Worker Shortage

In general, there has been a lot about open jobs currently and laziness. The question that never gets brought up regarding all of these job openings though is, do these jobs potentially just suck? I do not think that a part time job where working a retail counter on an unpredictable schedule for $15/hour with no benefits should count as ‘1’ job opening. It is a part time job so it should be a ‘part’ of a job opening. Often, in this conversation the assumption is that people are lazy, do not want to work and are getting too much welfare money. Which, perhaps there is some evidence for this. I still think that an important question though is what sort of jobs are people not working for really? In the end, maybe the job offers that are being made really do suck and the market demands more out of it. Especially now in our information/gig/whatever economy.

Think of it this way. The gig economy seems to be being pushed a lot, everyone is supposed to have their side hustle that will make their millions. Most of the worst jobs are hourly which means that when one is working some crappy job opening they are losing out on the opportunity to do their gigs which may make them even more money or at the very least be more flexible or perhaps even more stable than part time positions. Take Uber: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-diego-uber-driver-salary-SRCH_IL.0,9_KO10,21.htm why would someone take up a normal job if they have this potential pay? Does Uber post “jobs”? I have got to say, being an Uber driver at that rate where I can skip having to deal with other co-workers, not necessarily have to wake up to someone else’s alarm unless I elect to, have the chance to make tips and if I have meetings, appointments or some other side gig I can come and go to that appeals a lot more than being stuck in one place at one rate for 8 hours a day. So maybe, the market is actually telling these more traditional job positions that they need to find some other way to keep up with current demands.