richardag said:

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infinity ag said:

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richardag said:

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infinity ag said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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I think H1B abuse/corruption is BS too. But the reality of the connected world is much wider labor force competition for anything that doesn't require a physical presence.

My job, fortunately, requires field surveys, site visits, etc. big I've been gifted with the mental and physical capacity to do a wide variety of tasks and the constitution and humility to be willing to do what it takes to pay my bills. I think more people have that than they know but it is humbling to take a step or two backwards to make a new path forwards.

I will agree that housing costs and interest rates make people very reluctant to uproot and move to go after opportunities so I can see that as a factor in longer term unemployment.

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Okay.
I am a good investor, so I don't need a job to pay my bills. That is where I am today. So I will not take up any shift jobs. I did that decades ago in College Station working in a grocery store by campus. Yes, I did shelving and bagging and cleanup on aisle 5. Not at my age, and I don't need to learn any more humility.

But that does not mean I think it is okay for H1B abuse. This has killed local talent. It will affect our kids and grandkids some day if it is not stopped now. If we don't nurture our future and don't look beyond quick dollars, there will be no future.

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Interesting use of the word "humility".

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Why? Nothing I say is a lie. I am financially well off now, but 30 years ago, as a student I have cleaned up the mess you left behind at the grocery store. That teaches humility. I have received tips also for carrying grocery bags to cars. The hottest chicks gave me the highest tips, strangely. I expected the older folk to.

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That's sad you don't understand your use of humility in your statement.

By the way, my first job was a bag boy @ a military commissary, no hourly pay, worked for tips. My first hourly pay was as a busboy(75/hr) then a gas station attendant(95/hr.).

Think about it, maybe your use of the word humility in you statement may dawn on you.

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Not interested in engaging in this meaningless discussion/argument with you. Move on please.

I generally don't believe the government regardless. However, Trump's administration has been incredibly transparent. I think this is part of their ideology and also they know every thing they say or do is scrutinized 100 fold to what a dem presents.

rgvag11 said:

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Some companies are already reducing their workforce in expectation.

UPS on Tuesday announced it is planning to cut 20,000 jobs, part of a cost-cutting effort that's linked to fewer deliveries from Amazon, its biggest customer. https://t.co/KxVHWXAFGY

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 29, 2025

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It doesn't help dumba&& ups pays some drivers 150-170k. Of course the market eventually eat them up. In this case, it's Amazon hiring their own drivers for pennies on the dollar

There are millions of open jobs. If people you know aren't working it's their choice.

They could always change their industry. Personal choice and all.

backintexas2013 said:

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There are millions of open jobs. If people you know aren't working it's their choice.

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Lol

Things aren't bad now. They likely won't get bad because it will ruin Trumps agenda and legacy. Trump won't be able to blame Biden if he actually plays the big Art of Deal bluff about tarriffs for major revenue and manufacture onshoring. That simply can't happen without lengthy stagflation/depression.

Eliminating unfair trade practices is one thing, using gov like a wrecking ball to transform private business supply chains is something totally different. Many Trump supporters understand that, it's only the F16 Trump sycophants that believe the pipe dream. Just like the bitcoiners who thought Trump was going to create an epic gov BTC buying program, when instead he just slapped a new label of "Strategic Reserve" on confiscated BTC.

Just a few weeks ago F16 was spiking the ball on Trumps epic trade victory over Mexico and Canada bc of a few empty assurances about border security. Now we are seeing China give in on Fentanyl, which is also a mostly meaningless gesture for Trump and Fox News to spin as epic beatdowns.

The outcome is likey going to be fairer and more free trade. That's a great outcome. This transformational MAGA perma tarriffs to onshore, is negotiation leverage, not a real plan. The S&P will be trading closer to 3000 if it becomes a real plan.

We are in a weird place where this is an obvious reality, but also still somewhat cloudy bc of the bull in China shop nature of Trump. That all ends in a few weeks or couple months.

You disagree?

BusterAg said:

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H1B has 85,000 per year. That is a lot, but that is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to 15 - 20 million illegal immigrants.

I understand that this is an important issue to you because it personally impacts you, but, good grief. Maybe wait more than 100 days for this to get put on the agenda for Trump's attention.

