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I think we all know about the rise in service jobs and the decline of production jobs in the US. How do the rest of you feel about this? Do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing?
I don't really like it myself. A service job of the same intelligence requirement usually pays about half as much as a production job. I think that is bad news for Moms and Dads who need to provide for their families.
The same Moms & Dads who whine about prices being too high and shop exclusively at Wal-Mart are the ones who've caused the rise of the service industry and the mass exodus of manufacturing.
i do agree with you ip, the decline in manufacturing in us has been a very bad thing, realisitc options for people who cant afford a 4 year degree are not really there, and even after getting a 4 year degree with good grades, employment in a specialized field still is difficult because of increased competition for the existing positions. so really its either get one of the few good paying jobs(which have their compensation pared down because of the increased competition) or you are stuck in service jobs with such low pay that you cant realisitcly support a family on, regardless of how many hard you work.
so in summary, yeah the decline in manufacturing jobs is a very very bad thing.
we agree on this topic, people dont want to realize that when they spend less for goods they recirculate less into the economy, so people have less moeny to buy their goods. there is a place for the low cost, low quality goods that exist in the dollar stores but with wal mart it has become the mainstream and is hurting us all.Quote:
Originally Posted by g0zen
Dollar Store candy is the best idea ever.
Seriuously. I hope China and Mexico have statues of Sam Walton in every town square. He is probably more resposable than anyone else for the ecanomic changes in both countries.Quote:
Originally Posted by g0zen
But a lot of people shop at walmart because it's the only place that's cheap enough.
That's the genius of it.
The only way manufacturing jobs will return to the u.s. is if the standard of living and GDP in the countries where goods are currently being manufactured rises to the same level as that of the u.s.
In other words, as long as industry and the governments of rich countries keep the rest of the world poor, americans will keep losing manufacturing jobs.
I think ultimately it's a moot point, though, since manufacturing is becoming increasingly automated, and factory locations will be no longer be determined by labor cost.
That will probably happen in china. Their middle class grows every year. It is said that their middle class will be larger than the entire US population before me and you are old.Quote:
Originally Posted by kedawa
As for Mexico, I doubt it. The best and brightest, the kind of people who get society to change for the better, are all coming to the U.S.
This isn't that true for Americans. For every smartly ran factory, there are dozens of factories ran by idiots. For every furniture factory with AC, robots, and very efficient time schedules, you have god knows how many ran almost like sweat shops in stripped down buildings that look like school gyms. As long as these places can produce a cheep product they will continue to exist.Quote:
Originally Posted by kedawa
on the side note, how do yall know all of this? are yall economic majors or something of that sort, or do you just read alot of news
I've seen a few things about it on TV, read about it in this years sociology text book, seen one or two things about it online, and I've talked to people about the current job market and how thing used to be.
yes, I'm stupid and probably unable to discuss this corectly, but the issue itself is real.
The genius of Walmart and stores like it is that they pay their staff so poorly that they can only afford to shop at walmart.