Posts by briskdrifter3

ironstag8 said:@briskdrifter3
Honestly, your chances of finding work in European Union countries are pretty slim—lower than rock bottom—unless you happen to be some kind of superstar in a niche field they’re absolutely desperate to fill. Having a degree and being fluent in a language? That's basically peanuts in this market.

So, what you're suggesting is that the massive wave of people landing jobs abroad—people from our neck of the woods who are still making that move today—is somehow earning less than a minimum wage? I couldn't disagree more. Even looking at my own situation... the only thing stopping me from transferring to a branch in another country within my own corporation is the sheer mountain of paperwork. Regarding technical degrees, there is an absolute, desperate demand for that kind of expertise overseas—largely because fewer people are choosing those paths these days. I know of instances in Sweden where they're actually calling people out of retirement because there simply aren't enough young professionals interested in the work... specifically within my sector and my particular corporation...
The reality is that most young people—whether here or elsewhere in Europe—dream of being managers, TV personalities, or running their own coffee shops. That leaves plenty of room for those who actually want to get their hands dirty.
There is an endless supply of skilled trades and essential roles that are in high demand globally: nursing, highly trained hospitality staff, construction (which is seeing a major resurgence over there—a friend of mine is actually back in that circuit)... and so on. Honestly, a German would much rather have a decent worker from our part of the world in a nursing or service role than someone from Romania or Bulgaria.
Jobs exist because those are developed economies... unlike here, where everything feels somewhat... simplified.

Linda Johnson15 said:I honestly don't see it happening... they don't even seem to know how to handle their own people. If you're looking to move abroad for work, you’ve got to meet way more requirements and fight tooth and nail against the local workforce there.
The reality is, you'll have a slight edge over most of the world—take Norway, for example. They prioritize their own unemployed first, then Scandinavians, then those from the European Union, and finally everyone else. Joining the EU gives us a seat at one level of that ladder, but it’s not going to be a game-changer.

At the end of the day, a high-quality worker can land a job anywhere regardless of where they're from, especially if they've got specialized skills or they're top-tier experts.

Locals are mostly just worrying about competing with cheaper labor coming in from places like Romania and Bulgaria. Our people are too valuable to settle for entry-level roles just to survive—jobs they could easily grab abroad without any hassle—only to have someone from Bulgaria or Romania swoop in and take that same spot right under their noses. That's where the real friction is going to happen.

I agree with all of that... the competition is intense, quite frankly. But do you really believe finding a meaningful job there is harder than being a recent college grad in some small town in America, staring at one local company in bankruptcy proceedings and a municipality where you don't know a soul?
If you ask me, that scenario is a much bigger disaster than being last in line after all the groups you mentioned—and I see examples of it constantly in my own circle, among family and friends alike...

ironstag8 said:I’d honestly suggest looking toward Spain. Unemployment there is practically non-existent, and if you happen to be a young professional with a university degree, you'll find yourself a complete stranger to the concept of being jobless. While things aren't quite as perfect in other European Union nations—though they remain promising enough—they seem to be just waiting for us to show up. That magical date of July 13, 2013, is fast approaching, and they are already busy carving out job openings for our fleeing youth, our intellectuals, and even our blue-collar workers alike.

Alright, look—Spain might not be exactly the Promised Land, but there are plenty of other spots in Europe that are perfectly decent. All the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, maybe even France... I might even go so far as to say Canada (don't come for me on that one). You have to admit, in these places, you’ll earn a higher wage for the exact same job compared to what we see here in America—and you'll live better once you actually have your paperwork sorted... you know, a permanent residency and a proper work permit. I’m not even counting temporary gigs, because honestly, even if you're highly educated, the pay won't match.
For instance, a colleague of mine was over in the United Kingdom recently, and the place is absolutely swamped with people from Poland. He was in a neighborhood in some smaller town where you don't hear a word of English—just Polish—where even the street signs are in Polish. Historically, the United Kingdom had those restrictions limiting Poles to seven years maximum after joining the European Union.
We probably won't face those kinds of bans... since there are only about four million of us, most countries would likely assimilate us pretty quickly.

Bradley Smith said:🙏 Which version of Spain are you hallucinating about???
The one where people have been out in the streets for a month straight protesting because unemployment is sitting at 20%, and for kids, it's closer to 35% with zero hope for anything better???
Give me a break. Spain right now is a complete disaster. 🤷
Tons of people are idle and tons of people aren't getting paid, while the banks are squeezing everyone harder than ever before.
Seriously, stop misleading people. Spain is on its knees, the right wing has tightened its grip after the last elections, and they don't want new immigrants—and honestly, they don't even want the ones who are already there.

My colleague is being sarcastic... perhaps try reading more carefully before jumping in with an answer...

