We are getting nickel and dimed to death.

[highfigh]

Jobs being available isn't the entire picture. How much those jobs pay would be telling though. If they're all professional positions that require experience, but pay well, then that's awesome.

But, if they're "unskilled" (which doesn't exist) and pay less than $15/hr, then of course they're open. Nobody wants to work is only the beginning of the sentence. The complete sentence is "nobody wants to work...in a toxic environment, for low pay, for a company that doesn't care about work/life balance, etc."

There are a lot of reasons people are quitting, and one of them is that they realize they don't have to put up with what they used to. I've had that attitude for a long time, but a lot are just now finding it.

I know of skilled jobs that don't pay much more than $15/hour- burger flippers can KMA if they think most people will continue to go to the fast food places that trowel out that crap. A 1/4 Pounder with cheese meal was over $8 the last time I bought one two years ago and I can eat twice at a lot of places for the same amount, but the food is a lot better. Starbucks employees in Buffalo, NY recently voted to unionize- let's see how that goes.

 

[Hobbit]

I've been thinking about this for a while, but two different things I learned today made me create a thread.

Basically, we, as Americans, are getting nickel and dimed to death by companies just because they can. I'm sure this is happening a lot in other countries too, so please share.

You just figured this out? It's been going on for years and steadily getting worse. Even the gvt is getting creative finding ways to raise money without increasing income taxes.

Altogether it's ubiquitous one way or another. It seems everything has an add-on. Everything appears cheap until you agglomerate them all.

I feel the same about advertising. It's amazing everywhere it appears now. Not only does someone sell you something (for a profit), but they also find ways to add in an advertisement. Advertising has gotten so bad at you tube that I rarely go there anymore. You see more adds there in 5 minutes of viewing than you see on a 30 minute over the air tv show. Even when you go to sites that you pay handsomely for a product or a service, they have advertising.

Part of the problem we've become an oligopolistic market. They compete on a non price basis. Then they play around by itemizing pricing to appear try and differentiate themselves. They also do this using add-on (that you need) and when it's all said and done you pay the same price through any of the few companies that sell the product or service.

The sad part is all this must work. Reminds me of the story of A&W coming out with a 1/3lb burger to compete with the quarter pounder but most people didn't realize a 1/3 > 1/4. I don't think most people get it.

I always used to laugh at all the futuristic sci-fi movies with all the advertising and extra-costs (mustard costs extra on your burger). I went to doctors' office the other day and they charged a building fee. Like what I said about gvt, they keep finding creative ways to charge you more. Like they're unique in paying rent or having mortgage? This is just one example of a "fee" like this.

 

[cpp]

But, if they're "unskilled" (which doesn't exist) and pay less than $15/hr, then of course they're open.

ITs all types of job in that area from skilled and unskilled , there is even a open Secert Service job with up to $146.000 a year/.

 

[panteragstk]

You just figured this out? It's been going on for years and steadily getting worse. Even the gvt is getting creative finding ways to raise money without increasing income taxes.

Altogether it's ubiquitous one way or another. It seems everything has an add-on. Everything appears cheap until you agglomerate them all.

I feel the same about advertising. It's amazing everywhere it appears now. Not only does someone sell you something (for a profit), but they also find ways to add in an advertisement. Advertising has gotten so bad at you tube that I rarely go there anymore. You see more adds there in 5 minutes of viewing than you see on a 30 minute over the air tv show. Even when you go to sites that you pay handsomely for a product or a service, they have advertising.

Part of the problem we've become an oligopolistic market. They compete on a non price basis. Then they play around by itemizing pricing to appear try and differentiate themselves. They also do this using add-on (that you need) and when it's all said and done you pay the same price through any of the few companies that sell the product or service.

The sad part is all this must work. Reminds me of the story of A&W coming out with a 1/3lb burger to compete with the quarter pounder but most people didn't realize a 1/3 > 1/4. I don't think most people get it.

I always used to laugh at all the futuristic sci-fi movies with all the advertising and extra-costs (mustard costs extra on your burger). I went to doctors' office the other day and they charged a building fee. Like what I said about gvt, they keep finding creative ways to charge you more. Like they're unique in paying rent or having mortgage? This is just one example of a "fee" like this.

No, I didn't just notice. It has been ongoing for a while, but it seems to be getting significantly worse. App microtransactions are another one. Even South Park did an episode about it.

I can't stand ads either. My kids grew up without commercials and the first time they wanted to watch something I didn't have recorded or on a streaming service they asked "why is my show over so soon, and what is this show?" They're spoiled.

The A&W thing just shows how bad education here is. Yes, 4 is bigger than 3, BUT 1/3 of something is bigger than 1/4. The fact that confused anyone is amazing.

