To think we need to start talking about the lack of jobs?

[Newmeagain]

This is prompted by quite a few threads I have read recently, from parents of young people looking for jobs or posters themselves struggling with finding a job.

I feel like a lot of responses are completely out of touch and people are not aware how hard it is right now. There are no “supermarket jobs” etc that you can just pick up.

I think this is having a particularly significant impact on school leavers and graduates looking for their first full time job, students wanting part time work and also anyone over 50 who suddenly finds themselves unemployed.

This has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard. This has been an issue pre Labour so can we at least blame the Tories too.

A lot of this makes sense. It is a bit chicken and egg in some parts though. We didn’t choose to shop or bank online - someone came up with the idea. Also the high street is dying because of things like private equity and corporate landlords which make it highly unaffordable for shops to have a physical presence. They also want more profits so actively chose to go online then sell it is as a good idea. Then we have no choice even though many of us do want to shop in person - and as we get older, lose our sight etc then we may not want to shop online but the choice is taken away.

That's untrue. We don't have Capitalism anymore. The current system is Neoliberalism/Crony Capitalism, where everything is squeezed and squeezed to generate the greatest profit for the small percentage of v wealthy individuals. Productivity has apparently been falling for some years, economic growth per capita has been stagnant for a long time, business investment has been low for a long time. Society has not been getting richer overall, only a small percentage of the already wealthy have been getting wealthier. It is clear that a large percentage have been getting poorer in real terms for a long time now.

This doesn't surprise me that there is a shortage even though it is fairly well paid. Many people don't want to be going near smelly feet.

I only know one pupil I attended school with who did podiatry at QMU and she's still working in the field over 20 years later. It's not a career choice many would think of.

Agreed. A bizarre level of skepticism to a run of the mill response.

But Labour in are in power now. Labour have made many anti employment choices in the past two years that are accelerating the problem.

Agree as in pp the NI and higher costs have increased the issues for YP employment.

Why is it, if not that?

Earning less than 20 grand a year if you’re getting universal credit it’s probably means that you’re in a better financial position than me earning 60 grand a year without.
Or 20 grand a year in Mortgage free
Lots of variables, dear lots of variables

@frozendaisy you are bang on - these are exactly the reasons- you reap what you sew to some extent - and what it’s coming down to is a lot less ‘periphery jobs’ reception, sandwich shops, buildings managers etc , tills at supermarkets-

I've never had UC thanks

And yeah my mortgage paid off now but not when my eldest 2 learned to drive

How many dc did you raise on 20k? Whilst saving for them and paying off your mortgage??…

Precisely, looking back with Rose tinted glasses on or outright lying

I dont understand why more young people dont join the armed forces. I work in a Defence adjacent type role and DH was a reserve, there are so many opportunies outside of 'soldier' like people think to gain great transferable skills in all sorts of fields even if you dont want to be a long term career. Plus the added bonus as my brother found when he was in the army was he had virtually 0 living costs so his entire salary and joining incentives were saved for a house deposit when he got out.

Had 3 kids but spread out. Mortgage was very cheap. Like about £200 a month ( 45k mortgage on repayment) taken in 1997 and kept over paying when interest rates crashed. So paid it off coupe of years early.

Why the rose tinted glasses? My youngest only graduated last year so hardly in the depths of history

Dds driving lessons were £11 an hour. Did about 25 of them and lots of practice in my old banger

DS was paying about £25 an hour but didn't need many Practised on his Inherited old car and was £200 for years insurance on provisional with Collingwood

Perhaps it’s the threat of getting their heads blown off that puts them off.
The Recruitment Sergeants that visited my son’s school were very clear that everybody in the army is a soldier with the expectation to pick up a gun and start firing. Should the need arise
If that’s not the case, then somebody needs to send the message to the coal face and if it is the case that’s what puts them off

£11 an hour 😂😂
it was £19 an hour when I learned in 1997

It was £30 when I tried, about 10 years ago! And that was mates rates in a small town.

Its all great if they pass quickly but actually some people aren’t suited to it

As for 45 grand a year mortgages, I mean lucky you but
I was house hunting again in 1997 and the local shit hole council Estate was selling off eX Council properties at 45 grand then that needed another 45 grand spending on them to make them habitable. I believe my mother bought hers with a 45% discount in 2000 for 90 grand and this was in the Midlands not down south.
Some people live in La La Land they really do

That was expensive. Were you in London?

Distance shopping has always been available. Companies used to produce huge catalogues inches thick and women, usually, operated as agents and got a cut of every sale and most of their customers paid in instalments. Many other customers, like me, bought direct and paid in full. My first new three piece suite for the lounge in 1984 ish was bought from a catalogue which had clothes, toys, and all manner of household items in it. What happened when that went online was simply easier access and removal of the middlewoman.

There has always been huge demand for online shopping, Liverpool and Manchester were famous for catalogue companies and catalogue warehouses.

Likewise, there was huge demand for telephone banking. I was a founder customer of First Direct. They built a huge customer base very quickly from a standing start. Online banking is simply the obvious extension of telephone banking.

If you say so.
Here's the flat I sold in London in 1997 . Private new build a few ywars earlier

Obviously not going to my my current address but prices locally 1997

In 1997, a typical 2-bedroom flat in Billericay sold for between £55,000 and £75,000, largely depending on whether it was a new build or an established property. For context, typical prices on developments like Newlands Road were around £55,000 , while purpose-built flats like those in Hawkley Court on Chapel Street sold for about £77,500 .

Ok so you made a profit on a property…that is very different to I saved on 20k whilst raising 3 dc and getting no UC!

@Thechaseison71 i don’t believe you got no benefits tbh