On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 19:44:34 -0700, "Mark Winlund" wrote:
Perhaps you are right, Ed. I'll be the first to admit I am not an expert on
this, and you have spent a lot of time and energy examining the situation.
That being said, I do know that there is an awful lot of misery out there
due to our losing manufacturing jobs to places like China. I fear for my
kid's (and his kid's) future. He's no dummy, and the employment situation
looks very bleak with very little improvement in sight.

It looks bleak if he aspires to an assembly line job. Those jobs, the
one's not being automated out of existence, are being exported to
other countries. There are a number of reasons for that, not the least
of which was the union demands of the last half century which drove
up the costs of semi-skilled labor far beyond its economic value.

But if he aspires to a skilled service job, there are plenty to be found.
The medical field is so short handed that underqualified third worlders
are being imported to fill positions. If he trains to be a medical technician,
pharmacist, or nurse, he'll never want for a job.

Even the small field of broadcasting is desperate for skilled technicians,
and the pay is quite good. I could get him a firm job offer tomorrow if he
has the right skills and aptitude for the work.

For less skilled work, agriculture is begging for workers, even the
importation of large numbers of illegals hasn't filled the need. Of
course the pay isn't great, and the work is hard, but that's the way
it is with low skill labor.

Gary