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We probably have 500+ at my company in north Texas. Certain Frisco schools are majority Indian. 85k may not sound like a lot, but it creates very real displacement.

ts5641 said:

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I generally don't believe the government regardless. However, Trump's administration has been incredibly transparent. I think this is part of their ideology and also they know every thing they say or do is scrutinized 100 fold to what a dem presents.

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I do think we have transparency, but that's not the same thing as truthfulness. We're talking about the same team that coined the phrase "alternative facts".

AI and automation are a bigger threat to job loss than Trump's tarriff bluff. There are hiring freezes and layoffs of contractors because corporations want confirmation this is all about fairer trade, and not a national socialist movement that totally disrupts supply chains and capital investment.

I would bet this is all over by the fall, and there will be a totally new geopolitical headline by Christmas. If I am wrong, we will be on a path towards guns and ammo mattering more than jobs and money.

backintexas2013 said:

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There are millions of open jobs. If people you know aren't working it's their choice.

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Low quality jobs. Like Amazon delivery boy types. The ones that don't need an education.
If educated people are forced to do those jobs, it shows the decay of society.

FobTies said:

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AI and automation are a bigger threat to job loss than Trump's tarriff bluff. There are hiring freezes and layoffs of contractors because corporations want confirmation this is all about fairer trade, and not a national socialist movement that totally disrupts supply chains and capital investment.

I would bet this is all over by the fall, and there will be a totally new geopolitical headline by Christmas. If I am wrong, we will be on a path towards guns and ammo mattering more than jobs and money.

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Let's start with canceling H1B. Does any politician have the balls to do that?
Trump?

We have enough people here looking for jobs. We don't need losers from India and China.

Great attitude. Nobody is entitled to a great job. If someone isn't working it's their choice. So I guess you think it's better for a person to complain on the internet than to go out and work. That's decay of society.

Jeeper79 said:

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BusterAg said:

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H1B has 85,000 per year. That is a lot, but that is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to 15 - 20 million illegal immigrants.

I understand that this is an important issue to you because it personally impacts you, but, good grief. Maybe wait more than 100 days for this to get put on the agenda for Trump's attention.

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We probably have 500+ at my company in north Texas. Certain Frisco schools are majority Indian. 85k may not sound like a lot, but it creates very real displacement.

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That may be true.

But:

20.000M vs
00.085M

is a big difference.

backintexas2013 said:

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Great attitude. Nobody is entitled to a great job. If someone isn't working it's their choice. So I guess you think it's better for a person to complain on the internet than to go out and work. That's decay of society.

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The number of job openings was little changed at 7.2 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires held at 5.4 million, and total separations changed little at 5.1 million. Within separations, quits (3.3 million) were unchanged and layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) edged down.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm

Yes, many of these job openings are low quality and low pay, but nobody is entitled to a great job.

I said millions I guess I was a little short. So 7.1 million openings but they may be beneath people according to themselves

infinity ag said:

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backintexas2013 said:

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There are millions of open jobs. If people you know aren't working it's their choice.

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Low quality jobs. Like Amazon delivery boy types. The ones that don't need an education.
If educated people are forced to do those jobs, it shows the decay of society.

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Or that their degrees were not of value.

infinity ag said:

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backintexas2013 said:

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There are millions of open jobs. If people you know aren't working it's their choice.

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Low quality jobs. Like Amazon delivery boy types. The ones that don't need an education.
If educated people are forced to do those jobs, it shows the decay of society.

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Or it shows that what we now call "education" is worthless knowledge.

True. Could also be they are marginal workers. Another possibility they think most jobs are beneath them and that comes across during their interview

infinity ag said:

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FobTies said:

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AI and automation are a bigger threat to job loss than Trump's tarriff bluff. There are hiring freezes and layoffs of contractors because corporations want confirmation this is all about fairer trade, and not a national socialist movement that totally disrupts supply chains and capital investment.

I would bet this is all over by the fall, and there will be a totally new geopolitical headline by Christmas. If I am wrong, we will be on a path towards guns and ammo mattering more than jobs and money.

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Let's start with canceling H1B. Does any politician have the balls to do that?
Trump?

We have enough people here looking for jobs. We don't need losers from India and China.

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Do we have enough people here looking for jobs in the same sectors that people from India, China, the Philippines, etc. are?

Americans have been lazy by nature ever since the Boomers coddled to death the Millennials (the OG snowflakes) and the Millenials did the same to their offspring ("You're special Timmy") to the point where story after story comes out about how the latest generation of entitled brats either job-hop or quietly-quit or ghost their employers, etc. ad nauseum.

