Posted on 07/21/2010 7:11:04 PM PDT by george76
Several factors have aligned to hurt what was once a vibrant and reliable labor market, experts say. In some cases, unemployed older Americans or illegal immigrants have taken the jobs, while an increase in the minimum wage has made it too expensive for some employers to hire teens.
Small says that among a group of 25 friends, only one has found consistent work for the summer... In construction and landscaping, illegal immigrants have pushed teens out of jobs,
“It’s too expensive for us to hire teens that don’t have experience,” said Karin Devencenzi... also blames the minimum wage. At $8.40 an hour, Oregon has one of the highest minimum wages in the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Unfortunately there are none im my area.
Thanks. I will check it out.
Tough,sucks to be them.
Uh.. so that would make them “would-be” teen workers, yes? And if they have problems, they can take them up with the Marxist-in-Chief - any man who walks on water, as he does, should certainly be able to solve their problems for them.
They need to look at the Indian tech support persons who are taking jobs from Americans as well. Many tech companies are outsourcing tech jobs to India and other middle eastern countries because they have computer training and work cheap. Tech jobs can be done from any location so they can stay in India and work for companies in America. Friends of mine have lost their jobs and have been replaced by Indian workers.
I don’t agree. I know many kids who try working on mowing lawns and they can’t compete with illegals who can work for much less cost and have the racial reputation of being better at yard work. Also, you are looking at a current problem with 25 year old memories and logic. What might have been true 25 years ago isn’t the case in this age. Kids today are having to compete with adults who are out of work and illegals who are cheaper. Americans are being cut out of the work place by illegals who will work cheaper and longer and still make more money than us. I read this and it shows how they can do it.
You have two families: “Joe Legal” and “Jose Illegal”. Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California …
Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted.
Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, And gets paid $15.00 cash “under the table”.
Ready? Now pay attention…
Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00 Per year.
Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has $31,231.00.
Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.00 per year.
Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for His family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now Has $24,031.00.
Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and Local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or Welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per Year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.
Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631.00.
Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal Still has $ 31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal Now has $7,231.00.
Jose Illegal says, “We don’t need no stinking insurance!” and still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, etc.
Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.
Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work.
Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.
Joe Legal’s and Jose Illegal’s children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children’s lunches while Jose Illegal’s children get a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal’s children have an after School ESL program. Joe Legal’s children go home.
Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.
Do you get it, now?
It blows my mind how many people excuse the illegals by saying that they do jobs Americans won’t do or that Americans are lazy. When the truth is that the illegals will do it cheaper and not bitch. In other words you are calling people lazy for not being competitive to others who are working for slave labor wages.
Try getting a teenage kid to work, is more likely the problem. We hire a hay crew each summer, and it is getting harder and harder to find a kid that knows what work is. We had one this summer whose mother called asking if he could work. Seems she had bought him a truck and she hoped he could earn some gas money. Good idea right? Well, the kid shows up at 9.00 a.m. and by 11.30 a.m. “suddenly” remembers he had to pick up his girlfriend to go to the lake (a 30 mile drive each way). Next day, same thing; and coincidentally, one other boy remembered he had an important meeting at the same time, so we lost two before lunch. What important meeting do you have in the middle of the summer when you are 16-17? And these kids came from the Ag. department of the high school. Funny thing was how confused the mother was when she came to pick up his check and wondered why he was gone for two days and only got paid for 6 hours.... hahahahahaha. She asked my mom (now in her 70’s) what she should do to make him more responsible?? Can you believe it? My mom said, take his truck away. The lady looked at her like, “yeah sure, like that’s going to happen.” It makes you wonder. When I was their age (and younger), I hayed all summer - one year I put in 7500 bales. The last few years it has gotten harder and harder to find a teenager that can put in an 8 hour day.
I was just making an observation and was not saying I really cared that so many kids are going to graduate with $100,000 to 200,000 in debt with no real opportunity to pay it off.
A lot of kids are. I used to get flyers on my door from time to time, but now all I get is the cards of landscape companies. A reliable teen in my neighborhood with a mower, edger, trimmer, blower, a truck, and a decent work ethic could make a killing.
You misunderstood: I suggested a teen who could price his services $5 less than a current landscape co., assuming he was reliable, would get most people to switch to him. I didn’t say he’d do it for $5. Hell, my first whole yard was more than $5 in 1981!! I did do a couple of $5 front yards when I was in jr. high to get started. We’ll ignore what year that was!
You misunderstood: I meant $5 LESS; not $5 total. See above post.
2 summers ago, I did 4 yards just for exercise and a little extra cash. I know what the market rate around here is. Plus, I could turn it into a profitable business EASILY with no interference from the massive illegal immigration we have here.
I wish you would have actually read my post before spending an hour responding to it.
I know what the market for yard services is RIGHT NOW. 2 years ago, I upgraded all my yard equipment (mower, edger, trimmer) to pro equipment. Already had a blower. Spring and summer is my “off-season” from my extra-curricular activities, so I decided to pick up a few yards on my street to care for. I put flyers and got my asking price ($50) on all but one. One guy insisted on $45. I spent about 1K on the equipment and made about $2200 or so. Blower went out in late summer so I decided not to do that again, but if I lost my job (virtually impossible), I could crank that back up EASILY.
So could a teen around here. It would be easier for him, since he 1) wouldn’t have the overhead; 2) has more time; and 3) probably has more energy. A teen around here (a HOTBED of illegals) could get 40 yards in 2 weeks.
I do whenever I’m in Cali.
Immediate termination. Why play games?
When the picking is scarce, as in, there aren’t kids lined up at the door even at $12 an hour - and you have only a day or two window of good weather to bail and pick-up before your bails get rained on in the field - you takes what you can gets.
I do sympathize with you. I've been through the "my girlfriend" routine too many times to count.
And not to only pick on lazy teenagers, I’ve heard many times: “my wife says I can’t work late/weekends”.
Thank you for an unsettling math lesson.
It explains what I saw about 3 years ago. A local family had got burned out of their house, and had been setup in an apartment. The school mentioned they lost everything, needed help, etc. We had a bed in the garage waiting to get taken to the thrift store. We brought it to them instead.
We brought it over - Hispanic family. The two older women were very grateful and so proud to be part of a community that helps them as they showed off lots of nice furniture that was like ours - sitting in storage or somewhere. (As translated by a young girl).
The adult male came in later with a bag from Target full of video games, etc. for the kids. I guess the kids need some entertainment, but it was weird seeing him come in with one bag with more of that crap than my kids have! None. (But, we did clear out space in the garage!).
Anyway - I have always been more aware at the stuff that these folks have, even after they send half of it back home to Mexico. I new a bit how they accumulated the money - just not in the detail that you provided.
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