Old Primitives discuss unemployment

[zeitgeist]

This thread is a hoot.  

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9167391

NeoConsSuck  (1000+ posts)     Mon Sep-20-10 05:41 AM
Original message
For the Unemployed Over 50, Fears of Never Working Again
 Source: NY Times

VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — Patricia Reid is not in her 70s, an age when many Americans continue to work. She is not even in her 60s. She is just 57.

But four years after losing her job she cannot, in her darkest moments, escape a nagging thought: she may never work again.

College educated, with a degree in business administration, she is experienced, having worked for two decades as an internal auditor and analyst at Boeing before losing that job.

But that does not seem to matter, not for her and not for a growing number of people in their 50s and 60s who desperately want or need to work to pay for retirement and who are starting to worry that they may be discarded from the work force — forever.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/business/economy/20ol...

After a few good CDL stories start this off.

DiverDave  (1000+ posts)        Mon Sep-20-10 06:02 AM
Response to Original message
1. Thank God I got my CDL
 I can drive until they tell me I cant.
I HATE to see these 70 year olds still driving.
Some, I know, do it to get out of the house.
But the majority need the money.
I dont have any savings, my wife just landed a part time gig...at 8.50 an hour.
Half of her pay from before.
We have no health insurence, the kids are on chip, which chaps my behind.
I should be able to provide, but cant.
I am worried, and I know there are folks worse off then us, but cold comfort.

I will keep plugging away, thats all I can do.

Course when I win the lotto...

This post has a great link which pretty much refutes the entire premise of the OP

melm00se (1000+ posts)      Mon Sep-20-10 06:05 AM
Response to Original message
2. interesting numbers
 the 55+ age group has the lowest unemployment numbers of the entire population

http://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/demographics /

but also the largest year/year increase of 0.5%

I suggest taking a peek at the link just because
Now this post is more Troll than mole

Action (23 posts)      Mon Sep-20-10 08:47 AM
Response to Original message
10. Question For 50 + Workers
 I am lucky enough at this point in time to still have my job. As we all know that could end at any time. I hope I can hang in here until I'm 66.

I do have a question for all those Baby Boomers who are over 50 and not able to find work:

How many of you voted for the repubs since the 1980s? If you voted for the repubs all those years (Reagan forward) you voted for exactly what we have now. Folks like me tried to warn you, but you bought into the "me, me, me" greed and demonizing those who are in need & now we are seeing where that has taken us.

Many Baby Boomers I know are taking early Social Security (at 62), because they have no jobs and no choice.

So vote for the repubs to run it all in 2010. They are sure to help (NOT!!!)

And a mini flame war erupts.  Nothing like action!

Bottom line?

68. Girlfriend will be 60 next year and unemployed since first of the year.
 First time ever. Totally qualified, hard working professional. If she doesn't find work in the next couple months, I will move in with her to assure she doesn't lose her house.

I value my own space, but you do what you need to do in these awful times. Besides, she's a good egg.

My cat will not like the two dogs, but oh well . . .  

Guess they can share the false teeth too!!

This is just a small sampling of the loony-toon leftists posts.  It is really worth a quick trip to view this post in all its glory.

[jukin]

Just wait until all those white unemployed 50 year-olds start to see 10-14% inflation.

[true_blood]

DiverDave  (1000+ posts)        Mon Sep-20-10 06:02 AM
Response to Original message
1. Thank God I got my CDL
 I can drive until they tell me I cant.
I HATE to see these 70 year olds still driving.
Some, I know, do it to get out of the house.
But the majority need the money.
I dont have any savings, my wife just landed a part time gig...at 8.50 an hour.
Half of her pay from before.
We have no health insurence, the kids are on chip, which chaps my behind.
I should be able to provide, but cant.
I am worried, and I know there are folks worse off then us, but cold comfort.
..

Well, welcome to Dumbo's America. He has to spread the wealth, don't you know? You did vote for him, no? This is what you voted for. Someone who hates America, it's values and the free market system.
OH,....and that fact that you have no health insurance?!? Yeah, that's about to change too! Either you purchase some type of health insurance or you get penalized. Another brilliant idea from the Dumbo that you voted for.

[jukin]

This guy had it spot on.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Winston Churchill

[Karin]

From the thread, this struck me:

pattmarty (1000+ posts)        Mon Sep-20-10 09:28 AM
Response to Reply #5
16. ....blah blah blah my union days blah blah blah.........

I consider myself one of the very fortunate ones as I have 4 HS dropout sons (42, 37, 36, and 32) and two of them have been out of work for quite some time with little hope of getting anything soon and probably paying in the $9.00hr range.

4???  See what happens when you let a DUmmie raise kids.  Ya get more DUmmies. 

and

Skittles  (1000+ posts)      Mon Sep-20-10 08:03 PM
Response to Reply #10
77. 53, hanging in there for now
 but I have never and never will EVER vote repuke - not EVER

Skittles, you're 53.  Isn't it time to grow up and leave the playground language behind?  Repukes?  Really?

pitohui  (1000+ posts)       Mon Sep-20-10 08:03 PM
Response to Reply #31
76. self employment is slow suicide
 Edited on Mon Sep-20-10 08:05 PM by pitohui
having been self employed for over two decades all i can say is "we can wring our hands or we can roll up our sleeves" sounds very reaganesque

the reality is that if a business makes money it has already been acquired

so you can roll up your sleeves and work for nothing as a slave, because for most people self employment means that you LOSE money by working

i was a crime victim and unemployable because of that from an early age, this fantasy that self employment (working for low pay w/out benefits) is a good and wise thing to do is just that...a fantasy

until people stop kidding themselves that they can bootstrap themselves, until people stop blaming themselves, we will never come together and have a guaranteed income (dole) and you are now offended that i even said the word "dole" but the reality is, going by statistics, most likely you will LOSE money as a self employed person and cause your family harm, the dole isn't much but it doesn't cause you to LOSE money

$800 a month income is better than $800 a month outgo, which is the likely result of most self employment ventures

if you have a LOT of money and you are starting a business for your pride, so you won't have to admit in public you can't get work, fine, i think that is the case w. a lot of over 50s -- my dad among them -- but if you NEED to earn then starting your own business just hastens the day when you're flat broke and deep in debt...

i am tired of people "volunteering" etc. to get credits, attention, etc. not noticing they are working for NOTHING and killing those of us who truly have no way to ever get a job 
 

Pitooi thinks it's no use.  The only answer is a national dole.  That right there is the DUmp in all its glory. 

[Chris_]

i was a crime victim and unemployable because of that from an early age, this fantasy that self employment (working for low pay w/out benefits) is a good and wise thing to do is just that...a fantasy

I'd like to hear the rest of this little story. 

[diesel driver]

Pithole just dissed 90% of the farmers in the country that feed his worthless ass.

i was a crime victim and unemployable because of that from an early age, this fantasy that self employment (working for low pay w/out benefits) is a good and wise thing to do is just that...a fantasy

IOW, he/she/it is a worthless piece of shit that has no skills, no motivation, and no intention of obtaining either.

Go crawl into a hole somewhere and pull the dirt in around you, for the sake of all humanity, asshole!