If people from those countries you mentioned are indeed "losers," what TF does that make the Americans?

I went to A&M Baseball yesterday. All the concessions workers appeared to be foreign student workers. They work for tips. They come from a place where there are not handouts for breathing. They were hustling.

backintexas2013 said:

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Great attitude. Nobody is entitled to a great job. If someone isn't working it's their choice. So I guess you think it's better for a person to complain on the internet than to go out and work. That's decay of society.

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The internet is for discussing and part of it is complaining.

Instead of grandstanding why are you complaining about my "complaining"? Take your own advice.

Sure but people could do something about it. Not much can be done about taxes and property taxes. Having a job or not is a personal choice. It's like the fat guy complaining about being fat instead of exercising and eating right.

backintexas2013 said:

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True. Could also be they are marginal workers. Another possibility they think most jobs are beneath them and that comes across during their interview

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When someone considers it humiliating to take on a job, seems that expresses their attitude towards all those people working in those jobs.
Guaranteed these people would never have the fortitude to approach a shift worker and openly express their belief it would be humiliating to be a shift worker.
Me personally I respect anyone working at a job to earn a living.

MouthBQ98 said:

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I can and will work with my hands. I can and will do shift work. I can always find a job. Like, in a matter of a few days. People that are unemployed for months are probably niche camping while they take severance or unemployment and then overly focused on finding a very similar job to the type of work they left.

If you are flexible, there's a crapload of work out there.

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I know tech folk, white american males, programmers, who can't get jobs at HEB (overqualified, old etc.
). While Trump goes after H1s, A lot of high paying jobs are heading overseas. There's nothing being done to reverse the trend, and that's problematic.

It is an absolute ****ty job market right now, so like the OP, the numbers surprise me. Yes, you can be "flexible" and find a job, but switching from a high paying highly skilled job to bagging groceries isn't really good for the economy.The problem isn't Trump. He's trying.
The problem is Congress.

deddog said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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I can and will work with my hands. I can and will do shift work. I can always find a job. Like, in a matter of a few days. People that are unemployed for months are probably niche camping while they take severance or unemployment and then overly focused on finding a very similar job to the type of work they left.

If you are flexible, there's a crapload of work out there.

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I know tech folk, white american males, programmers, who can't get jobs at HEB (overqualified, old etc.
). While Trump goes after H1s, A lot of high paying jobs are heading overseas. There's nothing being done to reverse the trend, and that's problematic.

It is an absolute ****ty job market right now, so like the OP, the numbers surprise me. Yes, you can be "flexible" and find a job, but switching from a high paying highly skilled job to bagging groceries isn't really good for the economy.The problem isn't Trump. He's trying.
The problem is Congress.

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A trained HVAC technician in D/FW can make ~$120,000/yr, A company in D/FW is advertising they will train & pay you during training.

deddog said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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I can and will work with my hands. I can and will do shift work. I can always find a job. Like, in a matter of a few days. People that are unemployed for months are probably niche camping while they take severance or unemployment and then overly focused on finding a very similar job to the type of work they left.

If you are flexible, there's a crapload of work out there.

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I know tech folk, white american males, programmers, who can't get jobs at HEB (overqualified, old etc.
). While Trump goes after H1s, A lot of high paying jobs are heading overseas. There's nothing being done to reverse the trend, and that's problematic.

It is an absolute ****ty job market right now, so like the OP, the numbers surprise me. Yes, you can be "flexible" and find a job, but switching from a high paying highly skilled job to bagging groceries isn't really good for the economy.The problem isn't Trump. He's trying.
The problem is Congress.

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Exactly. I am sure there is something that can be done, but what is not clear to me either. H1Bs need to be stopped for 5 years except for "genius" types who can really help the US. Not the slave worker types who live like beggars, 10 in an apartment and send all their money back home.

I think companies will change their habits only when the CEO pays the price. He pays the price only if profits are lowered. Add tariffs to sending jobs abroad. It is a service after all and no different from the junk China makes for us. Tariff the heck out of them. You will see the jobs come back.

It is all in the money. Many Americans, esp the fake conservative types are usually to working against their own interest and for corporate interests thinking they are being conservative.

