Why are the youth leaving?

Samuel Kim50 said:Why are so many young people fleeing this beautiful country? Once you finish school, you've got a decent career path ahead of you, and if you land a job with a starting salary of around $3,000 or $4,000, isn't that plenty for a young person just getting started? If there aren't enough opportunities in the Midwest, then pack up and head to California, the Coast, or even down to Florida—anyone with a real work ethic can always find a job somewhere.
Take a young family, for instance, where both the husband and wife are working and each brings home about $1.75. That adds up to $3.25 a month, which, in my opinion, is more than enough to get by. And if you’re lucky enough to live in a house provided by your parents, you're basically set for life; you won't be dreaming of moving to some gloomy place like Germany.😵 Even here, dishwashers can pull in about $1333 a month, and you don't need an advanced degree for that kind of work. I have a friend who is only 25, married with kids, and he drives a semi-truck making nearly $3.25. What I'm trying to say is that you can absolutely live a solid, comfortable life right here in America; you just have to be resourceful and make things happen.

First off, why don't you try moving out to the Midwest and seeing for yourself how much "work" there actually is...

Second off, if I’m leaving Washington, D.C., I don't really care if I end up in San Francisco, Seattle, or wherever. If my rent eats up more than half my paycheck, what's the difference? It might as well be Ireland for all I care. I guess I still like D.C. somewhat because there are actually things to do here, even if it is pricey. Besides, traveling back and forth just for job interviews is getting expensive.

And thirdly, that whole "jobs are everywhere if you just roll up your sleeves" argument is absolute garbage. I’m a college graduate with an economics degree and I'm unemployed. Sure, I could pick up some low-tier gigs like delivery driving, taxi work, or hauling crates—jobs I've done before—but there's no way I can actually survive on that in a different city. It isn't realistic to assume everyone is a universal worker. Just because your friend is a truck driver doesn't mean I am. Or if your buddy is a CNC operator making good money, does that make me one? No. Am I a doctor or a foreign language professor? Also no. Maybe I missed the mark with my major, but I’ve put in the work through formal education and various courses. I’ll admit I’ve worked lower-paying jobs in the past, but I was barely scraping by even while living in my own place. At the end of the day, I’m not some jack-of-all-trades who can jump between 150 different careers. Honestly, I'm pretty much done with more training and retraining; it’s all been a massive waste of time.

The biggest issue is that I lack industry experience and, obviously, connections. Employers won't even look at me, even if I had a hundred degrees, because they’re all looking for a "finished product"—someone they can just exploit immediately. A friend of mine actually just got fired from her job after ten years because she got pregnant. It seems smarter for some clueless employer to dump someone with that much experience and hire a stranger who'll need training from scratch. It’s paradoxical, really; employers have zero patience for anyone without experience, yet they expect you to give 200% starting on day one. Honestly, the employers are the real scum here, and the state of the country isn't helping either. There are no jobs. Nothing is being manufactured, nothing is being traded—just a few service jobs here and there, and that's about it.

On the other hand, things work differently overseas. No games, no late paychecks, no unpaid overtime. They don't care who you are or how old you are—all they care about is whether you actually want to work. Even if you're starting from scratch, most places will give you a trial period and a few weeks of training just to get you up to speed. You only get fired if you're an absolute idiot, lazy, or a thief, which I guess is pretty standard for us Americans.

Money isn't everything to me, honestly. I'd be perfectly fine making maybe $2,500 or $3,000 a month—just enough to cover the bills and call it a day. But I have no clue who I'm supposed to pull strings for to land a job like that, especially since I've lived in this city for 30 years. And no, I'm definitely not joining a political party to get ahead. So, what am I left with? I haven't decided yet, but I'm right on the edge. One foot is already out the door; my suitcase is just sitting there, staring at me like, "Are we doing this or what?" Since I own my place here, an average salary would be plenty, but getting one feels impossible. Moving away to live in some cramped little room just to wash dishes or work construction doesn't exactly sound like the dream either. So, yeah, you tell me how to be smart about this... A person just snaps sometimes, breaks, and leaves. I guess I haven't hit that breaking point yet because I'm so tied to my hometown, but I'm getting pretty close.

Anyone claiming it's easy to find work around here should try spending two or three months on unemployment with a degree that nobody's hiring for, then they can come talk to me.

