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.

here’s a reply from someone who got tired of "figuring things out" This post is a reality check for anyone still wondering why people leave... maybe Kamala Harris should get a copy to read.☕

stormylynx4 said:here’s a reply from someone who got tired of "figuring things out" This post is a reality check for anyone still wondering why people leave... maybe Kamala Harris should get a copy to read.☕

This sounds incredibly depressing, broken, and twisted. It’s such a heavy story it’s almost hard to believe it's real.
I hope this is just trolling.

Because based on that logic, I'm clearly some spoiled version of Carnegie or Vanderbilt... 😁
The real question is, who isn't Carnegie according to this narrative?😁

Grace Jones86 said:This sounds incredibly depressing, broken, and twisted. It’s such a heavy story it’s almost hard to believe it's real.
I hope this is just trolling.

Because based on that logic, I'm clearly some spoiled version of Carnegie or Vanderbilt... 😁
The real question is, who isn't Carnegie according to this narrative?😁

Unless you're working in some government agency, you haven't seen anything yet—there are stories out there that make this look like a walk in the park.

Sam Murphy said:Unless you're working in some government agency, you haven't seen anything yet—there are stories out there that make this look like a walk in the park.

I am extremely far from being in government service, both now and before.

But look... I've had bad work experiences... but everything described here is seen through the lens of those bad experiences. What this guy described is grotesque. Bizarrely bad life and bizarrely bad business experiences.
Especially since he’s even ten years older than me.

And then acting like some kind of elite programmer...

For God's sake... at the start of the 2000s, people were walking straight from dog-walking jobs into high-end IBM positions at top-tier firms.

For every one story like his, you have 1,000 stories of people from his generation drowning in money within tech...
people who were making serious cash according to the papers, for example.
people who worked in sales everywhere for great money.
and graphic designers who earned plenty.

You have an entire nation of people somehow making a living. And then you have a story like this from someone who was completely steamrolled.
I'm not surprised, especially if he wasn't more careful about choosing companies.
I know better than anyone that whether it's the biggest American corporations, fancy foreign firms, or major banks... everyone is a total nightmare as an employer.
But what this guy is describing is worse than North Korea. 😵

I can't help but feel a bit skeptical about all these claims regarding steam suffocation... I mean, nobody comes on here just to brag about making massive salaries.

Sam Murphy said:I can't help but feel a bit skeptical about all these claims regarding steam suffocation... I mean, nobody comes on here just to brag about making massive salaries.

You have nothing to doubt.
The average salary in IBM is $2733. Something like that.

Let's just say experienced people—if they actually know their stuff and put in the work—regularly pull in 10 $0.00. That's been the reality for the last 20 years.

And if someone happens to climb the ladder and becomes a manager of anything at all, they make significantly more.

Grace Jones86 said:You have nothing to doubt.
The average salary in IBM is $2733. Something like that.

Let's just say experienced people—if they actually know their stuff and put in the work—regularly pull in 10 $0.00. That's been the reality for the last 20 years.

And if someone happens to climb the ladder and becomes a manager of anything at all, they make significantly more.

Let's be real, 10 $0.00 isn't exactly pocket change.

The late 90s and early 2000s were basically the golden era for IBM. Back then, if you actually knew what you were doing, there was money everywhere.

Why are young people leaving? I guess it's because they don't see a future here. They don't want to do the exact same job for 40 or 45 years. Vertical mobility at work is pretty much non-existent, and the ceilings are set really low. Maybe they're just tired of constantly having to hustle to get by. They want to actually live their lives, not just survive. And honestly, they want to live in a country that’s more organized than America.

As someone who moved away, I could probably go on and on about the reasons, but what I wrote above is enough. I might add more later, I suppose.

analogorca6 said:Let's be real, 10 $0.00 isn't exactly pocket change.

Compared to the story this user linked, those amounts are pocket change. It's like Larry Page, Larry Ellison, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jack Ma, Warren Buffett, and John D. Rockefeller are all partying on a private island together, just burning through billions for fun.... 😁 😵

Because this guy was describing the absolute bottom of the barrel.
Absolute zero. 😁

I have never once had my paycheck delayed, even at the most mediocre companies, let alone missed a payment entirely.
Those situations are straight-up nightmares... 😵

Grace Jones86 said:You have nothing to doubt.
The average salary in IBM is $2733. Something like that.

Let's just say experienced people—if they actually know their stuff and put in the work—regularly pull in 10 $0.00. That's been the reality for the last 20 years.

And if someone happens to climb the ladder and becomes a manager of anything at all, they make significantly more.

