Unemployment rates are severely under tracked.

[richardhutnik]

HappySqurriel said:

numonex said:

The good old hard work ethic is not always going to reward itself later on in life. Employers/bosses under pay workers so they can maximise their profit margins and give themselves pay rises and bonuses every year regardless if the company makes a profit or loss for the year. Lower paid workers always get sacked when the company makes a loss. Self-interest: corruption and greed is what drives the employers/bosses to rip of their employees.

Economic downturns such as a worldwide recession will result in fewer job opportunities and less investment. During an economic downturn the employers/bosses employ fewer workers or freeze recruitment, reduce workers hours so the employers can get their annual pay rises. Employees are forced to work unpaid over time to break their own backs and only to increase the employers/bosses profits.

In a healthy market where companies can turn a healthy profit while paying their employees a good wage (with good benefits) because their employees bring education, skills and experience that enable the company to produce goods and services at a lower cost at a higher quality than other regions you don’t see these problems.

The question you should be asking is "How do we improve the education, skills and experience of the American work force?" rather than "How do we take more money from companies?" ... The different approach that the answer to these questions will suggest will provide drastically different results. Asking (essentially) how to improve the American work-force will result in a stronger, healthier economy which provides better wages and benefits for everyone; while asking how to take more money from companies will result in an exodus of companies from the United States, and everyone will become poorer with worse benefits.

Wages are just another expense for a business.  Bringing in more profits guarantees NOTHING in regards to employees getting more.  Companies also don't just hire, because they have more money.  The only thing, short of laws that are passed, or unions doing collective bargaining, which will cause employers to pay more, or hire more, is if there is competition for labor.  Without such competition, there isn't improved benefits.  And corporations will look everywhere for the cheapest labor everywhere.

Also, people need to knock off this "but but but, you can't do that... it will cost jobs".  Companies are looking for any excuse to cut headcount.  Even when times are good, and companies report record profits, they will still lay people off. 

And no, the question to ask isn't: "How do we improve the education, skills and experience of the American work force?"  Because these questions don't matter to corporations.  They will hire as cheap as possible.  The American workforce, from a hard working and productivity standpoint, is near the top of the world.  This doesn't matter, because corporations find it much cheaper to hire in India and China.  To compete with them, you drive the standard of living of Americans to the level of India and China.  And companies will find it cheaper to hire on pennies on the dollar and train workers there, particularly using American manpower they will let go, than to use American labor.