Why do people not want to work?

[the old grind]

It seems most of the poor I know have little common sense. I see many who smoke $7 a pack cigarettes, dope, and drink excessively. All are a waste of money they do not have. They will eat out when thy can eat at home for 1/4 the cost and not waste money on gas to get to the fast food place..

A statewide trend, apparently, if not a National one. We 'doers' are destined to hand our stuff down to those who will then have without having worked to gain what we saved up. The guy(s) you're talking about brag that they're putting $25/wk into their 401k while spending $30/wk or more buying lottery tickets, about what I spend in a year. Two packs/day as little as $5 if you 'roll your own'. None for me, thanks.

 

[EddieWalker]

I graduated High School in 1983. I was lazy and never did any more then I had to, but then I joined the Marine Corps and they pretty much straightened me out. 5 years later I came back home and was surprised how little any of my friends have done. The vast majority where doing the very minimum and complaining about there not being any jobs out there or how the government was holding them back. I thought there where all sorts of jobs out there and easily found work.

Since I was working steady, making good money and doing my own thing, I lost track of everyone that I went to High School with. Then about ten years ago Facebook came out and I started reconnecting with my High School friends. My school was about 2,000 students with just over 400 in my graduating class. Of the hundreds that I've heard from and heard about, I bet there are only a dozen that have done anything with their lives. The vast majority do the very minimum that they have to in order to survive, spend their days complaining about why it's somebody else's fault and focus on things like watching sports, partying, and insulting those that are successful, or trying to be.

To me, it seems that the young people of today are very similar to those that I grew up with in the 80s. They also remind me of when I was a kid and my parents didn't get my music. I don't get their music, I don't understand why so many are complacent with not setting goals and working towards them, or how they can be satisfied living their lives without any chance of doing or having what they want. I also see a few young people starting businesses, busting their butts in the trades and distancing themselves from the rest of the people their age.

I'm not sure if it's any different today, we are just able to talk about it easier today then we could back in the 80s.

 

[LouNY]

I believe that it is a multi-faceted problem;

one is government regulations,
kids that want to work and those that would employ them have to jump through to many hoops and to many limitations on what they can do.
especially in reguards to powered equipment.
Also labor laws and OSHA.

two is the education system;
hands on skills are considered of low value and menial, everyone "needs" to go to college.

three is the government aid catch all;
some of the ones not working might work if doing so wouldn't reduce the aid they get, work should be encouraged not punished.

four is the entitled mentality;
to many seem to believe and have apparently been indoctrinated to think that they can start at the top of the heap without having to work there way up.

 

[TSO]

"why don't people want to work?"

I was wondering what happened to people. I know people in a lot of trades, some skilled, some not and they are all having trouble finding good help. One guy told me a while back he has it figured out, he said "everybody that wants to work already has a job". I was just wondering what people think is going on these days. I know people who can work that don't. I know people who have been fired from 5 jobs the past year. It's crazy. I've been working in the same machine shop for 24 years with just a high school diploma, you don't have to have a college education to have a good job.

The simplest answer is because many of our politicians have been, and want to continue, creating a welfare state. Government handouts are enabling lazy behavior, as well as encouraging those who exploit the system selfishly, to continue doing so. Handouts should be reserved only for those who TRULY need the assistance... Not for those who simply wish to take advantage of the system.

Take the handouts away and people will be forced to work again. Those that turn to crime... Empower the police and corrections system to lock them up and place them in a jail system that offers living conditions that are less amenable than than they'd have being poor on the streets.

In summary: create a condition where the only reasonable choice is to work... And the majority will choose that option.

 

[3Ts]

I and some of my co-workers pondered this question a few years ago (more than 10 years now) and spent some time figuring out what kind of income a person would have to make to offset the welfare benefits. It turned out to be a little over $40k. At that time a Computer Software engineer with a several years of experience was making about $60k. Welfare provided so many benefits that it was not economical to even try to get off welfare. Bottom line: The incentive as provided by the government is to not do anything to risk losing the welfare benefits, since the alternative is to work hard for less than welfare will provide.

 

[radios1]

I and some of my co-workers pondered this question a few years ago (more than 10 years now) and spent some time figuring out what kind of income a person would have to make to offset the welfare benefits. It turned out to be a little over $40k. At that time a Computer Software engineer with a several years of experience was making about $60k. Welfare provided so many benefits that it was not economical to even try to get off welfare. Bottom line: The incentive as provided by the government is to not do anything to risk losing the welfare benefits, since the alternative is to work hard for less than welfare will provide.

you'd have to have at least 8 children to get that kind of money!!.. for a single person, it's at the poverty line, and you don't get enough to even rent an apartment!. you'd have to find a section 8 apartment, and good luck at getting that!.. the benefits are MUCH less for an honest, single person!!.. it's the abusers that han't gotten caught yet that get huge benefits!!..

 

[RickB]

I spent 50 odd years working more days and hours than I can count and I am over it.
That is my excuse.

 

[kf4uda]

"why don't people want to work?"The simplest answer is because many of our politicians have been, and want to continue, creating a welfare state. Government handouts are enabling lazy behavior, as well as encouraging those who exploit the system selfishly, to continue doing so. Handouts should be reserved only for those who TRULY need the assistance... Not for those who simply wish to take advantage of the system.

Take the handouts away and people will be forced to work again. Those that turn to crime... Empower the police and corrections system to lock them up and place them in a jail system that offers living conditions that are less amenable than than they'd have being poor on the streets.

In summary: create a condition where the only reasonable choice is to work... And the majority will choose that option.

I was going to reply but TSO you have said all that I wanted to say.......good post!

 

[Doofy]

Working interferes with Party-Time.

 

[Snobdds]

Poverty is a generational thing. It's a learned behavior. If a person only knows how to game the system and scrape by, chances are their offspring will be the same way. The sad reality is, they have no idea how to go about being a productive member of society.

The key to breaking out of poverty is for someone with a work ethic and skills to show what can be attained by putting those to work. They need to have access to see and experience life outside of their economic walls.

My son had a friend who's mom died and he lived with an alcoholic father, the statistics were in his favor to end up much like his father...in and out of jail and a bum. I made sure to bring him along with our family ski trips in the winter and cabin trips in the summer. I just let him watch and observe how we do things and the results from those things. I slowly started to watch him get involved, he would go out and shovel and do little things to make things go smoother. At our cabin, he would help cut trees and do work to make things easier and look better. He was getting it.

His grades were also improving because he was getting encouragement and positive feedback. I bought him new ski's, boot, etc for getting on the honor roll his junior year. I am proud to say he will be starting school this fall at the University of Wyoming. Much of the money to go he earned himself through a state scholarship, but again his dad is such a bum they couldn't get their act together on Federal student aid.

All it takes is exposure to what can be accomplished through hard work and someone to give a ****. The key to changing this is getting to them when they are young. Be a mentor . It's going to take awhile to turn this ship around.