Wow... Ricardo's Iron Law of Wages strikes again.

There would be more lawn care jobs, more childcare jobs, more drycleaning jobs, as two and three income families pressed for time found themselves outsourcing menial tasks out of necessity. There would be need for a larger emergency services force as unsupervised children of these parents found themselves injured due to youthful stupidity, or involved in gang related activity. And there would be more jobs for prison workers due to a larger crime rate

despite the best efforts of both parties, six administrations and nearly 40 years of dedicated effort on the part of most voters in support of these lofty goals, there's still a lotta work--at even lower rates of compensation--to do yet as youve pointed out.  

if i had kids, you can bet id rest easier knowing when they thought of me, the first thing they remembered was 'he was there during those exciting times when advanced technology managed to accomplish something his own forebears woulda never dreamed possible: increasing national productivity many times over in less than a half century while simultaneously remaking the us into the preeminent third world nation in our hemisphere." 

Actually, there are several efficient ways to create more jobs.. None of which have anything to do with trickledown economics or the current administrations policies. Also, we're in danger in this country because skilled workforces aren't utilized well since we moved entire industries overseas. Years ago, your grandparents, could make good money in textile plants, steel mills, electronic plants and other production areas. Now, most of the those jobs are gone, not by choice, we are becoming a service oriented country, and those service jobs are generally low paying, lack benefits, and are unskilled. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

One way to create more jobs, is to reduce the workweek hour requirements for Salaried/Professional workers. A federally mandated full time workweek of 35 hours per week, would instantly create jobs. For example my wife is a Nurse Practioner at a major Hospital. Her work weeks are 35 hours, and for her, 35 hours is designated fulltime and she is compensated as if she was a 40-45 hour a week worker. The result, the hospital has to retain more nurses (thus creating a HUGE demand for nurses and opening more jobs), but nobody is overworked, everyone has time for their families, and people are happier.

Something to think about.

Well I'm all about job creation since I often work 2 or 3 at a time trying to pay all the bills since my full-time job usually doesn't cut it...and it's definitely above minimum wage. Let's start another World War, that would create a shitload of jobs! I'm not half as interested in job creation as I am interested in job preservation.

-Suspeckted

"For example my wife is a Nurse Practioner at a major Hospital. Her work weeks are 35 hours, and for her, 35 hours is designated fulltime and she is compensated as if she was a 40-45 hour a week worker. The result, the hospital has to retain more nurses (thus creating a HUGE demand for nurses and opening more jobs), but nobody is overworked, everyone has time for their families, and people are happier. Something to think about."


Thought about it. Who is going to pay for many expensive nurses? You?

I think keeping wages low help those in school, and other entry level workers get work and get inside of a business.

That being said, almost no one can live on minuim wage. What is suppossed to happen is that you get hired at minimuim wage and then work your way up. In 5 years you should be earning enough to live off of I supppose. The only problem is that usually low wage jobs are dead end jobs and there is no moving up the pay scale.

Also, unskilled workers can not find work because most of it has been shipped overseas. So now you have to finish college in some form just to get a 30,000 job five years later... if you can get that.

Its a problem but raising minuim wages won't help, its the ability for companies to actually move employees up the pay scale when employeed for a time or employees educating themselves.

well, that answered the problem

"... entire industries moved overseas" "most of those jobs gone"

What country is being talked about here, cause it sure isn't the US. Someone needs a fact check. There are more jobs and more people working than ever in the US.

Good point Gideon. Just think, if we lower minimum wage enough, we can all work for the government.

Years ago, your grandparents, could make good money in textile plants, steel mills, electronic plants and other production areas.

Now, most of the those jobs are gone, not by choice, we are becoming a service oriented country, and those service jobs are generally low paying, lack benefits, and are unskilled.

Kobrana, do you listen to yourself as you type? The examples you give to back your point are so backward they are almost hilarious!! What skills are necessary to gain employment on the production floor of a textile plant, steel mill or electronics plant? Sure, there are skills that are picked up along the way, but the whole point of looking for work on a production floor is because you have no marketable skills.

On the other hand, you point fingers at "service Industries" as being unskilled. I can think of very few service jobs that require no training to qualify for the job. Sure, there are the lawn care, delivery driver and food service jobs out there, but most services that are needed are much higher tech than that.

The fact is, the number of people in our jobs market will be shrinking considerably over the next couple of decades. We are not going to have the luxury of trying to fill factories with hundreds of workers. According to projections by leaders in the healthcare industry, even if every high school graduate went into a healthcare related field, their would still not be enough to keep up with the need for workers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2012, the 16-24 year old age group (or group entering the work force) will only increase by 7%. On the other hand the 55-64 year old age group (or group retiring out of the work force) will increase by 43.6%.

You can try to make all the cases you want for ways to create more jobs in the future, but it won't be that long before we will be hard pressed to fill the positions that exist now, much less those created by growth industries and new innovations.

