to suppliment our income at the mo, we have a ton oh shite, we don't claim benefits yet, but if he didn't do this then I will admit we would have to, but I have the belief that if you don't need to claim them don't because their will be someone worse off than yourself who does, but I think that is where we have lost our way that some believe it is a right not a help in hand in times of trouble.
good god I go on don't I? :)