 

[panteragstk]

ITs all types of job in that area from skilled and unskilled , there is even a open Secert Service job with up to $146.000 a year/.

Unskilled drives me nuts though. If you have to be trained on how to do your job, it is skilled.

If I hand a guy a shovel, and say "dig a hole" he'll figure it out. Unskilled labor really is a very small set of jobs. Almost any job requires training of some sort.

 

[cpp]

Almost any job requires training of some sort.

I would say all jobs. Someone ( the person that's paying you) has to tell ya how they want it done.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

You must not have to interact with Cisco. If they could charge a licensing fee for rack ears they would.

I do and fairly often. I have to admit recent changes in switches licensing, DNA in particular is unnecessarily expensive and complex.

 

[davidscott]

I think that $15 an hour is a fair minimum wage. Heck the minimum wage has stayed stagnant for so long it's time. The real question is benefits that go with the job...

 

[jinjuku]

I do and fairly often. I have to admit recent changes in switches licensing, DNA in particular is unnecessarily expensive and complex.

I've worked recently on a mm dollar scale project, and three different Cisco SE's and three different licensing quotes. Took the three of them 10 days to get back to us to have it all sorted out and guaranteed.

 

[lovinthehd]

A local news station ran a story about a Dollar Tree store that had a sign on the door with "Sorry, store is closed- everyone quit".

LOL Dollar Tree--what a loss for society.

 

[highfigh]

LOL Dollar Tree--what a loss for society.

Well, if you buy certain things frequently, the savings over a year could be well into the mid double-digits.

 

[highfigh]

I think that $15 an hour is a fair minimum wage. Heck the minimum wage has stayed stagnant for so long it's time. The real question is benefits that go with the job...

It may be fair, but doubling it is unfair to employers who may be operating on thin margins. The worst fast food places should close, anyway- they're killing people and don't care plus, they pay squat. It's the small businesses that don't use skilled workers that will be hit hardest.

 

[lovinthehd]

Well, if you buy certain things frequently, the savings over a year could be well into the mid double-digits.

Meh. Mostly an excuse for cheap crap.

 

[highfigh]

Meh. Mostly an excuse for cheap crap.

Oven cleaner, dishwashing liquid detergent, snack foods, kitchen supplies... I don't buy much from them but if I think of something and don't want to drive farther, it's convenient.

 

[lovinthehd]

Oven cleaner, dishwashing liquid detergent, snack foods, kitchen supplies... I don't buy much from them but if I think of something and don't want to drive farther, it's convenient.

I just buy that sort of stuff in bulk at Costco I went in our Dollar General store, and the selection of what they did have was poor and not particularly well priced. Haven't been back myself. They did put some extra pressure on our one supermarket for those goods I suppose, seems to be their business model to an extent.

ps so that's a good example of nickel and diming right there, those we impose on ourselves by buying things in small retail quantities....

 

[Old Onkyo]

Unskilled drives me nuts though. If you have to be trained on how to do your job, it is skilled.

If I hand a guy a shovel, and say "dig a hole" he'll figure it out. Unskilled labor really is a very small set of jobs. Almost any job requires training of some sort.

Trust me, the is a skill in digging a six foot deep bell hole that most people will never figure out without proper training.

 

[cpp]

The real question is benefits that go with the job...

And that cost money to provide your employees as its not free for the employers.

 

[highfigh]

I just buy that sort of stuff in bulk at Costco I went in our Dollar General store, and the selection of what they did have was poor and not particularly well priced. Haven't been back myself. They did put some extra pressure on our one supermarket for those goods I suppose, seems to be their business model to an extent.

ps so that's a good example of nickel and diming right there, those we impose on ourselves by buying things in small retail quantities....

I don't live close enough to a Costco to make it a reasonable trip but buying in bulk comes with requirements- specifically, storage space for everything.

Wait- "not particularly well priced"? It's the Dollar Store! Everything is a dollar!

"Price check on aisle three".

 

[highfigh]

Trust me, the is a skill in digging a six foot deep bell hole that most people will never figure out without proper training.

I guess "Just stand there and look pertty" isn't a job description.

'Bell hole' is that for an underground storage battery?

 

[lovinthehd]

I don't live close enough to a Costco to make it a reasonable trip but buying in bulk comes with requirements- specifically, storage space for everything.

Mine's 45 miles away so only go periodically but storage space isn't a particular issue for me either but maybe for how much fits in the freezer....as long as I combine errands the gas/time isn't that big of a deal and definitely saves some bucks overall. I'd rather support Costco than the Dollar type stores in any case.