The economic research firm’s “True Rate of Unemployment” (TRU) seeks to capture the share of workers that the group defines as “functionally unemployed.” This includes not only people who are unemployed and looking for a job, but also those who are involuntarily working part-time and who are earning poverty-level wages, or less than $26,000 annually before taxes.
Functional unemployment across the U.S. has climbed four straight months and stood at 24.9% as of July, although that’s down from 25.2% in December, according to the Ludwig Institute.
I feel like the lumpen proles ie reserve army of labor are far bigger in numbers than even this number suggests. I’m an engineer by education and I’ve been either unemployed or earning near minimum wage for half my post college career. Like, I barely even identify as a prole because I’m barely a worker half the time. I’m of relatively sound physical health and at least have my parents to mooch off of, I don’t know how anyone else does it.
Either I’m actually much worse off than a vast majority of people or things are catastrophically dire as is.
I think you’re bang on, and civil engineering is eating shit at the moment because of it. Too many years of pulling up the ladder behind onesself when it should’ve been focused on placing more (25 foot spaced max)
I’m actually a mechanical engineering graduate turned civil engineer and while I completely agree with you, I’ve had more luck in the job market than ever before since I made the switch. Shit must be REALLY bad.
I always assumed civil engineering had the worst job market of the engineering disciplines based on how we approach infrastructure spending. Also I can’t imagine conducting a design review with a politician, basically a circle of hell
Yeah but Mech E’s pretty much either work for Lockheed making bombs or not working. Everything is computer now and noone told me nothing uses kinetic energy anymore apparently
Yeah I’m more on the environmental side of things - one of those areas not planned for until it’s too late. Graduated college and could only get a job selling cameras, later moved into construction and eventually actually my field of interest. Now that i have a PE and niche experience, i can find a role easy enough, but one’s expected to eat a lot of shit as a new grad; oftentimes working under senior staff with minimal interest/ability in teaching their juniors. Any more, teaching passionate weirdos like myself is about all that makes the job worthwhile
Is it just me having a grass is greener mindset or are senior engineers in this field especially shit at this? As in, arrogant and especially uncooperative and unhelpful to younger staff.
Yeah that’s my experience as well. I believe a large part is due to the competitiveness driven by the % utilization system, associate/principal hierarchy, seller-doer/small business owner mindset, and overall misogyny of any field construction adjacent.
I’ve been working through a bunch of projects leftover from the guy who quit before me, and he’s the exact type of engineer i despise. Totally useless comments presented in a way that derides the young engineers responding to them. The fact that he wasn’t fired is mark against the company imo. I’ve worked for way too many shitty old men who were despised by every woman they crossed paths with, but nothing is ever done because there’s still an old boys club mentality.
I’m just venting now, but you get the drift lol.
Hey, I have a question, from a junior to a senior licensed civil engineer, how do I fuck over my previous employer for something like that ie gender (not in my case) or racial harassment? Can I submit complaints to the licensing board or something?
Working for a consulting firm really sucks ass. My previous employer had a 95% utilization rate. I’m so hopeful to get a state job.
God i wish. Maybe there is an official way out there, but afaik the only recourse is quitting and spreading it far and wide how much they suck
Not to mention homelessness. There are so many practically invisible people out there - living with friends, partners, trap houses, in the woods, on the streets. There are estimates but I can only believe there are so many more “uncounted people” than we really know, people without an address or identification or a bank account.
I have known multiple community college professors that had to live out of their cars
Same. I know damn well this is a strategy: mass lumpenization, and in no small part for humiliating the working class.
I’m not looking down on anyone, I’m very much involuntarily shuffled into the lumpen class.
The US only has two (immediate) future outcomes:
1.) Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
2.) Current day TERF island, but with regular exports of food. (The US has a lot of agricultural land.)
Don’t really see any other options.
Yup, I’ve not looked into this study, but these numbers are usually pretty heavily doctored to make things look better than they actually are. Good luck to you!