Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Duh) On Unfilled Jobs: Businesses Can't Find Enough 'Sober,' 'Drug-Free' Workers

[KamaAina]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/23/dave-joyce-workers-drug-free_n_3804552.html

The economy and jobs continue to dominate discussions lawmakers have with their constituents during the August recess, as many Americans are still out of work and worried about their next paycheck. In a speech to a local Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) argued that part of the problem is that there are millions of jobs that remain vacant each month.

"There's 3 million jobs every month in this country that go unfilled," said Joyce in his remarks to the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce. "Believe me, the [Cleveland] Plain Dealer already fact-checked me on it because they couldn't believe me. They thought I was lying, and they actually came up with a higher number than 3 million."

"And the trouble is, it's because they either can't find people to come to work sober, daily, drug-free and want to learn the necessary skills going forward to be able to do those jobs," he added....

But when asked by The Huffington Post for data on his assertion that businesses can't find unemployed workers to hire who are sober or drug-free, Joyce's spokeswoman said the congressman was relying on anecdotes from business owners.

[ZombieHorde]

1. They expect us to be sober now?!

What the hell?!

[Wait Wut]

2. I'm sure that's it...

...and not the fact that these "millions of jobs" are all minimum wage, part time, no benefits, borderline slave labor that couldn't support a single man/woman, much less a family.

[Populist_Prole]

3. It's been a RW / Corporate meme on regular rotation for a while now.

Anything to put business in good light and the hoi-polloi in bad.

The rotation went/goes like this. We're unemployable because:

We're too stupid, uneducated or under-educated

We're lazy, lack work ethic or just don't want to get our hands dirty

Now we're all stung out on drugs or alcohol

[ck4829]

4. Does anyone think it's kind of weird that there are plenty of 'job creators' to talk to?

"I've talked to business owners..."

"I've talked to job creators..."

It's never "I've talked to UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE..."

It's weird how they never seek any opinions from the people, who I don't know, would be most affected by not having a job!

[Journeyman]

5. Same trouble most of the country's had trying to find fit employees for Congress . . .

really difficult (or so rumor has it) in Ohio's 14th congressional district . . .

[HughBeaumont]

6. . . . . or the even more odious and fictional "Skills Gap" . . . .

There is no such goddamned thing as a Skills Gap!

[Blue Owl]

7. Hmm, those jobs must be on the other side of Bullshit Mountain...

n/t

[SoCalDem]

8. As nutty as this sounds, there IS a nugget of truth to it

When our youngest son was just getting started in his work-life, he was in great demand as a driver, because of all the young guys he worked with he was the ONLY one with a clean driving record.. He saw the worth if his position, and ended up getting paid more because the company needed him

[City Lights]

9. The same is said for finding qualified people to send to Congress.

And like the representative from R-Duh, I, too, am relying on anecdotes from within my people network.