"Apathy and evil. The two work hand in hand." - Jake Theone
It is said: "Apathy is one of the characteristic responses of any living organism when it is subjected to stimuli too intense or too complicated to cope with. The cure for apathy is comprehension." If that is the case and the quote, attributed to John Dos Passo is on the mark, then we simply need to make the leap from feeling as if we can do nothing to embracing what we know. Somehow, when it comes to our personal finances, our retirement and ultimately the employment that propels us to those two previous goals, the solution is not so pat.
Let's start with jobs
Who is unemployed is just as important as why they are unemployed. At the time of this writing (late 2011) the employment picture is quite dismal in the United States. It isn't for lack of trying. The engine the creates jobs has stalled, suffering their own form of apathy. With the thinking riding on whether hiring produces new customers, a sort of a cart before the horse thinking that few business owners, small or large wholly embrace, the work simply isn't there to be had.
Yet if you were willing to travel or relocate, the potential is to find work increases. But as a nation, once considered mobile, the risk of leaving the proximity of your family to venture to another state to find employment is often daunting. And because of that, the decision is often not made - simply regretted. The repercussions of the 2007-2009 fallout in the country has forced many to stay relatively close to their safety nets (their families in most instances) and this has stymied any potential job growth.
This is a decision many make that is both economies and prudent. But is it wise? Even the most youthful among us, the potential risk takers have thrown their hands up and suggested that the need to survive far outweighs the risk of doing something different. For parents of this youthful cohort, they also are experiencing their own apathy. While we may love our kids, getting them launched has always been the goal. But recently, they are having difficulty getting to the launch pad.
Unemployment among the youngest members of the population is running at one and half times the national average. ironically, this is not so far removed from where it has always been, with employment fluctuating due to school and seasonal employment. But the recent economic downturn has bitten particularly hard and deep.
Perhaps College
College is no longer seen as the panacea to a better life. The cost has become insanely prohibitive and graduating into a lack of jobs doubles the resolve of those contemplating going or those that have dropped out before they were completely engulfed in debt. College is still a good bargain but those ever-increasing tuitions (rising at a five times inflation) make the decision less tough.
Work has become something they all need - including adults, whose experience and willingness to take lesser pay in return for stable employment has pushed the youngest job seekers out of the picture. Recent college graduates can expect 9% less pay when they do find work than their cohorts of just four years ago.
Once the apathy sets in, keeping current on the latest computer programs, something recruiters say recent graduates are well-versed in, falls to the wayside.
What to do without college
And what of those who didn't attend college? Living at home, finding part-time benefitless work and otherwise wallowing in their own misfortune seems to have taken hold. Still, college does translate into less chance of unemployment.
What worries many folks who focus on retirement is the lost years these youths are engaging in. It is well known that starting early to save for the future (which even those with jobs and degrees don't often do when they are young) will be the biggest risk, turning this downturn in a residual recession forty years from now.
Best advice is to get back to school as soon as possible. And if you are thinking four year college, think again. Your best return on investment based on the jobs they might net is technical school where specific skills are in demand.
