What should the hard-working but still unsuccessful poor do?

11 Comments

There are lots of heated debates over who's responsible for the poor. Specifically, the very hard-working poor (60+ hours a week) who, despite living in the cheapest neighborhoods in their states, just can't afford the cost of living on their minimum wage dead end jobs.

Worse, today more than 50% of college students graduating with 4-yr degrees are either unemployed or severely underemployed, despite school loans. And they displace a lot of non-degree holding poor people in the work force.

Even worse, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says since the end of the recession most new jobs in the US are in the very low-pay service industry, so there aren't even that many truly living wage jobs left.

So what should poor who've tried just about everything (worker retraining, tech schools--that aren't cheap, starting their own companies...) do in a hyper-competitive market that increasingly demands money just to get into the game of life?

Keep on searching for work opportunities, regardless their failures. 9
Go (more) in debt for other work retraining programs. 0
Seek state assistance with survival costs. 4
Continue trying to compete with degreed but underemployed grads. 1
Accept their exhaustive failures and just vanish. 7
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Comments ( 11 )
  • wellthen1957
    7 years ago

    RIOT

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    • AB1234
      7 years ago

      That ain't a bad idea. Peacefully, of course. ;)

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  • IMissMary
    7 years ago

    They should join together and form their own business.

    College grads with say accounting degrees. Join together and form a company that does accounting for way less than the big companies.

    Basically Uber-ize every profession so that everyone can freelance. This will take a lot away from big-corp but put a lot in the hands of the poor working skilled person.

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    • AB1234
      7 years ago

      Awesome idea!!

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      • IMissMary
        7 years ago

        Thanks I thought of it a few years ago when I saw so many unemployed and even some homeless people who were actually educated professionals during good times.

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        • AB1234
          7 years ago

          Brava, you! (But sad image, though...)

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  • Ellenna
    7 years ago

    There are some obvious alternatives left off that list and you haven't even provided an option for "other".

    Those which immediately come to mind are crime; revolution; join with other likeminded people and go to the country and become as self-sufficient as you can.

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    • AB1234
      7 years ago

      You're right. My list isn't exhaustive. I included the options I hear most often, especially among people my parents' generation and older--those with the wealth controlling things.

      I don't want to even seem to advocate crime, but I suppose for many that remains an option. Revolutions is possible, sure, but I think given the extreme wealth, police/military power, and technological resources of the government revolution is super challenging.

      Now, I do like your idea to join with other like-minded people and go to the country and become as self-sufficient as possible. The limiting reagent there always seems to be ... us people. There always arise reasons for us to turn on each other. And I'd be frightened to be in a relatively autonomous group that sets its own rules...

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  • mysistersshadow
    7 years ago

    I think the problem is complex and nuanced and there is no easy answer. Who is to blame? Mostly corporate greed but that takes many forms. Some of it is strictly greed and others are in reaction to changes in a global market place. For the poor there part is alot of self sabotaging. Have you ever seen areas with really serious poverty? Theres a liquor store on every corner. Alot of poor people piss away money without realizing how much it adds up to.

    In short I don't think there is a easy solution everyone would have to change at the same time and I doubt we'llv ever see that happen.

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    • AB1234
      7 years ago

      Thanks for that perspective... You think the poor shoulder a lot of the blame?

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      • mysistersshadow
        7 years ago

        Hmmm... I don't think I said that. I recall saying it was mostly corporate greed. But many poor ppl do things that don't help there situation. I can understand why they do it but that doesn't change that it doesn't help to squander what little money they do have.

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