Curiosity, desperation, opportunity—it’s all there. There are plenty of valid reasons to consider it, and honestly, you might as well try everything. There isn't just one single right answer here. The bottom line is this: if you decide to leave the US, you can always come back home if that's what you want to do.

rapidraven95 said:It’s all because of this plus a whole bunch of other headaches. ☕

Or maybe it's because of our CEO's personal hygiene issues:

I took a closer look at the notice today regarding the delayed paycheck—apparently, it’ll be arriving on some specific date.
But something just clicked for me, and honestly, it feels like a complete legal circus:
get this, here is what’s actually posted on the bulletin board:

NOTICE

Pursuant to Article 92 of the Labor Code, Article 41 of the Employee Handbook, and Articles 10 and 12 of the Employment Contract, we hereby notify you that the salary for SEPTEMBER will be paid on November 13, 2017.

EXPLANATION:
Due to the failure to meet obligations within the planned timelines per work orders, the necessary conditions for the timely calculation and collection of agreed-upon compensation have not been met.

Originally Posted by mazz View post
Why are so many young people fleeing this beautiful country? Once you finish school, even if you land a decent job with a starting salary of $3,000-$4,000, isn't that enough for a young person to get started? If there aren't jobs in the Midwest, just move to California, the Gulf Coast, or Florida—anyone who actually wants to work can always find a job somewhere.

You're living on Mars. Here in San Diego, most high school grads are stuck scraping by on minimum wage. And I know families down near Niagara Falls who only have seasonal work. They moved from the Midwest and now they're just renting. Now the husband has gone off to work construction in Austria under the table during the winter.

Kimberly Ramos5 said:First off, why don't you try moving out to the Midwest and seeing for yourself how much "work" there actually is...

Second off, if I’m leaving Washington, D.C., I don't really care if I end up in San Francisco, Seattle, or wherever. If my rent eats up more than half my paycheck, what's the difference? It might as well be Ireland for all I care. I guess I still like D.C. somewhat because there are actually things to do here, even if it is pricey. Besides, traveling back and forth just for job interviews is getting expensive.

And thirdly, that whole "jobs are everywhere if you just roll up your sleeves" argument is absolute garbage. I’m a college graduate with an economics degree and I'm unemployed. Sure, I could pick up some low-tier gigs like delivery driving, taxi work, or hauling crates—jobs I've done before—but there's no way I can actually survive on that in a different city. It isn't realistic to assume everyone is a universal worker. Just because your friend is a truck driver doesn't mean I am. Or if your buddy is a CNC operator making good money, does that make me one? No. Am I a doctor or a foreign language professor? Also no. Maybe I missed the mark with my major, but I’ve put in the work through formal education and various courses. I’ll admit I’ve worked lower-paying jobs in the past, but I was barely scraping by even while living in my own place. At the end of the day, I’m not some jack-of-all-trades who can jump between 150 different careers. Honestly, I'm pretty much done with more training and retraining; it’s all been a massive waste of time.

The biggest issue is that I lack industry experience and, obviously, connections. Employers won't even look at me, even if I had a hundred degrees, because they’re all looking for a "finished product"—someone they can just exploit immediately. A friend of mine actually just got fired from her job after ten years because she got pregnant. It seems smarter for some clueless employer to dump someone with that much experience and hire a stranger who'll need training from scratch. It’s paradoxical, really; employers have zero patience for anyone without experience, yet they expect you to give 200% starting on day one. Honestly, the employers are the real scum here, and the state of the country isn't helping either. There are no jobs. Nothing is being manufactured, nothing is being traded—just a few service jobs here and there, and that's about it.

On the other hand, things work differently overseas. No games, no late paychecks, no unpaid overtime. They don't care who you are or how old you are—all they care about is whether you actually want to work. Even if you're starting from scratch, most places will give you a trial period and a few weeks of training just to get you up to speed. You only get fired if you're an absolute idiot, lazy, or a thief, which I guess is pretty standard for us Americans.

