Comments on: The new underclass http://lawiscool.com/2009/11/07/the-new-underclass/?nucrss=1 The law school blog and podcast from Canada Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:15:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jason http://lawiscool.com/2009/11/07/the-new-underclass/comment-page-1/#comment-7450 Jason Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:03:32 +0000 http://lawiscool.com/?p=2213#comment-7450 As a foreig worker in Canada, from my own perspective Canadians seem to be: 1. Under-educated 2. Very narrow minded, don't seem to care about learning other languages, cultures, and what it is going around the world. 3. Lots of drugs, few working skills. And I am not talking about the typical joe from the bush, I am talking about people with degrees, ask them about global news and they know nothing, they base their knowledge on CNN. As a foreig worker in Canada, from my own perspective Canadians seem to be:
1. Under-educated
2. Very narrow minded, don’t seem to care about learning other languages, cultures, and what it is going around the world.
3. Lots of drugs, few working skills.

And I am not talking about the typical joe from the bush, I am talking about people with degrees, ask them about global news and they know nothing, they base their knowledge on CNN.

]]> By: Dani http://lawiscool.com/2009/11/07/the-new-underclass/comment-page-1/#comment-7210 Dani Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:27:18 +0000 http://lawiscool.com/?p=2213#comment-7210 Canada, has cried and cried, saying there is a shortage of technology staff. Where are these jobs. A neighbor is an Electronics Engineer Technologist, who is applying for work overseas, where there are thousands of technical jobs. Why is Canada still using thirty year old technology in mines etc. Governing officials, seem to have no answer to these kind of questions. I was shocked by how many Canadian citizens, have had to go overseas to work? I am wondering if Canada has sold off the natural resources to other country's, and they are just sitting on them, and capping off our gas fields for a more profitable time. Canada, has cried and cried, saying there is a shortage of technology staff. Where are these jobs. A neighbor is an Electronics Engineer Technologist, who is applying for work overseas, where there are thousands of technical jobs. Why is Canada still using thirty year old technology in mines etc. Governing officials, seem to have no answer to these kind of questions. I was shocked by how many Canadian citizens, have had to go overseas to work? I am wondering if Canada has sold off the natural resources to other country’s, and they are just sitting on them, and capping off our gas fields for a more profitable time.

]]> By: Alton Bronski http://lawiscool.com/2009/11/07/the-new-underclass/comment-page-1/#comment-7175 Alton Bronski Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:59:45 +0000 http://lawiscool.com/?p=2213#comment-7175 When you use the phrase "labor shortage" or "skills shortage" you're speaking in a sentence fragment. What you actually mean to say is: "There is a labor shortage at the salary level I'm willing to pay." That statement is the correct phrase; the complete sentence and the intellectually honest statement. Employers speak about shortages as though they represent some absolute, readily identifiable lack of desirable services. Price is rarely accorded its proper importance in their discussion. If you start raising wages and improving working conditions, and continue doing so, you'll solve your shortage and will have people lining up around the block to work for you even if you need to have huge piles of steaming manure hand-scooped on a blazing summer afternoon. Re: Shortage caused by employees retiring out of the workforce: With the majority of retirement accounts down about 50% or more, most people entering retirement age are working well into their sunset years. So, you won’t be getting a worker shortage anytime soon due to retirees exiting the workforce. Okay, fine. Some specialized jobs require training and/or certification, again, the solution is higher wages and improved benefits. People will self-fund their re-education so that they can enter the industry in a work-ready state. The attractive wages, working conditions and career prospects of technology during the 1980’s and 1990’s was a prime example of people’s willingness to self-fund their own career re-education. There is never enough of any good or service to satisfy all wants or desires. A buyer, or employer, must give up something to get something. They must pay the market price and forego whatever else he could have for the same price. The forces of supply and demand determine these prices -- and the price of a skilled workman is no exception. The buyer can take it or leave it. However, those who choose to leave it (because of lack of funds or personal preference) must not cry shortage. The good is available at the market price. All goods and services are scarce, but scarcity and shortages are by no means synonymous. Scarcity is a regrettable and unavoidable fact. Shortages are purely a function of price. The only way in which a shortage has existed, or ever will exist, is in cases where the "going price" has been held below the market-clearing price. When you use the phrase “labor shortage” or “skills shortage” you’re speaking in a sentence fragment. What you actually mean to say is: “There is a labor shortage at the salary level I’m willing to pay.” That statement is the correct phrase; the complete sentence and the intellectually honest statement.

Employers speak about shortages as though they represent some absolute, readily identifiable lack of desirable services. Price is rarely accorded its proper importance in their discussion.

If you start raising wages and improving working conditions, and continue doing so, you’ll solve your shortage and will have people lining up around the block to work for you even if you need to have huge piles of steaming manure hand-scooped on a blazing summer afternoon.

Re: Shortage caused by employees retiring out of the workforce: With the majority of retirement accounts down about 50% or more, most people entering retirement age are working well into their sunset years. So, you won’t be getting a worker shortage anytime soon due to retirees exiting the workforce.

Okay, fine. Some specialized jobs require training and/or certification, again, the solution is higher wages and improved benefits. People will self-fund their re-education so that they can enter the industry in a work-ready state. The attractive wages, working conditions and career prospects of technology during the 1980’s and 1990’s was a prime example of people’s willingness to self-fund their own career re-education.

There is never enough of any good or service to satisfy all wants or desires. A buyer, or employer, must give up something to get something. They must pay the market price and forego whatever else he could have for the same price. The forces of supply and demand determine these prices — and the price of a skilled workman is no exception. The buyer can take it or leave it. However, those who choose to leave it (because of lack of funds or personal preference) must not cry shortage. The good is available at the market price. All goods and services are scarce, but scarcity and shortages are by no means synonymous. Scarcity is a regrettable and unavoidable fact.

Shortages are purely a function of price. The only way in which a shortage has existed, or ever will exist, is in cases where the “going price” has been held below the market-clearing price.

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