What amazes me the most is Boomers here laughing at people who say the job market is bad, and saying dumb things like "if you are willing to work hard, there is a job out there somewhere... go and find it". Umm... this isn't 1975 when the chicks were thin. It is 2025 and the chicks are obese. Their solution? Go take up a job at Walmart stacking shelves. They want Aggies and non Aggies with PhDs who got laid off to bad grocery and wash cars "just because that is what we did". All of this while Indians and Chinese swoop in and take up all the high paying jobs because they have created a mafia. There is a lot of collusion going on.

I have a Top 3 graduate degree from a famous US school (post A&M). One of the grads living in NYC just opened a Whatsapp group for people who are looking for jobs or a change. There are 700 people who have signed up. I estimate about 60% of these are laid off now. These are all qualified people with a US degree from a top respected school who cannot find a job and are getting together to see how they can help each other.

Let's start with accepting that there is a problem. Many don't even do that, they just lie and gaslight others with their 1970s thinking.

(deddog, I agree with all you say, just adding my own comments)

MouthBQ98 said:

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I can and will work with my hands. I can and will do shift work. I can always find a job. Like, in a matter of a few days. People that are unemployed for months are probably niche camping while they take severance or unemployment and then overly focused on finding a very similar job to the type of work they left.

If you are flexible, there's a crapload of work out there.

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that's called underemployment

And? What's wrong with that? If they can't find a job in their field switch fields. Don't be a mooch. We already have too many of those. If they can live off savings that's none of my business as long as they take care of their responsibilities and that should include the $13,500 a year to the feds in income tax.

Perhaps, if you are a bit too egotistical to do the work that is available vs the work you wish was available. If your best skills are in surplus, your value really is less at that moment in the labor market, so then are you really underemployed or rather over credentialed in that particular circumstance?

I'm just saying it never hurt anyone to keep working while they are looking for the next better opportunity, if they can manage it.

Also, meant in the general sense and not personally to repky to the poster.

I totally understand the sentiments regarding having expertise or training for what are typically higher value tasks and then finding yourself in a surplus job market for that particular role, but that's going to become more frequent as labor continues to globalize and be displaced by technology. It's best to have backup skill sets or be willing to try alternative work options in my view. I'd simply rather be working, personally, even if the job is not ideal or what I am best at. At least there is something coming in to pay bills and opportunities to learn or develop potentially complementary skill sets. I think people that remain idle too long suffer from it more deeply than they realize.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Perhaps, if you are a bit too egotistical to do the work that is available vs the work you wish was available. If your best skills are in surplus, your value really is less at that moment in the labor market, so then are you really underemployed or rather over credentialed in that particular circumstance?

I'm just saying it never hurt anyone to keep working while they are looking for the next better opportunity, if they can manage it.

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Any skill can be in surplus if you lower quality standards and increase supply drastically (before the ecosystem can adjust). It is all a scam. What if you imported 10M doctors from all Asian countries? You think US docs could charge you so much?

MouthBQ98 said:

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Perhaps, if you are a bit too egotistical to do the work that is available vs the work you wish was available. If your best skills are in surplus, your value really is less at that moment in the labor market, so then are you really underemployed or rather over credentialed in that particular circumstance?

I'm just saying it never hurt anyone to keep working while they are looking for the next better opportunity, if they can manage it.

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I have been thinking about this when planning for early retirement in my 50s.

is it better to just take a part time job making a decent salary but it's a pretty crappy job..

or keep working as a corporate attorney with the high salary but much more stress and having to work full time.

tied in with just moving to where I want to live and find some job there, or look for a job in my career field which could be in different states.

LMCane said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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Perhaps, if you are a bit too egotistical to do the work that is available vs the work you wish was available. If your best skills are in surplus, your value really is less at that moment in the labor market, so then are you really underemployed or rather over credentialed in that particular circumstance?

I'm just saying it never hurt anyone to keep working while they are looking for the next better opportunity, if they can manage it.

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I have been thinking about this when planning for early retirement in my 50s.

is it better to just take a part time job making a decent salary but it's a pretty crappy job..

or keep working as a corporate attorney with the high salary but much more stress and having to work full time.

tied in with just moving to where I want to live and find some job there, or look for a job in my career field which could be in different states.

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Im in the same boat, but a little younger. My plan is to slow travel 6 months or so a year and then have a part time gig in the States to make a little money and keep busy. I have time to iron out the details, but I see no benefit in the bolded, IMO.