Money isn't everything to me, honestly. I'd be perfectly fine making maybe $2,500 or $3,000 a month—just enough to cover the bills and call it a day. But I have no clue who I'm supposed to pull strings for to land a job like that, especially since I've lived in this city for 30 years. And no, I'm definitely not joining a political party to get ahead. So, what am I left with? I haven't decided yet, but I'm right on the edge. One foot is already out the door; my suitcase is just sitting there, staring at me like, "Are we doing this or what?" Since I own my place here, an average salary would be plenty, but getting one feels impossible. Moving away to live in some cramped little room just to wash dishes or work construction doesn't exactly sound like the dream either. So, yeah, you tell me how to be smart about this... A person just snaps sometimes, breaks, and leaves. I guess I haven't hit that breaking point yet because I'm so tied to my hometown, but I'm getting pretty close.

Anyone claiming it's easy to find work around here should try spending two or three months on unemployment with a degree that nobody's hiring for, then they can come talk to me.

Don't take this the wrong way—I'm genuinely curious—but why did you choose to study economics?
I'm guessing you're somewhere in your early 30s and graduated about a decade ago. Given that the American economy has been a rollercoaster for the last twenty years rather than just the recent stretch, I’m really wondering what led you to pick economics.

To be honest, finding a salary north of $5,000 a month can be quite a challenge if you're living out in the Midwest. It’s just one of those realities of the region—while life is certainly more peaceful and the community ties are stronger than anywhere else, the local job market doesn't always offer those high-level corporate paychecks you might find in places like Chicago or New York. I remember back when I first started my career, moving away from the rural areas to hunt for better opportunities, and even then, hitting that specific income bracket felt like an uphill battle. You really have to be strategic about where you apply or look toward remote work if you want to see those kinds of numbers.$2000If you look at more affluent counties or states, you’ll find plenty of people living on that kind of income. For instance, take a household where both the husband and wife are bringing home somewhere in the $110,000 range...$4.00 If you can cover your monthly bills and still have enough left over to enjoy life, then you're doing just fine. Honestly, I don't know what people are thinking when they talk about moving to Germany to work in some restaurant for $2,200 a month. Are you kidding me? There is absolutely no way to make that work if all you're doing is working all day and then retreating to a cramped, five-square-meter shoebox just to sleep. It’s not a life. For me, the best part of the day isn't the paycheck; it's that moment after work when you can actually head out to a cafe or grab a beer with your buddies, catch a game, and just shoot the breeze. You need that social connection to feel human. How are you supposed to afford any of that lifestyle on those meager wages overseas? It just doesn't add up.

stormylynx4 said:Don't take this the wrong way—I'm genuinely curious—but why did you choose to study economics?
I'm guessing you're somewhere in your early 30s and graduated about a decade ago. Given that the American economy has been a rollercoaster for the last twenty years rather than just the recent stretch, I’m really wondering what led you to pick economics.

It sounds bizarre, I know, but it’s actually true: economists are often easier to find than engineers right now. Since we don't have much heavy industry left, every single bank and corporation still needs an economist on the payroll.

Kimberly Ramos5 said:First off, why don't you try moving out to the Midwest and seeing for yourself how much "work" there actually is...

Second off, if I’m leaving Washington, D.C., I don't really care if I end up in San Francisco, Seattle, or wherever. If my rent eats up more than half my paycheck, what's the difference? It might as well be Ireland for all I care. I guess I still like D.C. somewhat because there are actually things to do here, even if it is pricey. Besides, traveling back and forth just for job interviews is getting expensive.

And thirdly, that whole "jobs are everywhere if you just roll up your sleeves" argument is absolute garbage. I’m a college graduate with an economics degree and I'm unemployed. Sure, I could pick up some low-tier gigs like delivery driving, taxi work, or hauling crates—jobs I've done before—but there's no way I can actually survive on that in a different city. It isn't realistic to assume everyone is a universal worker. Just because your friend is a truck driver doesn't mean I am. Or if your buddy is a CNC operator making good money, does that make me one? No. Am I a doctor or a foreign language professor? Also no. Maybe I missed the mark with my major, but I’ve put in the work through formal education and various courses. I’ll admit I’ve worked lower-paying jobs in the past, but I was barely scraping by even while living in my own place. At the end of the day, I’m not some jack-of-all-trades who can jump between 150 different careers. Honestly, I'm pretty much done with more training and retraining; it’s all been a massive waste of time.

