Do people understand that many of us have lived through high periods of unemployment?

[marymarkle]

There are major issues for young people today with zero hour contracts and high housing costs. But I do get a bit fed up with comments that state that life is much harder for young people now that ever before.

I left school during the Thatcher year. Unemployment was very high and outside London whole communities were decimated by this, I still remember a classmate just before we left coming into school excited because they had secured a job in a factory. Jobs were very hard to get, reaching a peak of 10.8% unemployed in the early 1980's, and that was with them fidding the unemployment figures. And there was no MW, wages were often very very low. Yes house prices were cheaper, but that only benefited those already doing well.

I remember it as a very grim time in our country. While the City was booming and people earned massive bonuses, street homelessness soared, use of illegal drugs soared, as did crime. And many adults in their 50s who lost jobs during this time, never worked again. It was a grim time economically to be young.

I remember how difficult it was to find work in the 80's. When I moved South there was an abundance of jobs. People were also borrowing stupid amounts of money and buying houses they could not really afford to maintain mortgages on.

Caddying, eh? How did he get into that?

Perhaps he walked to the golf course and gave a practical demonstration of his ability to carry things?

Thatcher was a UK only issue and a temporary one, the current economy is global and only going to get worse. Where I live my parents generation weren't affected the Thatcher years, but my generation is struggling around the globe.

I haven’t read this whole thread but think it is a bit stupid that one exists where people are ‘competing for hardship status’. Nobody’s experience detracts from anybody else’s.

I think everybody's circumstances and life experiences differ and this should be respected.

I left London not because I could not afford to rent anywhere nice, but because I was paying a lot to rent rooms in shared shitholes. Not just not nice.

But that’s exactly what young people still do today Mary. And they probably pay a far higher percentage of their wage for the privilege of living in that “shithole” than you did.

I left school mid 80's and was living in a small town in Scotland. Massive unemployment, you had to be grateful for having a factory job (thanks Thatcher). Did go to uni later in life and have a good job now but still don't own a house sadly.

the one thing you haven't addressed is why your family is spread to the winds...

Not all spread to the winds. The ones that are had to follow the work.

XingMing - person with art degree, must be late 20s, 30. Have they walked round their local town and handed out their CV. I can't believe that they could not have got a Xmas job. Have they registered at temping agencies. People have to put effort into getting a job. What have they been doing for these years ? Extra qualifications ? Volunteering ?

I do enjoy how blind to their privilege the privileged are.

XingMing - I've worked in kitchens, cleaning, hospitals, fast food, shops, factories, etc You don't need a degree to do any of these jobs. There was a TV program where people were seen to commute from European countries to work in retail in UK, because the minimum wage paid more than their home country. In contrast, we have lazy people who can't get a job !

( Assuming they are based in UK)

The fact that minimum wage pays more than other countries is the key thing. It's one thing to grit your teeth, come over here and work minimum wage, living in an overcrowded slum to save money for a few years that goes further at home it's quite another thing for a British person to spend the rest of their life living in a slum because that's all they can get from their wage.

I don't think it's always laziness. I'm sure people have looked at what sort of life they could have on minimum wage and decide it simply isn't worth the effort.

Worth the effort - From my experience if you are in work, you can have the opportunity to be offered a better job, overtime, training etc. If you don't work, you are always at level 1 ( not taking into account people who are unable to work due to illness). Why should I be making the effort to get up at 6am to go to work, to pay for someone else who can't be bothered ?

It's swings and roundabouts.
Poorer people were generally happier and were more accepting of their lot as everyone in their communities were in the same boat and yes there was extreme hardship during the recessions for some. It hasn't reached quite that level yet but it feels like it as people have higher expectations now. Poor is relative. Obviously some are still struggling to feed themselves or house themselves adequately but what would have been considered luxuries are now seen as necessities.

There were definitely more opportunities in the 80's. There is a sense of hopelessness now, and a lot of pressure to achieve without the opportunities to do so. And I agree with the op that it is the middle classes that are now in/next in line for relative hardship.

Extreme poverty and extreme wealth aside, I think my generation had it the best. I'm 50. Many people were able to socially climb and we felt successful because we weren't bought up to expect it. Today's kids are bought up with expectations but won't have the opportunities, so they will feel disillusioned and unhappy with their lot.

But there won't be better jobs for everyone who needs one. I'm not on benefits myself but I'm not rushing back to work after mat leave because nursery fees are more than my salary for example.

Work doesn't always pay and I'm a lot less judgemental of the work shy than I once was.

In the 80’s applied for 300 jobs before I got one.
we bought our own house as there was no rental property available. and I was paying 13% interest and paying 75% of my wages just keeping up with that. Then along comes thatcher and her poll tax putting our rates up 500% overnight. Didn’t have a car just a motorbike. Second hand tv sofa carpets even second hand kitchen as the one in the house fell apart when we moved in. No holidays for 5years so yes we had it tough. In th 80’s
But we were one of the lucky ones that bought after the crash some were paying 17% interest on mortgages that were bigger than thier houses were worth.

poster Yulebealrite

I think your wrong the opertunities are still there it’s just they won’t be found under the bed or at the end of the next level of COD.

Kids are pampered today and given what they want when they demand it without working for it.

If your brought up like this you expect it.

Yulebear - Hopeless - that sort of attitude will get people no where ! Of course there are opportunities, same as there were in all previous generations

And in tne Thatcherite years we didn’t leave Uni with huge debts, our fees and grants were paid.

We didn’t expect to have to work til 70 before we get state pension.

To buy a house didn’t cost many multiples of your annual wage.

There are many reasons why tne future, not just the ‘now’ are hard for young people.

There aren't as many opportunities because the increase in cost of housing means there are fewer jobs that pay enough to live on.

Aren't things supposed to get better though?

Saying we had it tough too is missing the point.

I want the next generation to have a better quality of life than I did. We are squabbling over scraps. The idea that my children will have less chance of buying a house, less chance of job security and less opportunities in general appals me.

It shouldn't be an argument about who had it worse it should be an argument about why things aren't getting significantly better.

I said the same fuzzyduck The expectations are definitely there but many are unrealistic as although there are opportunities, there are less of them and it will be much harder for them to afford the lifestyles they have been bought up with and consequently expect as their right. A degree used to be the gateway to success. Now many a degree is the norm for a bog standard job that doesn't pay enough to cover student debt and a mortgage.
Not everyone can have high flying salaries, no matter how hard they work. Although there is no denying that there is an element of expecting high rewards for little graft, owning their own home is now out of the reach of many and this can only lead to dissatisfaction and demotivation for today's kids.

It's naive to think everyone in a NMW job is given the opportunity to climb higher up the ladder and earn more.
How about we make the NMW more of a living wage.
I live in the south east one of the most expensive areas in the UK and despite the ridiculous living costs a lot of the jobs offered here are no more than NMW unless your lucky to bag yourself a good job in central London.

Things are tough now, no doubt they were tough before and they will be tough in the future. We should demand better and not just accept scraps because someone once had it much worse. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be able to build a good career with a good pension after studies or to be able to afford a mortgage on average salary.

I knew a couple both on NMW who had to move in with the parents of one after a rent hike. They are really trying to save for a deposit. They both work full time, both do unsocial hours and don't have the spare cash or much spare time for additional study.