<p>With our manufacturing jobs going over seas? Do you think there would be a glut of labor?</p>
<p>Dstark, how would I know if the governmental figures are computed correctly? </p>
<p>I would, however, assume -or hope- that the government reports the figures in a consistent manner and according to accepted principles. The principal value of compiling such statistics is to provide historical comparisons. </p>
<p>All I know is that whoever has to tabulate and present data selects a methodology. The numbers are then only relevant to the methodology used. It is a fact that any data can be -and is- manipulated to support different conclusions.</p>
<p>citygirlsmom, at a congressional hearing about a month ago Greenspan was asked if we were understating inflation? A Congressman asked him if rising energy prices, health care costs, and housing prices were more indicative of rising inflation than the “official” indicators show? He totally dodged the question. </p>
<p>Did you catch that testimony?</p>
<p>FWIW, I’d like to point out that I look at the employment trends as an … interested party. I understand how devastating it is to lose a job, and that many parents on this board are in the age group that is particularly affected by the changes in our economy. In many countries, the second most fragile group is composed of the recent graduates. In economies with chronic underemployment, the next stop after graduation is the local unemployment office. However, countries such as Ireland -and to a large extent- the United Kingdom have been able to adapt and make changes in the right direction. As millions other, I will have to make career decision pretty soon. So, you better believe that I read about employment with both anticipation adn … apprehension. </p>
<p>We are currently in a cycle of net job losses in manufacturing, and we have to be realistic that SIMILAR jobs will not come back and will have to replaced by new ones, some we may not even know about. Many jobs were lost in 1980’s during a period when companies were cannibalized by others and restructuring was the motto. The jobs lost were not replaced withing the same industry but morphed into industries unknown a few years prior to that. Nobody in the early 1980 could have PREDICTED the advent of the Microsoft of this world, let alone Yahoo, Ebay, or Google. O believe that more than 150,000 people are now “independent” workers who make a living from buying and selling goods on Ebay. </p>
<p>I am borrowing the above “position” from the recent Fortune magazine, which provides a fascinating glimpse into the future. Among many other examples, the story how Trilogy approached the problem of facing a group of employees who had become unemployable is a good illustration.</p>
<p>Again, this cannot make the news of losing a job easier to swallow for whomever get a pink slip or does not find a job after graduation. In my town, Electrolux just opened a MASSIVE plant, which in turn must gave decapitated a town in the United States. There is, however, not much that can be done and not much blame considering the company is a Swedish behemoth that competes on a worldwide basis. At one point in time, a town in Sweden or Germany faced the same problem. In the end, one could hardly blame a company for realizing that a person earning less than 8,000 per year can do the same job as someone making $50,000.</p>
<p>More to come later.</p>
<p>I missed that one, but I watched a lot of the most recent one…more dodging. Sigh. </p>
<p>And the government shifts the goal posts alot, so when they say, well we have reached our GOAL of this many jobs, well, the brought the goal posts in closer</p>
<p>And we can see #s posted everywhere, its the person on the street, the unemployed, the underemployed, the woman working 3 jobs to make ends meet, who the President said “wow, hows that for American initiative” or something to that effect</p>
<p>When a President thinks someone having to work THREE jobs to feed her kids is a good thing, I truely wonder about what is presented to us.</p>
<p>dstark…retiring?? With all the retirements funds defaulting and the possible lose or cuts in Social security? I see us all working forever, certainly until 70-80. However, the question is a really good one.
