There is and always has been work for people willing to show up and do an honest job in exchange for the economic value they are providing. The entitlement attitude and the lack of drive to work is a problem in the American workforce. The school system is a complete and total utter failure. People who don't know phonics and who are not able to read at a comprehension level that 18 yr olds could do 200 years ago is a massive impediment to the necessity of being a high-speed learner.
To compete in today's age, one must be a high-speed learner. High speed learning is a functional capacity built over time. It's about the ability to intake a lot of data, process it, and incorporate it into functional outcomes.
It is possible to do on one's own, but it is also possible to do via an apprentice program. I have built such an apprentice program, and it has worked repeatedly over the last decade to take people with the right attitude and aptitude and bootcamp them to another level. I can provide the structure, materials, and opportunities, but I cannot put the data into their brains nor control their attitude. They must do that. Being an adult is hard, and that is hard for a lot of people.
The fraudulent school system pushes the idea that if you pay them a bunch of money, they will provide a level of knowledge and accreditation that translates to economic value to an employer. I continue to interview people that want $70,000/yr salary for a functional economic value that they can provide which is barely $18/hr.
As part of the entitlement, they don't want to show up in an office or do anything challenging, difficult, stressful, new, uncomfortable, demanding. Yet they don't want to be outsourced to India. It cannot be both ways. They want only to do the cool, fun things without any of the drudgery and have attitude problems about what is beneath them or that they won't do XYZ without more pay. Payroll theft is a real problem most employers have to deal with where staff are working only 6 hours per day while expecting to be paid for 8. Reliability and following written instructions is a real problem.
I have been hiring people for the last 25 years. The above are the items that I see as impediments to employment. Having interviewed hundreds of people who think they are proficient, but then get through one skills evaluating interview and find out that they lack the fundamental basic understandings to provide economic value, the question always comes down to whether or not they are willing to adjust their expectations. Sometimes that expectation adjustment is a matter of being willing to put in some time for self-study that costs nothing other than their time. Perhaps an hour a day. All other materials and resources provided. Shockingly, that level of investment in oneself is a bridge too far for most.
That investment into themselves through the choice of simply regular self-study is the delineator between someone who will be successful and one who will not. Studying for some useless certifications or degrees that do not result in the ability of that person to deliver economic value independently is not an investment in themselves.
Real investment means CAN YOU DO IT YOURSELF?
Can you look at a problem, develop a plan to solve it, and implement the solution? That all requires hands on doing, not theoretical.
My advice to everyone looking for a job is to find a local business that does something like what they have an interest in and show up at their offices making a case for why they want to apprentice there. Find a way to be of service that incentivizes and employer to invest in your training. I'm not talking about paying for classes. I'm talking about the much more valuable training of providing opportunities to do real world tangible things that result in customer value. If you can provide customer value, you have economic value. The more customer value you can provide independent of other people, the more economic value you deliver alone meaning your value increases.
In the last few months, I have talked to several people who are sitting at home studying for useless certification tests instead of just getting out there at a local business and trying to be of service. They keep functioning in a brainwashed model of degrees and letters behind one's name somehow translating to economic value when it does not.
Lau....Trump inherited a mess with the economy, and is trying to find a way out, as best as his advisors can work with him. If they do not lower the interest rate, no housing will be sold or purchased. I would like him to try lower the credit card rates; as he made reference to at the start of the year. This must be done, no matter what; to get people to spend again. Young people must now be creative, and start their own businesses. We do not need more federal workers. Much money is made during hard times! Good article!
Lau - Another great analysis and report! Your logic and articulation are truly impressive. Since the BLS data is misleading (by design), your method of analysis using other sources yields more helpful information. Any idea about the size of the “out-of-the-workforce” population and its impact?
Funny; the Trump political class thinks government-set interest rates need to be lowered to continue this great economy. They don't realize that the act of lowering interest rates is NOT the sign of a strong economy; its the sign of a WEAK economy!
I’m seeing a two tiered economy here. Out to dinner the other night (and every other time we go out) and the place was packed but it was all mid 70 year olds. I was the youngest in the place at 41. At what point does the strong economy narrative cease, even to the boomers who are the only ones I see out spending money? Surely they can’t paper over the effects of this for long?
