I was thinking today, maybe because of my age, but I know very few people with real jobs

[captain queeg]

It’s strange because I worked constantly for 45 years. And I’m not that old, plenty of people my age are still working full time. In my family I have one sister and an ex wife who are teachers and still working. One brother is a semi retired doctor. I have a few nephews or nieces that work full time but most people I know are retired, work part time, or are disabled. It seems strange when I stop and think about it since all my life I worked and most people I knew did. It’s just one more difference in America, maybe the world now. Makes me feel old.

[dawg day]

1. I'm probably your age-- and I feel like I never had a "real job"

So many baby boom women have that experience-- never had a job for long that had benefits, that was reliably full-time, that was feasible while raising a family. Now I have two part-time jobs (one, fortunately, with benefits) that add up to about $40K. Ever since about the age of 50, I haven't even got interviews for "real jobs".

I'll probably have to work at least until 70, as long as I don't get laid off from one of these part-time jobs. I'm actually eager to get to 66, at which point I can collect social security while earning my little wages. I'll feel rich!

And most of the people I know also seem to be cobbling together a living from side businesses + a part-time job + some free-lance work. IT does seem like there are so few "real jobs" around me.

[Marthe48]

2. I was thinking about how busy we all are

Whether we are working for someone else, or filling our time for ourselves. I've been retired from a paying job for over 10 years, retired to be a babysitter for grand kids. Now I'm retired from that, if it hadn't been Covid-19, it would have been their ages. Isolation made it happen sooner, and I find that I am unprepared for the next step. I'm still young enough to work, but after 10 years, not sure I could get used to being on someone's schedule.

Anyway, I am on my own and I have a lot of time to think. My kids and their spouses all work, and I have been thinking about how humans came to think this system is good for the most people. I've been watching a lot of archaeology shows, so along with wondering about the necessity of work, of making a living, I also wonder how we came to have a system where some people are bosses, and most aren't.

Interestingly, in contrast to your experience, most people I know have career jobs, such as medical, technical, transportation, engineering and so on. I don't know what they earn, but they seem to be doing pretty well, even if they aren't satisfied with everything at work. Several young families I know have stay-at-home moms.

[Skittles]

3. ? do you just not get out much?

I know the workers in several grocery stores by name, for example

[captain queeg]

4. I'm thinking of people I really know, not just acquaintances.

But yeah I don’t get out much these days. I was thinking about one of the other replies about the model we have for working, and it is strange how it’s come to be the way it is; working for a company for set pay and benefits. The benefits part is slipping away these days. That’s why we need a national health care system, like every other advanced country on the face of the earth.

[Skittles]

5. ah yes OK I get you

all I know is younger folk today have it MUCH HARDER than I did "back in the day" - I have worked for decades but it seems like the pay is stagnant and the benefits and perks decrease every year

[csziggy]

6. Some of my friends are retired, but the younger people I know all have jobs

Sure, my contemporaries have mostly retired though a few do stuff like Uber of Lyft to earn extra money. But my nieces and nephews mostly have jobs as do their spouses - working for non-governmental agencies helping refugees, teaching, sheriff department detective, electrical work, IT manager, teaching music at the Boston Conservatory, puttin people on rides at Universal, working at Walmart, etal.

What has been refreshing is meeting the people, mostly young, who are doing skilled jobs such as concrete work, framing, trim, siding, painting, electrical, and more on our addition. Most are proud of their excellent work and try really hard to excel. It's been fun watching them work.