The biggest issue is that I lack industry experience and, obviously, connections. Employers won't even look at me, even if I had a hundred degrees, because they’re all looking for a "finished product"—someone they can just exploit immediately. A friend of mine actually just got fired from her job after ten years because she got pregnant. It seems smarter for some clueless employer to dump someone with that much experience and hire a stranger who'll need training from scratch. It’s paradoxical, really; employers have zero patience for anyone without experience, yet they expect you to give 200% starting on day one. Honestly, the employers are the real scum here, and the state of the country isn't helping either. There are no jobs. Nothing is being manufactured, nothing is being traded—just a few service jobs here and there, and that's about it.

On the other hand, things work differently overseas. No games, no late paychecks, no unpaid overtime. They don't care who you are or how old you are—all they care about is whether you actually want to work. Even if you're starting from scratch, most places will give you a trial period and a few weeks of training just to get you up to speed. You only get fired if you're an absolute idiot, lazy, or a thief, which I guess is pretty standard for us Americans.

Money isn't everything to me, honestly. I'd be perfectly fine making maybe $2,500 or $3,000 a month—just enough to cover the bills and call it a day. But I have no clue who I'm supposed to pull strings for to land a job like that, especially since I've lived in this city for 30 years. And no, I'm definitely not joining a political party to get ahead. So, what am I left with? I haven't decided yet, but I'm right on the edge. One foot is already out the door; my suitcase is just sitting there, staring at me like, "Are we doing this or what?" Since I own my place here, an average salary would be plenty, but getting one feels impossible. Moving away to live in some cramped little room just to wash dishes or work construction doesn't exactly sound like the dream either. So, yeah, you tell me how to be smart about this... A person just snaps sometimes, breaks, and leaves. I guess I haven't hit that breaking point yet because I'm so tied to my hometown, but I'm getting pretty close.

Anyone claiming it's easy to find work around here should try spending two or three months on unemployment with a degree that nobody's hiring for, then they can come talk to me.

I have a friend who studied economics and hospitality management. She's 57 and has been working in Germany for four years now. She started out as a maid, and now she’s working at a plastics manufacturing plant.

Then there's my neighbor—a literal PhD in Russian linguistics. He's 47 and completely UNEMPLOYED.
http://www.example-news-site.com/articles/tough-questions

Samuel Kim50 said:I don't know about all of you, but as someone who actually works in the hospitality industry, I can tell you firsthand that the entry-level kitchen staff—we're talking hourly wages, plus seniority and travel stipends—usually brings home somewhere around $1500. And then I have to listen to these old ladies complaining about low pay, when they clearly haven't considered what kind of salary they'd actually be pulling in if they were working as a head chef making $2000 per hour.🤔 What's a certainty in this business, though, is that you'll easily clock over 200 hours a week during the peak season, whereas in the winter, you're looking at an average of about 170.

Christian Miller14, if you're looking to land a gig with a top-tier private establishment, you won't find those openings posted on a job board. Most of the time, those positions are filled through word-of-mouth or personal connections; honestly, don't even bother looking for them in an ad. Besides, who actually hunts for work through classified ads these days?

Oh, man... he's got a point there. I mean, why would anyone leave the country when you can find a high-paying gig just by knowing the right people locally? 😵

Sanja Galic, is that you?😁

This guy is just trolling.

But honestly, you see plenty of people with this exact mindset hanging around local youth rallies for various political parties.

Samuel Kim50 said:To be honest, finding a salary north of $5,000 a month can be quite a challenge if you're living out in the Midwest. It’s just one of those realities of the region—while life is certainly more peaceful and the community ties are stronger than anywhere else, the local job market doesn't always offer those high-level corporate paychecks you might find in places like Chicago or New York. I remember back when I first started my career, moving away from the rural areas to hunt for better opportunities, and even then, hitting that specific income bracket felt like an uphill battle. You really have to be strategic about where you apply or look toward remote work if you want to see those kinds of numbers.$2000If you look at more affluent counties or states, you’ll find plenty of people living on that kind of income. For instance, take a household where both the husband and wife are bringing home somewhere in the $110,000 range...$4.00 If you can cover your monthly bills and still have enough left over to enjoy life, then you're doing just fine. Honestly, I don't know what people are thinking when they talk about moving to Germany to work in some restaurant for $2,200 a month. Are you kidding me? There is absolutely no way to make that work if all you're doing is working all day and then retreating to a cramped, five-square-meter shoebox just to sleep. It’s not a life. For me, the best part of the day isn't the paycheck; it's that moment after work when you can actually head out to a cafe or grab a beer with your buddies, catch a game, and just shoot the breeze. You need that social connection to feel human. How are you supposed to afford any of that lifestyle on those meager wages overseas? It just doesn't add up.

