#underemployment

[isaacsapphire]

Was having a conversation in discord the other day where I mentioned that I used to work with a college professor from Baghdad, both of us security guards getting paid poorly. Then I remembered that I have a college professor working at my current site. He's a current college professor and I think head of his department too, the security job is his side hustle.

Remembered this post too. I've had similar too smart and often even too educated and experienced coworkers at Walmart.

It's strange how in en economic system dedicated to extracting maximum value, there's so much underutilized human capital.

Of course, some of this is really about college as a con and professional cabals not wanting immigrant interlopers, but the point still stands.

[fortressofserenity]

Consumerism and income

Like I said before about Disney adults is that they tend to be financially independent adults who have enough means (or sometimes more than enough means) to spend on whatever they like, whenever they want. That's out of reach for those who are either unemployed, underemployed, poor or working class, so they can't really afford a life of consumerism. So in my case, I've come to make a living from making and selling stuff. But being self-employed and at the mercy of others' income, there's only so much I can do to make and sell clothes to others.

Not to mention people aren't emotionally unavailable enough to help me out with something, so I tend to deal with periods of unemployment. Whereas Disney adults seem to have consistent enough employment to do whatever they want with their income in their spare time, which makes them more economically privileged as they either tend to be middle class or upper class, enough to spend on things they like and want. They also tend to have well-paying jobs, which makes them even better off to afford whatever they want from Disney in any way. That's more than what others do in their situations, if they're not too obsessed with Disney.

I feel the Disney adult phenomenon involves well-paid adults who can afford to get anything and everything made by Disney, often in the form of theme park visitations and merchandise, that keeps poorer and badly employed people off of those. Whilst there are Disney adults who may not afford the things they want and either resort to pirating or end up content with what they have, there are other Disney adults who have more than enough means to buy more Disney related media and merchandise. Not necessarily the ultimate consumerists, but rather a matter of income enabling said consumerism to grow.

And that's something those who're either underemployed or chronically unemployed can't do on their own.

[ex-foster]

Should Former Foster Youth Be a Protected Group?

Many would argue yes because former foster youth:

- Face stigma and discrimination when people learn they were in care.

- Experience higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty.

- Were often denied stability, family networks, and career connections that help others succeed.

[autumn-storms-and-coffee-rings]

an overview of the difficulties in finding common decency, basic communication, and kindness during a job search:

of the 201 positions i've applied to this year, i have completed:

- 4 writing samples/questionnaires/assessments (i was not compensated for my time or work, but they did at least let me know i would not be moving forward).

- 4 online face-to-face interviews (i have been ghosted by 2 of these).

- i've received communication about rejection or postponement/cancellation of the position from only 74 of 201.

(p.s. i recognize people are overworked. trust me, i've been there. but email scripts exist for a reason.

(p.p.s. yes, i send a thank you email after every direct interaction.)

(p.p.p.s. i recently hired a resume writer to help me get through the ATS b*llsh*t, so fingers crossed that progress will be made soon.)

[hayleylovesjessica]

With the way that my income has taken a nosedive since being laid off back in March, I have no idea when we'll be able to get that Shakespeare print framed, especially because I want to take in a few other things to get framed at the same time that I take in the print, which means that the bill will probably be at least $1000. Honestly, being in this position where our finances are a giant question mark and we have to put things on hold (not only framing but also more important things, for example, contributing to my IRA) sucks so bad.

[dankmemes23]

[thegratitudecoach]

Turning Underemployment into Career Advancement Strategies

Why Underemployment is NOT a Four-Letter Word Are you underemployed? Do you know someone who is currently underemployed or has been underemployed? It’s more common than you might think. In today’s job market, underemployment has become a common experience for many individuals. This phenomenon occurs when you are working in a role that does not fully utilize your skills, education, or…

[chthonicathenean]

Did "underemployment" (either working way too few hours a week or working WAAAAAYYYYYYY below your supposed skill/experience level) even used to be a thing? Because I'm applying to jobs that are asking for a high school diploma and a couple years of experience (I have a PhD and 11 years of experience)!

hey that's great news man. but maybe we need to convene the enclave to figure out a way to update the terms we use to refer to things like "unemployment", "wages" and "cost of living" and so on to explain why no one I know can afford to purchase as many commodities as they could five years ago, because something is observably happening right now where I can walk around outside and see 10x as many unhoused people as there used to be and then i get back on the computer and look at graphs that roughly translate to "no you didn't, that's not happening".

