# US employers looking down on the unemployed and those taking assistance **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182 "2011-02-13T02:18:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/41 "2011-02-13T22:21:35Z")
> [@Omerta](#): > > It’s hourly based. We make bolts for the car manufactures. We are a Tier 1, 2, and 3 supplier. The hours are a blessing and a curse. I think it goes back to do you want a job or do you need a job. Putting the wants in front of the needs seems to be the way things are going. This is just what I have witnessed at my job, not to say this is whats going on around the country. I hope that these people working 68 hours a week are just loading blanks when the machine tells them to, since I’ve seen studies showing that after 50 hours or so you make so many mistakes that your productivity is like you were working 40. At 68 hours I wouldn’t want to buy a car with your bolts in it. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/42 "2011-02-13T22:25:46Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > No one is interested in hurting themselves to “get a better economy for all of us.” It’s that simple. > > If you truly would pay $50 in the widget example, then I have a proposition for you: I have a way to make the economy better for all of us, and the first step is for you to send me $1,000 through paypal. So when can I expect payment? Where the hell did I say I’d hurt myself? How the hell would a business hurt them-selves by hiring qualified but unemployed applicants? How the hell would giving you $1,000 help the economy? ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/43 "2011-02-13T22:26:11Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > My overall point was this. From what I’ve been hearing on the news, even though the recession is officially over our economy is still really bad off. A big part of this reason, I thought, was because of the high unemployment rate. I thought the bad economy was affecting individuals and businesses alike negatively. And I also thought that in order to get a better economy for all of us, getting down the unemployment rate would be a big step. So it would seem logical for businesses to hire the unemployed because they would be helping themselves. But apparently businesses are doing just fine in this crappy economy. > > And if paying an extra $30 per widget would help the economy, and I could afford it, then I would pay the extra money. That would require looking at the big picture. And if there’s one thing a lot of corporations in this country don’t do very well, it’s looking at the big picture. ---
**Author:** ![Omerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Omerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omerta)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/44 "2011-02-13T22:31:14Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I hope that these people working 68 hours a week are just loading blanks when the machine tells them to, since I’ve seen studies showing that after 50 hours or so you make so many mistakes that your productivity is like you were working 40. At 68 hours I wouldn’t want to buy a car with your bolts in it. If you haven’t bought a Chevy, GMC, Ford, Chrysler ,Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagon, or a tank from the D.O.D then I say you are somewhat safe. The machines are set up and torn down all day long. Our PPM is less than 1. We run 11-13 million a week, so I say we do a pretty good job. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/45 "2011-02-13T22:36:31Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Where the hell did I say I’d hurt myself? How the hell would a business hurt them-selves by hiring qualified but unemployed applicants? How the hell would giving you $1,000 help the economy? Le sigh. Many employers apparently view unemployed applicants as inferior. Whether they are correct or not doesn’t matter–it only matters that they think that. You want employers to hire unemployed (ie, inferior, in their view) people because you think it woulkd help the economy. Therefore, you want employers to hurt themselves to do something you believe would help the economy. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/46 "2011-02-13T22:44:02Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > So I guess that answers my question. The high unemployment rate isn’t a problem for businesses. Its often great for business. They have LOTS of choice in candidates and it keeps salaries low. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/47 "2011-02-13T22:44:43Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Le sigh. Many employers apparently view unemployed applicants as inferior. Whether they are correct or not doesn’t matter–it only matters that they think that. You want employers to hire unemployed (ie, inferior, in their view) people because you think it woulkd help the economy. Therefore, you want employers to hurt themselves to do something you believe would help the economy. No. I said I understand now that employers either don’t view the economy as hurting them, or they believe that unemployment has nothing to do with it. Before I thought that businesses would want to hire the unemployed, because according to the news we have a shitty economy and everybody’s effected, but apparently that’s incorrect and businesses are doing just fine. I understand that now. