Comments on: 54,000 new jobs. Half of them hamburger flippers? https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:45:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1584 TB Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:52:45 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1584 U.S. fertility peaked in 1957. A lot of what we're seeing now may be due to immigration and descendants of immigrants. <img src="http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/usimmigration.gif" alt=" " /> U.S. fertility peaked in 1957. A lot of what we’re seeing now may be due to immigration and descendants of immigrants.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1582 ER Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:19:08 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1582 Yes, as soon as us old farts hurry up and die off so all the young dudes can take over. Many of our social problems today arise from the fact that the "Greatest Generation" couldn't wait to get their wives "in the club" when they came home in 1945. Yes, as soon as us old farts hurry up and die off so all the young dudes can take over. Many of our social problems today arise from the fact that the “Greatest Generation” couldn’t wait to get their wives “in the club” when they came home in 1945.

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1575 TB Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:20:04 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1575 I still have a lot of confidence in people's ability to create new industries and jobs. While a lot of jobs that people did when I was a kid aren't around any more, a huge percentage of the jobs today didn't exist back then either. New jobs can be created. Jobs nobody ever heard of before. It's done all the time. Fifty years ago, this country had less than half the people employed than it does right this minute. 41 percent, to be precise. It's actually kind of remarkable that we've kept up with the population of new workers as well as we have. Heck, if you look at March of 2001, the employment peak of the great 90s boom, we had 132.5 million jobs. That's only about 1.4 million more jobs than there were in May. Like a one percent difference. Yet the unemployment rate back then was 4.3, and now it's 9.1. We've grown our way out of these things in the past. Maybe we can do it again. I still have a lot of confidence in people’s ability to create new industries and jobs. While a lot of jobs that people did when I was a kid aren’t around any more, a huge percentage of the jobs today didn’t exist back then either.

New jobs can be created. Jobs nobody ever heard of before. It’s done all the time. Fifty years ago, this country had less than half the people employed than it does right this minute. 41 percent, to be precise. It’s actually kind of remarkable that we’ve kept up with the population of new workers as well as we have.

Heck, if you look at March of 2001, the employment peak of the great 90s boom, we had 132.5 million jobs. That’s only about 1.4 million more jobs than there were in May. Like a one percent difference. Yet the unemployment rate back then was 4.3, and now it’s 9.1.

We’ve grown our way out of these things in the past. Maybe we can do it again.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1573 ER Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:04:38 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1573 Bingo. Government policies may play some role, especially in the short term, but in general, our economic problems are mostly systemic. Times are changing, domestically and internationally. We no longer live in a world where most everyone can get a decent job. The changes are demographic, technological, trade and communications related, but they are here nonetheless. The new reality is that we have more people than we need to keep the economy running smoothly. This may be great for the planet as a whole, because it pushes up living standards in the third world where most manufacturing is now being done. But Americans (and Europeans) are going to have to learn to live with less, unless they have specialized skills. And we can't all be geotechnologists or spacecraft designers. And I understand even they aren't doing too well lately. No conspiracy, no villains. Shit just happened while we weren't paying attention. Bingo. Government policies may play some role, especially in the short term, but in general, our economic problems are mostly systemic. Times are changing, domestically and internationally. We no longer live in a world where most everyone can get a decent job.
The changes are demographic, technological, trade and communications related, but they are here nonetheless.

The new reality is that we have more people than we need to keep the economy running smoothly. This may be great for the planet as a whole, because it pushes up living standards in the third world where most manufacturing is now being done. But Americans (and Europeans) are going to have to learn to live with less, unless they have specialized skills. And we can’t all be geotechnologists or spacecraft designers. And I understand even they aren’t doing too well lately.

No conspiracy, no villains. Shit just happened while we weren’t paying attention.

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1566 TB Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:30:15 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1566 Out in the midwest, at least in the small town where I lived, entry-level was agricultural grunt work. I started out with Green Giant. I don't know about construction work - it never occurred to me to look for it. As I look at the numbers I'm starting to realize that the real problem is. There just aren't enough jobs to go around, and it's not just that businesses laid people off temporarily and will rehire when things get better. In a long-running slow economy, businesses of all sorts are learning how to get the work done with fewer people because they had to. New jobs are going to have to come from brand new businesses, or the growth of old ones. Out in the midwest, at least in the small town where I lived, entry-level was agricultural grunt work. I started out with Green Giant. I don’t know about construction work – it never occurred to me to look for it.

As I look at the numbers I’m starting to realize that the real problem is. There just aren’t enough jobs to go around, and it’s not just that businesses laid people off temporarily and will rehire when things get better. In a long-running slow economy, businesses of all sorts are learning how to get the work done with fewer people because they had to. New jobs are going to have to come from brand new businesses, or the growth of old ones.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1564 ER Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:18:04 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1564 The traditional entry-level job for young men when I was in my late teens and early twenties was construction (if you were fit enough to keep up). It paid well, even for a starting-out helper, and if you had any skills at all, it paid very well. And there were always jobs available. If you were a rural kid, there was always plenty of work in the orange groves. That's all done by illegals now. Today, there are fewer jobs in construction in Florida, and the ones that do exist are held frequently by foreigners: Irishmen in the skilled trades, Latins in the grunt work. The flap ain't over yet. We've just gotten used to burger flipping as better than nothing. The traditional entry-level job for young men when I was in my late teens and early twenties was construction (if you were fit enough to keep up). It paid well, even for a starting-out helper, and if you had any skills at all, it paid very well. And there were always jobs available. If you were a rural kid, there was always plenty of work in the orange groves. That’s all done by illegals now.

Today, there are fewer jobs in construction in Florida, and the ones that do exist are held frequently by foreigners: Irishmen in the skilled trades, Latins in the grunt work.

The flap ain’t over yet. We’ve just gotten used to burger flipping as better than nothing.

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1556 TB Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:31:08 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1556 McDonalds does have a very high turnover rate, but not from losing jobs. It's from people finding better ones. McDonalds doesn't like it, but that's kind of the point of an entry-level job, isn't it? I should make it clear that there's nothing wrong with "hamburger-flipping" jobs. It's where you start life out, unless your dad is boss. I just remember all the flap from liberals about "McJobs" back when the unemployment rate was less than half what it is now. McDonalds does have a very high turnover rate, but not from losing jobs. It’s from people finding better ones. McDonalds doesn’t like it, but that’s kind of the point of an entry-level job, isn’t it?

I should make it clear that there’s nothing wrong with “hamburger-flipping” jobs. It’s where you start life out, unless your dad is boss. I just remember all the flap from liberals about “McJobs” back when the unemployment rate was less than half what it is now.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1549 ER Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:48:23 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1549 The carbon units are interchangeable, replaceable and disposable. Welcome to the Machine. The carbon units are interchangeable, replaceable and disposable. Welcome to the Machine.

]]> By: VelociraptorBlade https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/06/03/54000-new-jobs-half-of-them-hamburger-flippers/#comment-1524 VelociraptorBlade Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:26:32 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1381#comment-1524 Ten bucks says these same people lose their jobs before the year is out. Ten bucks says these same people lose their jobs before the year is out.

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