You IBM folks and this whole "IBM" obsession are seriously driving everyone, even God, absolutely insane.☕

Thomas Patel6 said:You IBM folks and this whole "IBM" obsession are seriously driving everyone, even God, absolutely insane.☕

Dammit.
That guy from the link with the pathetic excuse for a story was making the same mistakes throughout his career at IBM.
What could I possibly say to you people... ☕

People are fleeing because of the toxic atmosphere and the sense of hopelessness that plagues everyone except the parasites. While a young guy from the Midwest is breaking his back working the fields, he’s being mocked outside the local tavern by those very parasites—people who profit from conflict, parking their luxury SUVs bought with privileges and kickbacks secured through uncle-sponsored corruption. And you’re expected to just take it. Well, I won't spend my entire life subsidizing cronies, godfathers, and corrupt relatives. I’m moving to a place where people actually work and where labor is respected, no matter how modest the job.

How else can you explain why people quit their jobs, pull their kids out of school, and abandon their homes for life abroad? Is it about the standard of living? No. When you have a roof over your head, it's easy to maintain a decent lifestyle even on a lower US 7 income. They are leaving because the environment and the state itself are fundamentally broken.

Christian Miller14 said:The news is out there claiming we’re short 300 truckers in America. Apparently, 7 out of 10 rigs are just sitting idle in parking lots—all while they claim to be offering salaries between $10,000 and $4.00. Well, I checked the job boards myself, and there isn't a single damn listing. A buddy of mine has all his paperwork in order, plenty of experience, and he still can't find a trucking gig that pays even $2333—absolutely nothing. He'll end up heading to Germany where they're pulling in €2,500–€3,000. So, tell your friend to quit whining about how there aren't jobs for truckers, especially when talking about those fake $10k–$12k paydays. Most of the working class isn't even making $5k–$6k; they're scraping by on $3k–$3.5k. Stop lying to this gullible public. And even if they actually manage to land a job—if they even can—will they ever actually see the money? Or will the boss just screw them over and kick them to the curb without a cent? Honestly, some naive soul is going to believe this nonsense next—marry me, why don't you?

Not quite. It starts at an average of $1,500, quickly jumps to $1,800, and those rates are already for people with decent experience and a mountain of certifications.

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.

True, we aren't all the same, but I don't really get your angle. You said you finished accounting. A good accountant is worth their weight in gold. Are you actually good at it?

stormylynx4 said:here’s a reply from someone who got tired of "figuring things out" This post is a reality check for anyone still wondering why people leave... maybe Kamala Harris should get a copy to read.☕

I think there are a lot of inaccuracies in what was written. Especially that part about "educational institutions." If his IQ is 150, he clearly wasn't using the full capacity of it.

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.

So you're back at it, implying I was stupid for picking that major. I guess I had a job lined up, but things fell through. My dad actually ran his own business and managed to sell it a couple of years before the recession hit, luckily. You can never be 100% sure what tomorrow looks like or how things will shift. Besides, what was I supposed to pick? Pre-med? Civil engineering? After an econ background? Give me a break... The only thing I regret is losing interest in programming and IBM.

Thomas Patel6 said: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.

To be honest, I was planning on moving to Germany with my girlfriend, but we broke up ages ago. Others are calling me to come to Ireland, but I'm just not feeling it. I don't even know German, though my English is perfect since I use it every single day. Look, it's not like I'm starving or facing eviction because I own my place, but things aren't exactly comfortable either, and time is ticking. Right now, let's just say I'm "looking" for a job in my field, and in the meantime, I can always drive for Uber or mess around with odd jobs. I've thought about starting my own thing; I still have some capital, but aside from service-based gigs, I haven't got any ideas because nothing seems to stick.

rustywalker42 said:Not quite. It starts at an average of $1,500, quickly jumps to $1,800, and those rates are already for people with decent experience and a mountain of certifications.

True, we aren't all the same, but I don't really get your angle. You said you finished accounting. A good accountant is worth their weight in gold. Are you actually good at it?

I think there are a lot of inaccuracies in what was written. Especially that part about "educational institutions." If his IQ is 150, he clearly wasn't using the full capacity of it.

You know how much an accountant without experience is worth? Nothing. At best, they're just a trainee. And you know what an experienced one makes if they aren't a manager? $1333, maybe slightly above that. They'd probably make more money working as a waiter, but I'm done breaking my back behind a bar...

Grace Jones86 said:You have nothing to doubt.
The average salary in IBM is $2733. Something like that.

Let's just say experienced people—if they actually know their stuff and put in the work—regularly pull in 10 $0.00. That's been the reality for the last 20 years.

And if someone happens to climb the ladder and becomes a manager of anything at all, they make significantly more.

Actually, based on what my colleagues are telling me, these days seniors (we're talking 10+ years experience) are regularly being offered 12k+

Unless you're looking at certain specific companies 😉