Xiggi, you’re right in the past we did move into other industries, but we seem to be giving away a lot of possible good ones. stem cell research? Gone abroad, because Bush told it to!!! He’s so good for our economy. Any one see the NY times today. We were going to get a large car manufactuing plant down south, but they felt that they workers down south were not educated enough for the hi tech work. Toyota said they almost had to use pictures to train the workers. They went to Ottowa, partly because they were better educated, but also because health care was covered by the government.</p>
<p>lauras50, I know many people around age 50 that think they are going to be working in their seventies. </p>
<p>Then I look at people in their seventies and I think hmmmmmmmmmm.</p>
<p>We are going to need that stem cell research to work. Maybe, we will just bomb the crap out of any country that successfully develops stem cell research. Then take the fruits of their labor. :)</p>
<p>I just went to pick up my mail - looking for my scholarship money 
</p>
<p>And a couple of thoughts went through my mind, prompted by some of the letters I just opened. </p>
<p>I hear many reports of families struggling to make ends meet on incomes of $75,000 to $100,000. While I am sure that the facts are correct, could I also nt wonder if our expectations for our living standards are not too high? The U.S. side of the “borderplex” where I live is one of the poorest cities in the U.S. I drove past a local high school and I noticed the cars in the parking lots: a lot of spanking new SUV, trucks, and little sports cars. Rest assured that the HS is not in a well-to-do district! Where does the money come from to pay such extravagance? Are those cars really needed or is it a sign of having to keep up with the Dominguez and Gonzales’ of the 'hood? </p>
<p>Well, in my mail today, I received a credit card with a limit of $2500. It came without requesting it. The credit card also came with a blank check and very suggestive language to spend it on WHATEVER I had been dreaming about. Now, I have got $2500 bucks to “my” name and a license to spend. Still driving, I saw the signs of a local car dealer. So, how about a car? I stopped and inquired about how they “could” qualify anyone. Signs about “no credito, no problemo” were everywhere. The salesman told me that a 10% payment -including TTL- would get me in any car. I told him I have a check for $2500. The answer: I could drive out with a 24,000 car, and get a cash rebate of $1500 to go buy my insurance! </p>
<p>So, here I am … I could own a $24,000 car despite the fact that I am 18, have no income, have no assets, and will be a student for many, many years to come. </p>
<p>Is there little wonder that we have huge deficits in the US, on the public and private level. Our government is addicted to spending well beyond its means and we are encouraged to follow suit. Since I won’t buy those nice wheels, I am still armed with that full credit limit to go splurge on things I’d LIKE to have, but do not NEED. Yes, I could use a new IPOD since the hard drive of the my-soon-to-be-obsolete one is getting small. While I am at it, I could upgrade my pay-as-you-go cellular phone for one of those spiffy 2 Meg camera ones. They are free, aren’t they? Yep, no need to look like a truck driver. Oh yes, I could also upgrade the digital camera that was handed down to me two Christmases ago by a well-meaning and loving aunt. Maybe, I won’t have to spend a fortune on buying batteries to keep the silly thing working. Heck, I would be SAVING money! Yep, yep, let’s go to Best Buy and check if this plastic wonder really works as advertised. I probably will get some frequent miles from it. Just in case, I want to travel somewhere to get a break from my full time employment … at school. I probably would need a vacation from breaking my head looking for ways to pay off my credit card. </p>
<p>Isn’t America the land of milk and honey? :)</p>
<p>Xiggi, good post.</p>
<p>Laura, regarding the Toyota plant …</p>
<p>It makes perfect sense for Toyota to establish its new plant …a few miles from Detroit. The car manufacturers are changing the way cars are assembled and are putting more and more pressure onto suppliers to join them in suppliers’ parks. Establishing the plant in an area where countless second and third tier suppliers are fighting for survival will help both Toyota and the suppliers. </p>
<p>I am a bit puzzled about the comment relating to untrained workers in the South? Do you mean South of the United States or South of the Border? As you know, Toyota will open a brand new plant in San Antonio, Texas in 2006, and operates very successful plants in Tennessee and … Mexico. </p>
<p>Considering the fact that the American consumer seems to appreciate the quality of Toyota -often over better priced US cars- it is fair to assume that Toyota has found a way to maximize the use of pictorials to bring their workforce to an acceptable standard. :)</p>
<p>Hi xiggi, here’s the article.
NY timesToday
It was in Alabama!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25krugman.html?th&emc=th[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/opinion/25krugman.html?th&emc=th</a></p>
<p>Actually, There are many people who have money that don’t buy SUV’s or things they don’t need…that’s why they have savings. Good point on some of your questioning.