There is and always has been work for people willing to show up and do an honest job in exchange for the economic value they are providing. The entitlement attitude and the lack of drive to work is a problem in the American workforce. The school system is a complete and total utter failure. People who don't know phonics and who are not able to read at a comprehension level that 18 yr olds could do 200 years ago is a massive impediment to the necessity of being a high-speed learner.
To compete in today's age, one must be a high-speed learner. High speed learning is a functional capacity built over time. It's about the ability to intake a lot of data, process it, and incorporate it into functional outcomes.
It is possible to do on one's own, but it is also possible to do via an apprentice program. I have built such an apprentice program, and it has worked repeatedly over the last decade to take people with the right attitude and aptitude and bootcamp them to another level. I can provide the structure, materials, and opportunities, but I cannot put the data into their brains nor control their attitude. They must do that. Being an adult is hard, and that is hard for a lot of people.
The fraudulent school system pushes the idea that if you pay them a bunch of money, they will provide a level of knowledge and accreditation that translates to economic value to an employer. I continue to interview people that want $70,000/yr salary for a functional economic value that they can provide which is barely $18/hr.
As part of the entitlement, they don't want to show up in an office or do anything challenging, difficult, stressful, new, uncomfortable, demanding. Yet they don't want to be outsourced to India. It cannot be both ways. They want only to do the cool, fun things without any of the drudgery and have attitude problems about what is beneath them or that they won't do XYZ without more pay. Payroll theft is a real problem most employers have to deal with where staff are working only 6 hours per day while expecting to be paid for 8. Reliability and following written instructions is a real problem.
I have been hiring people for the last 25 years. The above are the items that I see as impediments to employment. Having interviewed hundreds of people who think they are proficient, but then get through one skills evaluating interview and find out that they lack the fundamental basic understandings to provide economic value, the question always comes down to whether or not they are willing to adjust their expectations. Sometimes that expectation adjustment is a matter of being willing to put in some time for self-study that costs nothing other than their time. Perhaps an hour a day. All other materials and resources provided. Shockingly, that level of investment in oneself is a bridge too far for most.
That investment into themselves through the choice of simply regular self-study is the delineator between someone who will be successful and one who will not. Studying for some useless certifications or degrees that do not result in the ability of that person to deliver economic value independently is not an investment in themselves.
Real investment means CAN YOU DO IT YOURSELF?
Can you look at a problem, develop a plan to solve it, and implement the solution? That all requires hands on doing, not theoretical.
My advice to everyone looking for a job is to find a local business that does something like what they have an interest in and show up at their offices making a case for why they want to apprentice there. Find a way to be of service that incentivizes and employer to invest in your training. I'm not talking about paying for classes. I'm talking about the much more valuable training of providing opportunities to do real world tangible things that result in customer value. If you can provide customer value, you have economic value. The more customer value you can provide independent of other people, the more economic value you deliver alone meaning your value increases.
In the last few months, I have talked to several people who are sitting at home studying for useless certification tests instead of just getting out there at a local business and trying to be of service. They keep functioning in a brainwashed model of degrees and letters behind one's name somehow translating to economic value when it does not.
Lau....Trump inherited a mess with the economy, and is trying to find a way out, as best as his advisors can work with him. If they do not lower the interest rate, no housing will be sold or purchased. I would like him to try lower the credit card rates; as he made reference to at the start of the year. This must be done, no matter what; to get people to spend again. Young people must now be creative, and start their own businesses. We do not need more federal workers. Much money is made during hard times! Good article!
Nice work, Lau!
Thanks. Just the facts. Keep us posted. Always appreciated.
Lau - Another great analysis and report! Your logic and articulation are truly impressive. Since the BLS data is misleading (by design), your method of analysis using other sources yields more helpful information. Any idea about the size of the “out-of-the-workforce” population and its impact?
Funny; the Trump political class thinks government-set interest rates need to be lowered to continue this great economy. They don't realize that the act of lowering interest rates is NOT the sign of a strong economy; its the sign of a WEAK economy!
What a bunch of dumbassery!
Lau,
I’m seeing a two tiered economy here. Out to dinner the other night (and every other time we go out) and the place was packed but it was all mid 70 year olds. I was the youngest in the place at 41. At what point does the strong economy narrative cease, even to the boomers who are the only ones I see out spending money? Surely they can’t paper over the effects of this for long?