Has anyone else given serious thought to the mass exodus of labor once we join the European Union?
If we actually make the leap in 2013—though, if you ask me, that’s still a big "if"—and then endure several more years where we aren't even permitted to work abroad (since the member states get to decide whether to ban us for three, five, or seven years)... we are heading straight toward a massive wave of emigration from America. And I'm not just talking about individuals; we're looking at entire working-age families, including young children, packing up and leaving. Even now, there's already a significant number of people fleeing this swamp of a country, but once those bureaucratic hurdles are cleared... well, that exodus will multiply exponentially. It’s precisely what happened in Poland, the Czech Republic, and similar nations. They managed to absorb the shock somewhat successfully, mostly because they have larger populations and, frankly, much healthier economies than ours...
But what does this mean for us?
The ratio of employed people to dependents is currently sitting at roughly 1:1, and things are going to get significantly worse. Our highly educated youth—the very backbone of our workforce—will be the first to leave. These are the people who drive the consumer base that retailers rely on; young adults and young families are the primary drivers of spending. So, who is left to fund the budget through income tax? Who is going to shop at the malls and indirectly support the treasury? Pensioners? Minimum wage workers who can barely afford groceries? Or perhaps the merchants themselves, who would essentially be buying from their own shadows?
Joining the European Union threatens to trigger an economic collapse unlike anything we've seen; we are practically charging like sheep into a slaughterhouse. We won't even have recovered from the current crisis by the time we join; if anything, the entry will only deepen the wound. Compared to what lies ahead for us, Greece looks like a paradise.
In fact, I am personally weighing the option of moving abroad with my wife and child—and if an opportunity presents itself in a few years (one I intend to pursue actively rather than wait for), I am gone. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about America or
my national identity. I might return once I retire, but my children will likely stay abroad. I am simply fed up with the incompetence here and the miserable wages. I possess specialized skills that are easily marketable overseas. Most of my friends are thinking along these exact same lines...

Ryan Gomez4 said:Look, I live in California. If the shops and cafes shut down on Saturdays and Sundays, most off-season tourists will just head somewhere else. Even for me—I can't always get my shopping done during the week. If our local stores are closed on Saturday, I'm just going to drive over to Nevada or Arizona to get what I need. That’s money leaving our local economy right there. Plus, cafes make their best money on the weekends. So, who does closing on weekends actually help?

Everywhere I've traveled across Europe, shops would wrap things up by 6:00 PM, maybe 7:00 PM at the latest... they might stay open for a few hours on Saturday, but on Sunday? Absolutely nothing is open.

mellowraven8 said:I’m pulling at least 12 hours a day, every single day. That puts me at 84 hours a week, minimum.

The job is high-stakes; there’s zero margin for error.

At my last firm, I was clocking 12 to 18 hours daily—usually hovering around 14.

Then you see people complaining about working 10-hour shifts with weekends and holidays off... it’s almost funny.

Look, I don't mind the grind if the paycheck actually reflects the effort. At least for me.
My oldest is nine, an honor student, hits sports four times a week, takes extra English lessons, and does drama club after school. His schedule is already packed solid.

The younger one is still in preschool, but he’s already motivated, and I expect the same thing for him down the road.

I'm raising both of them to understand one basic truth: nothing comes without hard work.

So, you see your kids only when they email photos to your office? And you're perfectly fine with that?
You've packed a nine-year-old's life with endless commitments, but do you ever stop to ask when he actually gets to just be a kid—to play without a schedule? Or have you already conditioned him to reject play entirely? If that's the case, you're raising a little monster who will grow up to sit in some corporate corner office, terrorizing decent people who actually value family life over bleeding themselves dry for a company.
You are, quite frankly, a byproduct of this capitalist machine... though I suspect you haven't even realized it...

Richard Lewis16 said:My situation is pretty much the same—working for a private US firm, too...🤷
though I know plenty of people with similar schedules, some even working fewer than 40 hours a week while pulling in even higher salaries...
and honestly, none of them I know work for a government agency or anything municipal...

My experience has been quite different—as has that of my circle of friends...
Perhaps you have a point there—it’s certainly possible that such companies exist within the domestic landscape as well...

shadowotter91 said:See, I actually have those exact same terms at my firm in Austin 🤷
Let's not paint everyone with the same brush here! I can say with total certainty that I never work late. And don't even get me started on vacation time—I make sure to use every single bit of it! 😉

A government agency? 😉

Emily Fox2 said:Doesn't anyone actually work that way😈?

As for me... I pull about 40 hours a week—five days, standard. Weekends are strictly off limits, and overtime? Maybe three or four hours a month on average. Given the local economic climate here, the pay is actually quite decent. Though, I must admit, it took quite a bit of maneuvering—and a complete change of employers—to finally secure something like this.
Of course, we're talking about an American corporation here. One shouldn't expect that kind of setup from just any local firm in the States.