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/48 "2011-02-13T22:54:51Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > So I guess that answers my question. The high unemployment rate isn’t a problem for businesses. Is it a problem for you when companies lower prices on their products? Is having a surplus of labor instead of a labor shortage a problem? This isn’t baffling. Companies like to be able to hire skilled labor at rock bottom prices - it’s best for their bottom line. It’s only if demand is insufficient for a business due to the economic situation that it’s a problem. Frankly, I understand to a point why this occurs. A lot of people - not all or most, but a significant chunk of people - are unemployed or on assistance because they’re a pain in the ass for whatever reason. There are lots of unpleasant, untalented, stupid, foolhardy, aggressive, entitled, and lazy people out there, and they need money, too. And to keep unemployment money flowing, or other assistance, you often need to demonstrate you’re searching for a job. I’m not defending the practice as a blanket policy by any means. I can completely empathize with people in that position and I know an awful lot of people have been laid off for no fault of their own. But, if I came across someone who wasn’t employed right now, I’d want to know why. A lot of “layoffs” are used to get rid of untalented employees and interviewers want the best possible applicants. I’d generally just ask people what had happened and discuss it with them. People clue you in a lot more than you’d think when you’re direct with them about your concern. This ranged from the understandable (laid off, family issues) to the suspect (“my boss was mean!”) to the alarming (stealing, violence). It was a flag for exploration in the same way someone saying “I had a hard time getting along with the people at my previous job.” Sure, the reason might be “Because I worked with assholes” but it might also be “Because I’m an impossible-to-please jerk who will irritate the shit out of you and not do any work”. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/49 "2011-02-13T23:02:03Z")
I worked at a production plant which shut down in 2007 because a lot of our work was being done in China. Hundreds of us got laid off. Not everybody who loses their job does so because they’re a bad employee. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/50 "2011-02-14T00:29:35Z")
Sure, not everybody, but also not nobody. Also, I think you’ve got cause and effect backwards with respect to unemployment and the state of the economy. That is, you seem to think that businesses could improve the economy by reducing unemployment, but really the unemployment rate is one indicator of the state of the economy. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/51 "2011-02-14T00:44:11Z")
Would you mind explaining that a little more please? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/52 "2011-02-14T00:57:29Z")
Well, when people talk about the uneployment rate, they are using it as a measure of how well the economý is doing. So, when the UR falls, people take that as an indication that the economy is getting better. But the opposite isn’t necessarily true–it is not the case that the economy will be better simply by reducing the UR. For example, the federal government could hire all unemployed people and put tem to work in two shifts–one to dig a hole and the oter to fill it. The UR is now zero, but do you think the economy is better? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/53 "2011-02-14T01:03:32Z")
I would not hire someone who has lived on unemployment benefits for more than three months. I would assume someone who has received unemployment benefits for that long is lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/54 "2011-02-14T01:07:26Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Well, when people talk about the uneployment rate, they are using it as a measure of how well the economý is doing. So, when the UR falls, people take that as an indication that the economy is getting better. > > But the opposite isn’t necessarily true–it is not the case that the economy will be better simply by reducing the UR. > > For example, the federal government could hire all unemployed people and put tem to work in two shifts–one to dig a hole and the oter to fill it. The UR is now zero, but do you think the economy is better? Ah, John Maynard Keyne. I never took economics classes, so I can’t give you an educated answer, but since employers only want to hire people who are employed, then it seems to me that once we have ditch-digging/filling jobs then it will be easier for us to get real jobs because now employers will hire us since we no longer have the stigma of being unemployed. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/55 "2011-02-14T01:10:00Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I would not hire someone who has lived on unemployment benefits for more than three months. I would assume someone who has received unemployment benefits for that long is lazy. So you, and a lot of other businesses won’t hire someone who’s unemployed, but yet you blame it on us. It’s our fault for being unemployed because you won’t hire us because we’re unemployed. Interesting “logic” you have there. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/56 "2011-02-14T01:24:27Z")
Nobody, you seem really focused on yourself. The economy doesn’t really give a shit about how ell you personally are doing. Other people aren’t obligated to create a system that benefits you personally the most of all possible systems. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/57 "2011-02-14T01:25:23Z")
When did I say that they were? And where the hell did you see me asking for anything that only benefits me? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/58 "2011-02-14T01:42:04Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I would not hire someone who has lived on unemployment benefits for more than three months. I would assume someone who has received unemployment benefits for that long is lazy. A damned silly assumption in this economy. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/59 "2011-02-14T01:42:27Z")
Well, everything you say seems to come back to how it helps or hurts the currently unemployed. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182/60 "2011-02-14T01:45:51Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Well, everything you say seems to come back to how it helps or hurts the currently unemployed. Right. And as part of that group I would like to see something being done about the problem, but for all of us that are unemployed ([13.9 million](http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm)). Not just me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-employers-looking-down-on-the-unemployed-and-those-taking-assistance/571182.md?page=4)