Irony…The bank wouldn’t give my son a credit card! We were going to pay the bills and already have cash in the bank, he has a job and his own savings, including some inheritance and they wouldn’t give it to him. It’s crazy that other people are sent CC without even asking for them! We finally put him on ours, not my first choice. Now you can see why I can’t stand it when corporations run my life. Who elected them?</p>
<p>Health care costs will remain a problem as long as we can’t get a handle on the spiralling expenses. Obviously, I have no experienec with the system in Canada but I think that it not THAT simple. If I remember correctly, there was some hoopla went the Canadian Prime Minister traveled to the United States for a surgical intervention. From past discussions on CC, it appears that there are several issues with the system in canada and that receiving specialized help is a lot worse than fighting a HMO. I also remember reading that a similar system in the UK has caused people to wait years for non-elective surgery. </p>
<p>My perception on this issue is that there won’t be any free lunched and that taxpayers will end up paying large bills one way or the other. In Europe, there is reasonable medical coverage, but the impact of its cost has a negative impact of the employment of the youngest and oldest members of the workforce (employers use short term contracts with lesser benefits and do not hire “expensive” workers). The government is then picking up the tab but recoup its costs through very high social security taxes that make the employers’ contribution in the United States look like pocket change. </p>
<p>I am afraid not have any solution nor great ideas on this issue. We simply have to face that getting sick is a terrible thing, physically and financially. I was shocked to hear that the bill for my 8 days hospitalization cost way more than my parents’ first home. While I am thankful that the hospotal, doctors, and nurses saved my life, the cost of the treatment borders the ridiculous. </p>
<p>No matter how we look at it, the money has to come from somewhere. Looking to add the full cost to the employers will only make us even less competitive. looking at the government will only work if we accept to raise our direct or indirect taxes, and I doubt that we could get much from trying to squeeze more taxes from our remaining vices such as tobacco and liquor use. Ultimately, one will start looking at the very attractive possibility of taxing our fuel consumption. While I believe that we WILL have $5 gas prices, it would be a true disaster if the US government discover that illusory corn of abundance. I am on the record on CC to support a hike in gas prices , but only if 100% of the raise goes to support the commercialization of alternative energy sources and the protection of our environment -without a penny going to the general revenues of the government. </p>
<p>This latter position is hardly one you would expect from the conservative Xiggi. You see I do not only hug trees before felling them without mercy. :)</p>
<p>Xiggi great posts.</p>
<p>Krugman writes:
I’m sure that some readers will respond to everything I’ve just said by asking why, if the Canadians are so smart, they aren’t richer.</p>
<p>Yes there is that economic nuisance of actual income and wealth.</p>
<p>However, that issue aside, I will at least agree with Krugmans point when he compares the education system of the US with that of Canada ( a pet peeve of mine). The chasm in education that extends between the level of education amongst non-college educated Canadian and American adults is as wide as the Pacific. Without knowing better, one might think that we were speaking of two different species of humanity.</p>
<p>The average non-college educated construction worker, service worker and industrial worker in Canada lives life at a different intellectual/cultural level than their counter-part in the USA (self-disclosure: I was born in Switzerland, raised in Canada from 1 to 12 yrs old, and Maryland and New Jersey 12-17 yrs. old).</p>
<p>I should say, Canadians are at a much higher cultural levelthey are even highly likely to know random facts like the name of the President of the USA and, beyond that, even a number of Senators and some congressman backed up with a sizable measure of some of the more pressing cultural/international issues of the day (I imagine there are some highly educated adults, even here, who could not name the Prime Minister of CanadaPaul Martinlet alone any MPs).</p>
<p>They are likely to read books and do; they are, through no fault of their own (Quebec), far more likely to be bilingual; none of them will live in a ghetto there arent any; beyond all that, all Canadians have a pretty good facility in the language of their birth (English of French) unlike a great number of their American counterparts.</p>
<p>Certainly this is blight on America, though I doubt it is one susceptible to partisan politics.</p>
<p>Canada lacks a large minority population unless you want to count Asian millionaires. The US has two huge minority populations. What if you compare similar ethnic groups in the US in proportion to the Canadian population. Big difference I think.</p>
<p>I don’t think they were referring to minorities, when they referred to the undereducated people in Alabama. They had to chance to reform the educational system in Alabama recently and even the poor voted against it…and it was meant to benefit them. There you see a case in point of when groups of people vote against their own best interests. Maybe if they had the better education they would have realized that all the advertising aimed at them was very misleading and they should have voted for the education package.</p>
<p>As usual, when Krugman writes something, you can expect to find later that he was less than truthful with his quotes and facts. Here is the expose of the article mentioned above.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200507290839.asp[/url]”>http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200507290839.asp</a></p>
<p>Fundingfather, Is the issue Krugman, or is it our economy and our health care system? Do you like our health care system in the US? The World Health Orgainziation ranks Canada’s health sytem 30th in the world and the US 37th. Looks to me like there is room for improvement in both countries.</p>
<p>My insurance premiums are up over 20% this year. </p>
<p>What can be done to make our health care system more affordable and better?</p>
<p>Until we are willing to accept what is essentially rationing of care, we won’t change the system.</p>
<p>First, without knowing how WHO does its ranking, one can not conclude anything about relative health care systems. It’s like looking at the rankings of best places to live by Money magazine and then finding that a key attribute in the rating was home appreciation. That’s fine if that’s what you are looking for in a place to live but for those who don’t have appreciation as a key component of their quality of life it is meaningless. Likewise, WHO may have as a primary factor some attribute that is of secondary importance to me. For example, they may have as a factor “percentage of population covered by insurance” but ignore the fact as the article from the Boston Globe points out that people in Canada are dieing while waiting for their turn to be treated and that others go to the US for treatment.</p>
<p>Secondly, health care is itself only part of the overall quality of life calculation. Some may say that the higher unemployment rates and the lower discretionary income that exists in countries that have state run healthcare is more onerous than the issue of health care costs.</p>
<p>fundingfather, you didn’t really answer my question, did you?</p>