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm

You know, it's easy for everyone to say, "lower the minimum wage then we will have more jobs". Let's face it, there's no win-win situation if that is done. There are people in our country who are barely surviving on what the minimum wage is right now. They are barely making ends meet to feed their families. There are people who can't educate themselves because they don't have the funds. They don't have the resources to get the needed skills, or the degree or certificate that they need to get them the job that will pay them more. The resources that are out there, most of them, have either been taken away or almost non existent. And there are times they cannot get the resources because the criterias that have to be met are often impossible.

"... entire industries moved overseas" "most of those jobs gone"What country is being talked about here, cause it sure isn't the US. Someone needs a fact check. There are more jobs and more people working than ever in the US.

Yes, there are jobs out there, if you look hard enough and you have to look hard because there are some jobs advertised that are not jobs (they need money to give you a job or you need to bring other people to get a job) and sometimes the job given is mennial both in work and pay. So, yes there are jobs. But you have to admit a lot of jobs and industries have gone elsewhere.

One way to create more jobs, is to reduce the workweek hour requirements for Salaried/Professional workers. A federally mandated full time workweek of 35 hours per week, would instantly create jobs. For example my wife is a Nurse Practioner at a major Hospital. Her work weeks are 35 hours, and for her, 35 hours is designated fulltime and she is compensated as if she was a 40-45 hour a week worker. The result, the hospital has to retain more nurses (thus creating a HUGE demand for nurses and opening more jobs), but nobody is overworked, everyone has time for their families, and people are happier.

That, in effect, is lower wages.  Since the Hospital only has X amount for Nurses, Hiring more nurses, since they work less,means each nurse is paid less.  And you are correct.  It would increase employment, but not make the current employees happy.

One way to create more jobs, is to reduce the workweek hour requirements for Salaried/Professional workers. A federally mandated full time workweek of 35 hours per week, would instantly create jobs. For example my wife is a Nurse Practioner at a major Hospital. Her work weeks are 35 hours, and for her, 35 hours is designated fulltime and she is compensated as if she was a 40-45 hour a week worker. The result, the hospital has to retain more nurses (thus creating a HUGE demand for nurses and opening more jobs), but nobody is overworked, everyone has time for their families, and people are happier.

It is something to think about, yes...but there's already a nursing shortage without that scheduling (I know...I considered that field for awhile), and the increased costs of nurses on 35 hour workweeks means the consumer (in this case) is paying higher fees for care, adding to the already outrageous cost of medical care (the US ranks 1st in per capita spending for medical care; 17th in life expectancy).

If you read the second paragraph closely, you will see this article does NOT advocate for lowering wages; I am simply underscoring how someone can skew certain facts to claim they "created more jobs" in this manner.

And we can feed the homeless to the hungry, and solve two more problems!!!!!

One way to create more jobs, is to reduce the workweek hour requirements for Salaried/Professional workers. A federally mandated full time workweek of 35 hours per week, would instantly create jobs. For example my wife is a Nurse Practioner at a major Hospital. Her work weeks are 35 hours, and for her, 35 hours is designated fulltime and she is compensated as if she was a 40-45 hour a week worker. The result, the hospital has to retain more nurses (thus creating a HUGE demand for nurses and opening more jobs), but nobody is overworked, everyone has time for their families, and people are happier.

Start making the things we need in country, then what we are short import.
that when the world gose to hell we'll be better off. U.S.A. U.S. A!!!!

One way to create more jobs, is to reduce the workweek hour requirements for Salaried/Professional workers. A federally mandated full time workweek of 35 hours per week, would instantly create jobs.

Well said: Immediately after WWII when the 40 hour week became standardized, there was serious lobbying, mainly from unions which then had power, of equalizing blue collar jobs with that of the 35 hr week that white collar enjoyed. The ultimate goal was to establish a universal 30 hour week!

That, in effect, is lower wages. Since the Hospital only has X amount for Nurses, Hiring more nurses, since they work less,means each nurse is paid less. And you are correct. It would increase employment, but not make the current employees happy.

Not true about the pay.. She works 35 hours, but is paid like a 40-45 hour worker. With overtime, thats quite a sum of money. She averages just about 6 figures in income per year with overtime. Her base pay is $75,000.00ish. But keep in mind, this is one of the most difficult degrees to get, so obviously worth that. The main reason for the nursing shortage is because of their 35 hour workweeks. The other reasons obviously are that its a difficult degree, requires major commitment, and is a profession many can't deal with. But if they applied this 35 hour workweek to other professions, it would open up a ton of jobs. But then again, someone would have to pay for the additional labor costs, guess thats a detail to work out.

Tough call really.. But I do envy my wife and the job security and power over the corporate machine she has with that artificial shortage they have in place. She has all of these little perks like "Self Scheduling", where she walks in, writes down the days she wants to work, and walks out.. If they fired her, half of the floor she works on would cease to operate properly, good for the ego that is, shes in the drivers seat.. But then again, I have the best job security on the planet.. I never really have to work ever again and if i'm fired or quit, I don't really give a shit because I already have more money that I logically should ever need. But then again, i'd rather have my father alive, and not his money, but that was the hand that was dealt to me.