Why Bad Jobs (or No Jobs) Happen To Good Workers

sean_nestor writes "Back in October, an article appeared in The Wall Street Journal with the headline 'Why Companies Aren't Getting the Employees They Need.' It noted that even with millions of highly educated and highly trained workers sidelined by the worst economic downturn in three generations, companies were reporting shortages of skilled workers. Companies typically blame schools, for not providing the right training; the government, for not letting in enough skilled immigrants; and workers themselves, who all too often turn down good jobs at good wages. The author of the article, an expert on employment and management issues, concluded that although employers are in almost complete agreement about the skills gap, there was no actual evidence of it. Instead, he said, 'The real culprits are the employers themselves.'" The linked article is an interview with Peter Cappelli, author of the WSJ piece, who has recently published a book on the alleged skills gap.

Comments

Re:O RLY?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not the managers but other people in a great socialist system that eliminates evil rich people and corporations, I mean really didn't everyone in the USSR live in a utopian system pre 90's? Come on slash stupid occupiers lets revolt.

Re:O RLY?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is just the ego defense mechanism of projection. I've seen, it like forever. Management can't make its numbers, so they blame the workers that they are supposed to be supervising to make those numbers.

What there is a real shortage of these days is Management Talent.

Off topic, Living Wage is just another commuinist plot to destroy capitalism. If you can't make it on what your making , get a better job. If you aren't capable of doing that, Darwin out of the population and save the rest of us the anoyance!

Re:O RLY?

[Lumpy]

I love you idiot Tea party people that Whine when people want more pay, but WHINE when you cant hire people at insulting wages.

Pick one. Socialist country where the proles are forced to work for your company at low wages, or a "socialist" country where workers can demand higher wages for their work.

Or would you prefer we bring back slavery? will that fix your problem:?

Re:Sounds like a GOP campaign trail

[DogDude]

"When your a corporate CEO billionaire and need to lay off [seekingalpha.com] people in order to buy your own friggin hawaiian island [sfgate.com] and then come back and bitch and whine that you can't find "talented people" something is fishy."

You'd be surprised how hard it is to find employees that can write a grammatically correct sentence.

super simple way to fix unemployment & country

[schlachter]

Here's the super easy/obvious way to solve unemployment...while helping the country out.

Require 20 hrs of verifiable community service work each week to be on unemployment. Doesn't matter what you do, that's your choice. Teach computer science, clean up a park, write open source code, help the homeless, whatever. The remaining 148 hrs of the week are yours to look for a job.

I GUARANTEE you that at least 50% of people will get off unemployment with in a month.

Re:I live in the USA with it's cost structure

[RobinH]

Nobody says you have a right to a house or car. Buddy up with someone and share rent. Take the bus. Don't blame society for your poor financial management skills.

Re:Training!

[Feyshtey]

So you require that the company commit to you and invest in you for the long term while making it patently obvious that you have no intention of the same. And the company is the greedy self-indulged party in the transaction....

Re:O RLY?

[LifesABeach]

My observations indicate the Tea Party to be mentally incapable realizing the dynamics of American community. By applying mathematics formulated by John Nash to Tea Party actions, one clearly sees their caustic future. The Tea Party are like the North American Ghost Dancers, only more in tragic.

Re:O RLY?

[StormyWeather]

I love posts like yours that thinks an employer like me somehow owes something to qn employee. If I dont pay an employee enough they go somewhere else and I have a nightmare replacing them if they weren't worthless to begin with. If the employee costs me more than they generate more income I have to reduce wages or fire them.

Aldo define living wage. When I was 20 I made 12k a yeat and lived fine. Does that mean a living wage is 12 k a year? Should I pay someone 12k a year for.coming to work, surfing porn, and gossiping with and against other employees?

You dont DESERVE SHIT.

Re:super simple way to fix unemployment & coun

[schlachter]

I can't believe that my suggestion has been marked troll by all the lazy ass unemployed slashdotters who auto-reject any idea that threatens their weekly free checks!

Shit, people are already on unemployment and not doing shit for it. I propose having people contribute back to the community in exchange for taking social benefits from the community and you all think this is a bad idea!? WTF. Yea, I know it's a radical idea. Give back to the community when they're helping you out.

I have no idea how you ranted into corporate interests. It has no place here. You're afraid that we might displace other jobs? Ok, let's outlaw all volunteerism. It's an absurd argument you make.

I think Anonymous Coward is a good description for the poster.