Interesting. So it’s not worth working all day for $2,000, yet you claim people are constantly complaining about making a small salary. Makes sense, I guess. $1500Working 200 hours during the season? I wonder if they even leave enough time for a coffee break or a quick beer.

Samuel Kim50 said:I don't know about all of you, but as someone who actually works in the hospitality industry, I can tell you firsthand that the entry-level kitchen staff—we're talking hourly wages, plus seniority and travel stipends—usually brings home somewhere around $1500. And then I have to listen to these old ladies complaining about low pay, when they clearly haven't considered what kind of salary they'd actually be pulling in if they were working as a head chef making $2000 per hour.🤔 What's a certainty in this business, though, is that you'll easily clock over 200 hours a week during the peak season, whereas in the winter, you're looking at an average of about 170.

Christian Miller14, if you're looking to land a gig with a top-tier private establishment, you won't find those openings posted on a job board. Most of the time, those positions are filled through word-of-mouth or personal connections; honestly, don't even bother looking for them in an ad. Besides, who actually hunts for work through classified ads these days?

stormylynx4 said:Don't take this the wrong way—I'm genuinely curious—but why did you choose to study economics?
I'm guessing you're somewhere in your early 30s and graduated about a decade ago. Given that the American economy has been a rollercoaster for the last twenty years rather than just the recent stretch, I’m really wondering what led you to pick economics.

I went to an economics high school, then finished college two years ago. Honestly, I just dragged myself through it to get the piece of paper, though I did pick up an accounting course on the side to supplement my resume. I wanted to actually specialize and master a field instead of bouncing from business school to law, then to philosophy, and eventually retraining as a chef. So, everything followed its own "natural progression," and I was naive enough to think there would be actual jobs waiting for me. Fine, go ahead—call me an idiot.

In Germany, people don't go looking for work through some shady "who-you-know" nepotism network involving their parents or uncles—they use the job boards or respond to actual listings. And unlike here, they have millions of legitimate ads available instead of just relying on favors.

Look, he’s just a restaurant owner playing the victim—trying to guilt us into staying because who else is going to work for peanuts? If we stop showing up, he'll be forced to import chefs and servers from Germany, and those guys cost $3,000 a month minimum. Meanwhile, his steak is priced like you're eating in Vienna at $20 a pop, even though he's charging a third of that. He thinks he can pull this stunt, but just wait until everyone walks out. Then he can go ahead and buy his Yacht, his Mercedes S-Class, and his swimming pool with what's left of his ego.

stormylynx4 said:Don't take this the wrong way—I'm genuinely curious—but why did you choose to study economics?
I'm guessing you're somewhere in your early 30s and graduated about a decade ago. Given that the American economy has been a rollercoaster for the last twenty years rather than just the recent stretch, I’m really wondering what led you to pick economics.

On one hand, I get that people pick majors where the job market isn't too cutthroat. But look at my situation: I do occupational safety. There aren't many of us, and I've got all the certifications—safety, fire prevention, plus extra stuff like being fluent in languages and pro-level AutoCAD. I actually know my stuff and use it every day. After 14 years in the game, I’m barely pulling in $5,500 a month. The only reason my pay is so low is because my field isn't really in demand here in the States. It feels forced on employers. Most bosses, even government ones, act like total slave drivers. They act like you should just be grateful to have a job and view your paycheck as a "bonus" rather than what you're actually owed. And if you want a better gig? Sure, go find one outside the US...
But overseas, my skills are actually respected. People value hard work there. Employers see the value in investing in safety because it means a more stable workforce and fewer lost days from injuries or sick leave...
Basically, until the mindset shifts—until companies realize a good worker is an asset to protect rather than something to burn through and toss aside—things won't change here. That goes for wages, too. If you want top-tier talent, you gotta pay for it. Making $2000 is pathetic; it barely covers the basics, so there's zero incentive to go above and beyond. You're just surviving. On the flip side, I haven't met a single employee (especially managers) making less than $3.25 who isn't white-knuckling their position. If they paid people decent money, folks would actually put in the effort instead of constantly looking for a way out of the country...

