I’ll take a surly, emo-attitude high school kid who at least knows some semblance of the English language than some grinning, bobble-headed moron.

Besides, it’s karma for when I was a surly high school kid who hated adults and authority figures.

The circle of life.

Common Sense on August 28, 2009 at 3:54 PM

It’s all in the approach. When your teens apply for a job, have them use names like Jose and Maria, and tell the manager they don’t mind working under the table.

It used to be colored resume paper; now it’s immigration fraud that gets the job.

I NEVER had a hard time finding a job as a teenager, either did my friends. We all worked, bought our own cars, paid for our own entertainment, clothes, etc., and saved for college. It’s almost impossible for kids to do that today.

My 17-year-old daughter couldn’t find a job either, mostly because she has to work around her dance class schedule (ballet is her future career, hopefully). But people used to hire part-timers, not so much anymore. If you can’t work a set schedule – all weekdays, all weekends, etc. forget it. She couldn’t find any babysitting work either, despite the neighborhood being full of kids. We’re resigned to paying her way until she’s out of college or full-time with a ballet company, whichever works out. Sigh….

A co-worker was just complaining to be about her son, who’d been trying to find work all summer but to no avail.

Which brings me to an interesting personal observation…

During my trip home to N.C. this past July, every fast-food and sit-down restaurant I ate at was employed with high school age kids and in some cases, senior citizens.

You never see that anymore here in Los Angeles.

Remember, I’m talking about missing first run Scooby-Doo’s.

BobMbx on August 28, 2009 at 2:24 PM

Nice. I guess $5 in 1972 was the equivalent of $15 in 1987 thanks to Jimmah Cahtah’s runaway inflation of the late 70s, early 80s.

This all ties in with the mindset of the young lady who is sueing her college for not getting a job Paycheck handed to her in her field right out of school.

Koa on August 28, 2009 at 1:09 PM

FIFY.

$5? How long ago was this. In my day – mid to late 80s – $15 was the going rate for a lawn, $20 if it was really big. Although the real money was made in winter. $10 to shovel a driveway, which would take 1/2 the time of cutting the grass. The per hour wage was phenomenal in the winter, and it was fun too.

angryed on August 28, 2009 at 1:34 PM

Lordy…I hate this part…..let’s call it 1972-73-74ish. On an Air Force base, usually. Back when Michael Jackson (and the other 4 Jacksons) were battling Donnie (and the other 3 dozen Osmonds) both in concert and in cartoon land. First rate stuff. Remember, I’m talking about missing first run Scooby-Doo’s.

They’re great with hollandaise sauce, so I hope she gets crackin’/pickin’.

Based on their comprehensive reading of the evidence…

The sad thing is, one doesn’t even need empirical evidence to determine that minimum wage laws are always harmful. As anyone who takes freshman microeconomics finds out, economics proves as much a priori.

Basically, the whole economy “floats” on the level of the minimum wage — raise the MW and the economy will “float” up to a higher level with the new MW as the floor value.

Not true. Employers will try to raise the prices they charge, so that they can afford to pay workers more, but they won’t be able to sell the same quantity at the higher price. Until the inflated money supply pushes up nominal prices and makes the new minumum largely irrelevant, to whatever extent the minimum wage law has any effect on wages, it also creates unemployment. It really is simple supply/demand stuff here.

I think we are in agreement here. The issues you identify are short-term transients. That is the period of time while the economy adjusts to the new MW that the MW earner sees some benefit but people looking for work in that sector are shut out and some MW earners are laid off as their employers cut back during the adjustment period. I should have been clear that the “floating” effect is not a nice smooth transition, but rather a short term perturbation that causes significant issues across the board. The end result however is a net gain of zero for all involved.

BobMbx on August 28, 2009 at 11:49 AM

$5? How long ago was this. In my day – mid to late 80s – $15 was the going rate for a lawn, $20 if it was really big. Although the real money was made in winter. $10 to shovel a driveway, which would take 1/2 the time of cutting the grass. The per hour wage was phenomenal in the winter, and it was fun too.