What Trump is missing on jobs

[EasyAce]

By Rick Newman
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-missing-jobs-181740387.html

You’re not likely to hear President Trump say much about lab technicians, car mechanics, veterinarians, nurses, social workers or security consultants. Yet these are the types of everyday jobs that have powered America’s transition from a manufacturing to a service economy during the last 30 years, while raising living standards and even offering a bulwark against the rise of the robots.

Trump, of course, glorifies manly, industrial-era jobs. Steelworkers. Coal miners. Bricklayers. Those are worthy professions that obviously fill a need. But manual-labor jobs have been declining as a portion of the U.S. workforce for decades, which, in general, is a good thing. Machines increasingly do that work faster, better and cheaper. And the service jobs of 2018 are safer, more pleasant and more sustainable. You can also get ahead faster if you’re willing to update your skills periodically, to keep up with a fast-changing workplace.

Trump doesn’t see it that way. “From Bush 1 to present, our Country has lost more than 55,000 factories [and] 6,000,000 manufacturing jobs,” Trump tweeted on March 7. Trump is so enraged by the loss of manufacturing jobs that he’s poised to ignore the urging of most economists—and most members of his own Republican party—and impose new tariffs of 25% on all imported steel and 10% on all imported aluminum. Forcing up the price of imports will, most likely, help create a few more jobs in those domestic industries. But it will also have negative consequences likely to far outstrip the benefits of a few additional jobs . . .

. . . There’s a perception that service jobs are a mindless grind, barely paying minimum wage—the burger-flipping meme. Some are, but many aren’t. Service jobs run from low-paid maids and janitors all the way up to physicians, bankers and CEOs. There are millions of jobs in the middle that qualify as middle-class work with decent pay you can raise a family on . . .

. . . Besides, what’s so great about the backbreaking assembly-line jobs Trump seems to pine for (even though he never did one himself)? It’s true that 30 or 40 years ago, high-school grads with minimal skills could often find factory work that paid reasonably well, and earn consistently more as they gained seniority. Okay, great. But many of those jobs led to career-ending injuries or exposed workers to dangerous conditions that impaired their health over time. And there was nothing stimulating about doing rote activities on an assembly-line day after day . . .

[Frank Cannon]

This piece of shit article was written by someone who never lived in a factory town. They have no idea what they are talking about and seem to have some irrational idea that if everyone just becomes a service industry drone dollars can just be passed back and forth among people and we won't have to worry about building shit. Silly.

Besides, what’s so great about the backbreaking assembly-line jobs

Well stupid azzhole, they payed a hell of a lot more than putting shit in a box at the Amazon warehouse or a social worker. I know this because all my tenants with these service jobs have to work side gigs just to live. I really shouldn't expect more out of a loser like Rick with a paper thin resume that has absolutely no practical economic experience under his belt.....

Rick Newman is a columnist for Yahoo Finance, offering insightful, provocative takes on many of the biggest stories of our time. He was previously Chief Business Correspondent, and before that Pentagon correspondent, for U.S. News & World Report. He's also the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success.

[endicom]

Trump, of course, glorifies manly, industrial-era jobs. Steelworkers. Coal miners. Bricklayers.

Trump hasn't glorified those jobs but has tried to correct the elimination of those jobs under prior administrations.