From what I’ve seen, I’d go as far as to say that having more qualifications can actually backfire. It honestly isn't worth the effort. An employer will just try to squeeze every bit of value out of you while keeping your pay as low as possible.

I remember hearing about this one travel agency that wanted someone to be fluent in three different languages, all for a measly $30 an hour. I didn't take the job, obviously, but it's a perfect example of how they operate.

Kimberly Ramos5 said:I went to an economics high school, then finished college two years ago. Honestly, I just dragged myself through it to get the piece of paper, though I did pick up an accounting course on the side to supplement my resume. I wanted to actually specialize and master a field instead of bouncing from business school to law, then to philosophy, and eventually retraining as a chef. So, everything followed its own "natural progression," and I was naive enough to think there would be actual jobs waiting for me. Fine, go ahead—call me an idiot.

Hmm. Honestly, out in the Midwest, that economics degree is basically useless. You're pretty much stuck.

Maybe you could dig something up in Washington, D.C., at least something better than those dead-end minimum wage gigs.

But living in D.C. is insanely expensive if you don't already own a place there. Like, after you pay rent, you'll probably have nothing left to live on.

Why not look abroad? Career-wise, you really don't have anything to lose. Sure, you're tied down to that Midwest town, but being loyal to a place isn't gonna do you much good if you're unemployed.

In places like California and Florida, you’re basically stuck during the winter months, whether you have money to spend or not.

Samuel Kim50 said:I don't know about all of you, but as someone who actually works in the hospitality industry, I can tell you firsthand that the entry-level kitchen staff—we're talking hourly wages, plus seniority and travel stipends—usually brings home somewhere around $1500. And then I have to listen to these old ladies complaining about low pay, when they clearly haven't considered what kind of salary they'd actually be pulling in if they were working as a head chef making $2000 per hour.🤔 What's a certainty in this business, though, is that you'll easily clock over 200 hours a week during the peak season, whereas in the winter, you're looking at an average of about 170.

Christian Miller14, if you're looking to land a gig with a top-tier private establishment, you won't find those openings posted on a job board. Most of the time, those positions are filled through word-of-mouth or personal connections; honestly, don't even bother looking for them in an ad. Besides, who actually hunts for work through classified ads these days?

So, if I'm reading this right, you're running your own private hospitality business. You probably own the place, right?
Does it really piss you off that much having to pay people?
Are you wishing they could just work for $667 without you even covering their commute?
Or maybe they should just work for scraps... I don't know, like eating the leftovers from customers? 🙄
Wow... yeah, people definitely ask for way too much. You've got a point though; here in America, people have become incredibly entitled. 😒

Kimberly Ramos5 said:I went to an economics high school, then finished college two years ago. Honestly, I just dragged myself through it to get the piece of paper, though I did pick up an accounting course on the side to supplement my resume. I wanted to actually specialize and master a field instead of bouncing from business school to law, then to philosophy, and eventually retraining as a chef. So, everything followed its own "natural progression," and I was naive enough to think there would be actual jobs waiting for me. Fine, go ahead—call me an idiot.

You're not an idiot. I was just wondering why you picked economics. Honestly, the only way that makes sense is if you were naive enough to think that degree would actually land you a job in a country where the economy is basically flatlining.

Calling all developers! 😬

😁

stormylynx4 said:You're not an idiot. I was just wondering why you picked economics. Honestly, the only way that makes sense is if you were naive enough to think that degree would actually land you a job in a country where the economy is basically flatlining.

Stop attacking the guy.🍿

Economics isn't a bad choice.
I know plenty of economists just a few years older than him who have solid careers. Sure, a good chunk of them got in through connections, but whatever... at least it’s about knowing the right people rather than political favors.

I also know some older guys who started working around 2000... they ended up as brand managers for major corporations with $5000 salaries. Those were the glory days. 🐔

There are tons of decent jobs with good pay in Chicago.
You just have to keep grinding. If you don't have $2,000 or $3,000 saved up for trips around Chicago within a year, then you're screwed. How are you even supposed to survive?