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Post by Ryan on Feb 8, 2008 21:54:19 GMT -6
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Post by unlawflcombatnt on Feb 8, 2008 23:20:12 GMT -6
BS is right. Here's another quote from their work of fiction" " About 20% of small to midsize manufacturers — those with up to 2,000 workers — cited retaining....employees...." Retaining employees is easily resolved by paying them more. Since real wages haven't risen in over a year, it should be very easy to offer high enough wages to retain workers. But then, that would cut into their exorbitant profits, refute any alleged need for more H1B visas, and eliminate any justification for more tax cuts or Corporate welfare. As you've stated, Ryan, there is no shortage of workers in a country with 233 million working age people, and only 146 million employed. Nor is there a shortage skilled workers, when millions of jobs for skilled workers have disappeared, putting millions of those skilled workers out of work, thus "freeing up" those millions for employment elsewhere. These nonsensical stories are mindboggling. A reader doesn't even need to know the specifics. When millions of jobs requiring skilled workers are shipped overseas, millions of skilled American workers lose their jobs. This makes those skilled workers available for new work, and it means the number of available skilled workers is higher than ever. Unless, of course, they were all abducted by aliens. (Like the 540,000 working age Americans who simply vanished from the face of the earth, according to the latest Labor Dept report.) Loss of employment increases the number of unemployed workers available to employers. The notion that contraction of our manufacturing sector has left us with less workers is ridiculous and illogical. And untrue.
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Post by blueneck on Feb 9, 2008 12:16:14 GMT -6
Boy, they just can't let it go, can they - they keep recycling this same old tired myth of labor shortages despite the overwhelming facts to the contrary.
If any one is to blame for the so called shortage of employees its the manufacturers themselves. What student in his right mind will spend 5 years and thousands of dollars studying for a career that is likely to be shipped off to India? What kind of life does a manufacturing worker face these days - no job security, little chance for advancement, stagnant wages - who wants it?
The only shortage is of skilled workers unwilling to work for third world wages.
In a recent Business Week I read that Michigan has the highest per capita concentration of engineers and skilled tradesman in the country - yet Michigan also has the highest rates of un and underemployment in the country as well - so if there is indeed a shortage then why aren't companies falling all over themselves to locate in Michigan? or the surrounding states that also have high concentrations of engineers and manufacturing infrastructure? The answer is quite obvious, multinationals would rather locate in poor rural areas, and third world countries and then whine because they can't find qualified help, or can't convince skilled people to sacrifice their quality of life and community ties to relocate to these areas.
manufacturing is the greatest driver of technology and demand for skilled workers, yet manufacturing in this country is a hollow shell of what it once was, Little wonder that the supply of people interested in pursuing tech careers is diminished.
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