[firstoccupier]

The Cycle of Jobless Recovery: A Call for Inclusion in Tech

By WPS News Technology ReportersBaybay City | January 23, 2025 The term “jobless recovery” describes a situation where the economy shows signs of recovery from a recession, yet the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high. This phenomenon was particularly notable in the early 2000s, following the 2001 recession in the United States, marking a time when many skilled workers found themselves…

[fortressofserenity]

The thing with Disney adults

Here's the thing with Disney adults, speaking from somebody who's dealt with unemployment for long: economically/financially speaking, they are independent adults who have enough income to buy whatever they want on their own volition. Some are even made to sponsor products to earn something, so that they can spend on things they like in their spare time. They have accumulated years of income to buy whatever they want, whenever they want to do it.

I even suspect a good number of Disney adults are either solidly middle class or possibly even upper class (at least for some), enough to buy so much Disney merchandise over time. Some Disney adults even work high-paying jobs, which is enough for them to afford whatever Disney merchandise they find on their own. Admittedly, this may not be true for all Disney adults, but it's safe to say that Disney adults generally earn (more than) enough to justify their spending habits, especially on their own.

Starting from 2020 (almost five years ago), that's when I started selling stuff for a living even if it's limited to mostly family members. But it's something that developed into a habt in 2023, only this time by selling garments instead. It may not earn as much as making facemasks does, but it's something I do to make sure I work as much as others do. But I have to contend with being underemployed, since I'm self-employed and my income's dependent on if I get the chance to sell garments by proxy.

Not to mention I'm at the mercy of others' income, given my impulsiveness and desire to order something on my own. I even have had plans of making and selling soap more than a decade ago, but I'm not supported by my grandmother even if it would've lessened my bad habits then. I still have to find a way to earn a living through selling stuff, so I need to find a way to sell online to earn this much. And even then I feel many Disney adults have earned more than enough to buy whatever they want, whenever it want it.

Speaking from being unemployed for long and now underemployed, Disney adults seem to be economically/financially well-off enough to support their lifestyles in ways those struggling with underemployed don't get to.

[autumn-storms-and-coffee-rings]

difficult week. was told out of the blue that work is done honoring my accommodations and that i’m being moved to an extremely busy clinic to pick up the regular office coordinator’s slack. my shoulder has had several setbacks and cannot handle a busy clinic. so it’s either accept this move and damage my shoulder more or leave and face an uncertain future as a disabled/chronically ill with an incoming administration hell bent on wrecking health insurance more. all this in a right to work state. reminder - the ada protects employers, not employees. if they can prove your accommodations are a financial burden, they can fire you. the irony is i work in healthcare 🫠

[hayleylovesjessica]

With no work today, I spent the day attending to physical media. Specifically, I rearranged the DVDs and Blu rays in our TV/film cabinet to accommodate the Criterion Collection Essential Fellini, which I bought during the Barnes and Noble 50% off sale and which is a large and cumbersome box set. I also spent 4-5 hours putting Mylar wrappers around the dustjackets of 40-50 hardcover books, finishing off a whole box of wrappers from Brodart.

[voidami]

This article delves into the concept of the reserve army of labor, primarily focusing on the U.S., while recognizing that these dynamics are part of a broader international capitalist system. It examines how economic inequality and politics are entrenched through the marginalization of not only the unemployed but also the underemployed, precariously employed, incarcerated individuals, Migration and the homeless. In the U.S., over 50 million people fall into these categories, kept on the fringes to maintain low wages and worker exploitation. The article concludes that true solidarity across national and economic lines is essential to challenge the capitalist structures perpetuating this reserve army of labor.

[lsmolinari]

Job search: Military spouses make do with doo doo

[your-dads-top]