Why 'getting a job' is not enough: Report finds low-wage industries dominate overall job growth

[LuckyTheDog]

Compared with the rapid hemorrhaging of jobs we saw in 2008 and early 2009, the U.S. economy’s performance over the past four years looks pretty good. As the Democrats like to point out, we have now seen 49 straight months pf private-sector job growth. During that time, nearly nine million private-sector jobs have been added.

Dig beneath the surface, though, and the picture is more troubling. Not only has job growth been maddeningly slow since the end of the Great Recession, a new report from the New York-based National Employment Law Project (NELP) finds that too many of the economy’s new jobs pay low wages.

NELP looked at 14 private economic sectors, broken into 85 detailed industries in three distinct wage brackets and found that post-recession job growth has been dominated by lower-wage industries.

MORE HERE: http://wonkynewsnerd.com/report-finds-low-wage-industries-dominate/

[Romulox]

1. Well, I was *going* to support my fellow workers, but I was short on time...

And in my defense, the hamsters *are* kinda cute...

[GoCubsGo]

2. It's not just industrial jobs.

My field is in the sciences. I used to work in research, until I got laid off. Thanks to federal and state cuts in research money, research jobs are few and far between. When they do open up, they're usually temporary, and pay around ten bucks an hour. And, they want you to have the experience of someone with a masters degree and several years of experience. That's not even enough to pay for me to pack up and move cross-country, let alone live on AND pay the mortgage on my current residence until I was able to sell it. It's nuts.

[johnlucas]

4. $10 an hour!?! Some retail workers get paid more than that! That's ridiculous!

All the training you did & education you went for and they pay you $10 an hour???!!!
That is RIDICULOUSLY wrong.

Even research is a temp job!
Might as well be a warehouse worker or a forklift driver.
I cannot believe this.

That is not right. That is not right at all.
A job like that should definitely pay enough to be worth your while.
If it had to be a wage it should be $20 an hour at the least.
You guys are researching matters that can make everybody's lives better.

No WONDER Balloon Boy existed!
You're better off in this country trying to get a reality show going than to go to college.
There seems to be no respect for folks in the sciences from what I'm hearing from you.

Do they at LEAST pay overtime, GoCubsGo?
I can't believe this.
Another temp job. One that requires a college degree.

Gotta escape this job market.
Gotta save enough money to become autonomous from it.
This is a BAD game.

I feel for you GoCubsGo.
What you're going through isn't right.
John Lucas

[GoCubsGo]

13. Actually, $9.50/hr for some of the ones I've seen recently.

Probably no benefits, either. I didn't bother to read beyond the wages. That's fine for an undergrad working their way through school, but not for a full-time position for a graduate. And, no. There is not much respect for the sciences in this country. It's part of the reason my old job went away in the first place, and why there are so few jobs open now. It's really sickening.

Wish I could find a job in Canada...

[johnlucas]

15. In my opinion that's not even enough for an undergrad

The entire purpose of college was not supposed to be necessarily for the money, I know.
But people who go through rigorous training SHOULD get paid more than the bare minimum.
They should get enough money to live comfortably & not have to worry about how to make ends meet.
You'll get better research that way. They can concentrate on their work better.

I think a lot of people just don't know how little people get paid in fields like yours.
We all assume that if you get a job as an engineer or some job in the sciences you make enough money to comfortable.
We know that you ain't making hedge fund money but that at least you ain't starving.

I am quite honestly shocked, GoCubsGo.
Flabbergasted. Stupefied.

It's disgusting to me.
You can't treat people like this.
What in the hell do we value in this damn country?

Entertainers, sports stars, & artists. I don't begrudge them for their pay. So long as they do good with the money they get.
But jobs like yours are the jobs that advance technologies in society.
Jobs like yours help us make better use of the resources & understand our entire world better.
They are invaluable & should be respected.

You shouldn't be paid like some Wal-Mart wage-slave.
The more this kind of disrespect goes on, the more this place deteriorates.
This just adds one more reason why I want to see the annihilation of the Republican Party.
I want the party & the coalition it houses politically dead.

$9.50 an hour is more like what a cart pusher gets paid at a grocery store (on the generous end anyway).
Every job is important including cart pushers but there's no way in hell someone who got college degrees & rigorous training in the sciences should be paid like that.

Goes to show you that if they could get their way even the entertainer, sports stars, & artists would be paid minimum wage if that.
The wealthy elite devalue everybody's contributions & all people are seen as expendable.
John Lucas

[glowing]

5. No kidding... They want PhD expertise with a ton of hands on experience,

even though finding any research project to hire you is extremely hard and full of nepotism and "who you know"... And if you are "lucky" to become hired into a project, they pay as much as one would make if they were working at a job that requires little skill (like retail or hospitality). It's absolutely ridiculous to have a science degree.

When I tell people I have a science degree and they can't understand how it is that I can't find a good paying job with my BS (major and minor), I explain the "details" of what most jobs in a science field pertain to: you can work for Big Pharma (extremely dangerous field dealing with all of those chemicals), work for an environmental company testing for contamination (once again, extremely dangerous), or work on these research programs (most of which want you to work as an intern or pay nothing - for "experience&quot , OR get lucky burying yourself in mountains of debt to reach PhD status and perhaps get a job with a University (where you spend much of your time writing grants to fund the dept and research you must maintain if you want to remain on staff -- and hope that you can get a perminant hire/ eventual tenured spot so that you won't be working as an adjunct that pays shit).

