General Discussion

biophile

(900 posts)

28. This is correct

Sun Jun 29, 2025, 10:29 AM

Jun 29

Years ago, young Americans with a HS education would work in factories or manual labor. Jobs then offered benefits, a 40 hour week, holidays, pensions, etc. The wages were enough to afford rent, a car, and food.
Wages have not kept up with the cost of living, benefits and pensions have disappeared, scheduled hours are either not regular, not dependable, or conversely too much (jobs demanding 24/7 on call or mandatory OT). Make it appealing and people will do it.

“They pay just enough to keep you from quitting and you work just enough to keep from being fired”

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

multigraincracker Still Waters

52 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Why Factories Are Having Trouble Filling Nearly 400,000 Open Jobs [View all] applegrove Jun 28 OP

Kick dalton99a Jun 28 #1

Most young people I know Tree Lady Jun 28 #2

"easier" "not labor intensive" Prairie Gates Jun 28 #4

+1. And most factory supervisors are uneducated assholes. dalton99a Jun 28 #8

I very much preferred "uneducated assholes" as supervisors. Midnight Writer Jun 28 #12

I've been a registered nurse markodochartaigh Jun 28 #15

Many years ago a hospital got rid of the orderlies Raven123 Jun 29 #33

and since they think they're superior, they been Emile Jun 28 #13

I left a job of 18 years electricmonk Jun 29 #44

Almost all of ours in Naples, Florida that I see are Latino. kerry-is-my-prez Jun 28 #22

My brother works construction in Richmond Va electricmonk Jun 29 #46

You mean the type of jobs that can be replaced with AI? MichMan Jun 29 #43

One factor is the deliberate deterioration of the education system Wicked Blue Jun 28 #3

Five out of three people struggle with math. nt Hotler Jun 29 #25

Well played. nt RandomNumbers Jun 29 #32

2001 no child left behind UpInArms Jun 29 #36

My math ... I can add, subtract, multiply and divide. I suck at algebra. Would they hire me ?? Im a 75 year old woman Trueblue1968 Jun 29 #45

They don't pay enough for people to want to do those jobs Prairie Gates Jun 28 #5

The Chemical Workers song.. haele Jun 28 #10

My factory pays $33/hr, and it's a Teamsters facility NickB79 Jun 28 #14

Just curious- how much of the company's revenue goes to management and CEO? biophile Jun 29 #30

This is correct biophile Jun 29 #28

Simple math, raise wages and benefits and multigraincracker Jun 29 #38

Some factory jobs require IT or software skills bucolic_frolic Jun 28 #6

Just a guess, but these companies probably don't offer a wage that people could actually live on. mackdaddy Jun 28 #7

Union-paid factory workers make good salaries-many would say they are the riversedge Jun 28 #9

I knew factory workers with degrees and even multigraincracker Jun 29 #39

Pay more?! uponit7771 Jun 28 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Jun 28 #16

Thank you. We were seeing a slow turn around here. EllieBC Jun 29 #29

Snobs that looked down on blue collar workers MichMan Jun 29 #41

Blue collar work is punishing on one's body Arazi Jun 29 #42

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Jun 29 #47

I was responding to Elle's post specifically mentioning plumber, electrician,welder Arazi Jun 29 #49

Parents want their kids to have better lives than them. haele Jun 29 #34

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Jun 29 #48

New Headline....... twodogsbarking Jun 28 #17

Living wage Blue Full Moon Jun 28 #18

These companies will not hire people unemployed for a long period or if they are disabled. Jacson6 Jun 28 #19

Not the case here. Littlered Jun 28 #20

A product of fifty years of right-wing union busting. Aristus Jun 28 #21

Love these conversations .... Lurker Deluxe Jun 28 #23

When rude people JustAnotherGen Jun 29 #27

Here's a solution: deport millions of immigrants who would fill those jobs Martin Eden Jun 29 #24

Offer on the job training. murielm99 Jun 29 #26

This is it. They used to train people to do their jobs, now they Wingus Dingus Jun 29 #31

There are two reasons: -misanthroptimist Jun 29 #35

Hire people and train them. viva la Jun 29 #37

Well with... Happy Hoosier Jun 29 #40

Do these factory jobs pay a living wage and provide good health insurance plans? Mysterian Jun 29 #50

for 100 bucks an hour and a get out of jail free card from scotus I may just come out of retirement. nt ImNotGod Jun 29 #51

Pay more and they will come krawhitham Jun 29 #52