by Jerry Esmay, Stevensville
The subject above is a question we hear almost daily. No matter where you go in Montana or out-of-state, almost every business will be advertising for workers. So, where have all the workers gone?
The other day I heard an “expert” state that many service workers, after suffering through the Covid Pandemic, find the workplace to be so stressful they have dropped out of the workforce. Huh?
I suppose that some former workers have given up and joined the “Illegal Campers” crowd we see growing in most communities. Others may have moved out of the local area looking for a lower cost-of-living environment. But, I have to assume that many others must be staying home and living on welfare of some sort.
The latter category blows my imagination. As a senior citizen I have seen many changes in our society and most of these changes, in my opinion, have not had positive outcomes. Living on welfare is certainly one of those negative changes. In my younger years, having to accept a “handout” was viewed as a last resort. You were expected to work a second job if you couldn’t get by on your primary job, and you were expected to reduce your luxury item spending and spend less in general.
Related to this basic question is what impact has the flood of illegals coming across our southern border had on legal resident employment? Where are these additional millions of people living and how are they getting by? Obviously, untold billions in welfare are being distributed to these folks under the table so to speak. Most troublesome about the illegal flood is the “got-aways”. It is now estimated that over 500,000 individuals have infiltrated our country without being caught. Just stop and think about that! I continue to contend that the Biden administration is guilty of TREASON!
I would really like to see an unbiased study of where have all the workers gone. I feel certain it would be an eye opener on how our society is declining.
Cynthia Taylor says
When workers received those stimulus checks for sitting at home on their butts during the pandemic… any work ethic that they may have had went by the wayside.
Many do not want to work and apparently don’t need to since your and my tax dollars are supporting them. Long gone are the days when people had a good worth ethic and worked for what they needed, to pay their bills and survive.
Plus the fact that a lot of people with no experience nor education have the belief that they are now worth more than minimum wage which puts the small business owners in a sad predicament.
People used to do everything possible to avoid the embarrassment of being on welfare of any type. Unfortunately those truly needing assistance through no fault of their own don’t always prevail. There are too many others receiving the handout who CHOOSE to be on welfare. Terribly sad.
Laurie says
Cynthia,
I agree with most but not all of what you stated.
Having grown up on welfare due to a widowed mother with 4 small children who did every side job she could just to survive, gives me a unique perspective and empathy for those that don’t always fall under the mode of lazy and not wanting to work. We had to work as 11 and 12 year olds picking berries just to be able to have school clothes and supplies. Now, migrant workers do those jobs because it would be too menial and considered child labor and we “locals/real Americans” think those jobs are below us.
Your comment, “those truly needing assistance through no fault of of their own don’t always prevail “ is right on and I wish others would consider that we should never lump everyone together.
I no longer live in the root but when I did, even before the pandemic hit and assistance was made available, it was often impossible to get people to show up to do work like plumbing, electrical, and other needed work that paid well. Also, many restaurants went out of business because a lot of “deniers” of the pandemic refused to do the simplest possible things to help prevent spreading the virus to their fellow community members.
A poor work ethic has always existed in our culture and especially in the root from my experiences there. The question now becomes why aren’t people back at work as the benefits have dried up? A lot of them have, by want or no fault of their own, had to move on.
Thank you for the open dialogue. Not everyone who comments here does so with empathy and intelligence and you often express yourself in an honorable and thoughtful manner.