At some point, the kids are going to have to decide whether or not it is financially smart for them to even attend college. As it is 50% come out unable to find a position in their field. And making min wage at a job not in one's field takes away the work, relevance and ability to stay competitive in the field choice.

The only place that seems to make money is in finance or lobbying... Everyone and thing is disposable. New ideas and inventions are bought out by large corporations to sit idle on a shelf or to keep competition from over running their large corporation.

It is wayyy past time that we stand up and demand that living in this country helps all it's citizens, makes smart decisions, and makes sure that people can live a happy well adjusted lifestyle.

[GoCubsGo]

11. Yep. I have a masters degree.

I can't tell you how many jobs I have lost out on because the person wound up hiring one of their former students, even though I had 10-20 years more experience. And, the grant-chasing shit was one of the main reasons I didn't go on for a PhD. Even 25 years ago, when I finished my masters, it was hard for PhDs to find permanent jobs. The doctoral student in my lab was FANTASTIC, but it took forever for him to find a permanent position.

My expertise is in the environmental sciences. Most of what's out there is in permitting, and I don't have that experience. And, I have no idea how to get it, because they won't hire you unless you have experience in it.

[johnlucas]

16. That's one reason I avoided college. Looked to be too much of a gamble

Putting myself in a truckload of debt to come out & not even find a job in my field or if I find a job in my field it's one that pays about the same as entry-level jobs anyway (which wouldn't pay off that debt).
I said screw that.
If I can't pay for school out of pocket, I just won't go to school.
I had one lapse in this over 10 years ago (trying to change my prospects), took one quarter & got into almost $3000 worth of debt.
I got out as soon as that quarter was over, said that's what I get for being dumb & just vowed to pay off that debt.
Anything I would do from then on would be self-taught.
I'll be my OWN college.

Hey if folks can figure out how to make this system work for them, power to ya.
A relative of mine has been in school for what seems to be forever & he seems to be working it to his advantage.
But you better have a hustle that can work that system to your advantage.
Otherwise just do it yourself. Become self-taught.
I don't need that kind of gamble. Can't get snared by the college industry.

Some fields you can't hustle around like yours, glowing & GoCubsGo.
You have to go through the process to be considered in the field.
Doesn't seem to be much leverage.

When we don't value the people in fields like this, eventually we won't get people in those fields at all.
And then the country falls behind in innovation.

EVERY JOB should have a living wage at the BARE MINIMUM.
An amount of pay that can keep up with the cost of living (and not just the bread & water level either).
And jobs in the science fields need to pay its workers a rate that allows to them best concentrate on their field of study.
They should not have worries about making mortgage payments or rent or food expenses or car repairs on their minds.

Capitalism will get its comeuppance soon.
Everything ain't about just the money.
Push people into a corner long enough & they're gonna come out of it fighting.
John Lucas

[Shemp Howard]

6. Consider teaching.

In some areas of the country, there is a great demand for high school and middle school science teachers. That's especially true for chemistry and physics teachers. Math teachers are also often in short supply.

Many states now have alternative methods to get certified. Some even offer emergency certification, so you can teach while getting certified. It might be worth looking into.

And one more thing. Many private schools do not require certification. They are just looking for qualified people who can teach science or math. They don't pay as well as a public school, but it's a place to start.

And here's another one more thing. I haven't noticed much age discrimination in the hiring of teachers. I'm sure it exists, but not like in other industries.

Good luck!
Shemp

[GoCubsGo]

10. I would wind up in prison.

I know too many teachers, and there's no way in hell I'd last more than 5 minutes in a classroom, especially in a middle or high school classroom. No way in hell.

[Shemp Howard]

12. The trick is in the choosing.

Many public schools are great places to work. Many more are disfunctional, and are to be avoiding if you value your sanity.

Then there are the private schools. Most are good places to teach, if you don't mind the lesser pay. Private schools tend to give teachers more academic freedom, and are quicker to address discipline issues.

I taught at a private school for a couple of years, and it was a joy (except on payday). Every memory I have from that school is a good one. I then moved on to a public school. It was way more challenging, to say the least.

So bottom line, perhaps look into private school teaching? Just a thought. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[GoCubsGo]

14. No trick to it.

I do not like kids. It doesn't matter what kind of school they attend. And, having spent nearly 3 years as a graduate teaching assistant, I am not crazy about teaching period. BTW, I spent the first 9 years of my education in a private school. I know what goes on there. No thank you.

[progressoid]

3. but but but...Wallstreet is doing so well. So that'll be trickling down any day now.

[jtuck004]

7. This is your recovery. Wonder why people want to tell politicians of all stripes to go fuck

themselves? While we pay $1.2 trillion a year to banksters to profit from, and cut $8 billion in food stamps.

There is no change coming, and I've just about decided that anyone who votes for either the right or the middle party is an idiot. The alternative is to let it all break. Good. I'm not sure the alternative is worse than the poorly-paid serfdom the current administration supports, or the flat out slavery and poverty the other would foist upon us.

[dickthegrouch]

8. I would love to see stats which show

How many people are in each $20,000 band (0-20, 20-40, 40-60 ...) ,
How many people moved up or down from each band every year, how many moved multiple bands each year and how many fell off the counting completely (could be due to death, retirement, or unemployment, but still it's a measure).
I'd also like to see how many from each band leave the country (returning home after H1B's expire, foreign placements etc).
Show all of that against each state and what the state thinks its income base is according to its budget.
I'll bet we'd all have some serious revelations.

[geretogo]

9. The middle class was only an aberration in modern history . We are returning to the world of Bob

Crachit and Tiny Tim in the 1840's with many more Scrooges .