re: The High Cost of a Home Is Turning American Millennials Into the New Serfs

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Easy for you to say... this is a fact. I have no clue why older people run from this fact. The economy is shite frick ball stain and it isn't the millenials fault

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Downward mobility, for now at least, is increasingly rife. Stanford economist Raj Chatty finds that someone born in 1940 had a 92 percent chance of earning more than their parents; a boomer born in 1950 had a 79 percent chance of earning more than their parents. Those born in 1980, in contrast, have just a 46 percent chance.

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ok pussy, what are you gonna do about it? Stats don't say you can't do better than your parents, just say you have to work harder than some of the others. Step the frick up and quit trying to rationalize your underachieving via some liberal west coast economist. The universe is telling you you need to put in a little effort and quit trying to assign blame. But you keep talking about how stacked the deck is against you. Take your victim shite to the welfare office with all the other "victims" or get busy trying to be successful.

Amazing, people spend a time telling you the good old days were an illusion, now are crowning the good ole days king.

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Is that commonplace? I just checked a handful of NOLA plumber job postings on Indeed and several mentioned health insurance and 401Ks. My stepfather works in HVAC (which is pretty damned similar to plumbing) and gets insurance/retirement plans. Takes home somewhere in the $70-$80k range. Not great for a guy in his mid 50's, but definitely provides a comfortable enough lifestyle.

The big advantage for plumbers, welders, HVAC, electricians, etc... is that they make full-time money while they learn. An 18 year old getting into one of those fields and making $12/hr to start for 4 years is $70-80k in the black and making close to $20/hr when they're 21. An average high school student that goes to a state college for business could spend ~$40k on his education while working ~10 hours a week @ $10/hr, only to start off with a $40k/yr salary. The business major has more earning potential, but it's going to take a while to make up the ~$100k head start that the skilled labor has, especially with that student loan being 6%+ interest.

The hypothetical skilled tradesman has a lot lower risk, as well. The 6 year college graduation rate is 60%. Plenty of people don't make it. If you can't keep a job as a plumber or electrician, then you sure as shite weren't going to make it in college.

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You are comparing commercial trades to industrial trades. Sure a commercial welder average is going to be 18 or so. In the pertochem plants tig, mig and stick welders (combo welders)make well north of $30/hour. Look on indeed, mutiple offers of $36/hour starting pay. If you can weld stainless and other specialty type metals you are north of 40/hour.

I run opertions for a branch of large specialty civil contractor that does nothing but industrial work. Starting pay for me for labors is $18/hour this is no expierence and no education, all i require is a vehicle, drivers lisence, twic card and pass drug and back ground for last 7 years. I pay guys that have been here 2-3 years 23-24 per hour all day every day. We pay full beneifits once they have been here for a year. My foreman level guys that have been doing it for 5 or so years and show leadership are getting 30+ an hour plus a truck.

I used to be in the fire sprinkler trade, helpers started at 14/hour a few years ago and now foreman are making 28-32 plus truck and this is mainly commercial work with a little industrial work.



As far as the stem degrees goes, if you get good internships and are willing to work in the field learning the trade will be far ahead once they graduate. I did this and in less then 3 years after getting my engineering degree I am running operations. I realize I am the outlier though.

I also mentor mutiple other engineering grads and a few Cm grads.The biggest problem with most of them are the following

Cant talk to people

Are not willing to work long hours to learn the job or willingness to go into the field and learn how we actually do the the items we put on paper.

A complete utter lack of leadership and lack of "balls" to make a decision.

Lack of understanding of business and complete lack of common sense

Every single one wants to move up and thinks they should move up way before they are ready. Very few are willing to put in the time to learn before asking to move up.

I happen to be an old millenial, so i can call out the whole generation I am part of. I have some guys under me that are superstars, some not so much mainly through there own faults like the ones listed above.

For example, I have one guy that started last year that was a Project Manager for another large contractor and he has a civil eng degree. He started with us as an Assitant PM and made Pm after 7 months. He busted his arse and proved himself and worked tons of long days when he needed to without being told. He also spent all of his downtime between projects learning true business accounting and really dove into all of our corporate spreadsheets and was constantly asking questions about the financials and after 7 months was at the point where he could do 90% of the process by himself.

His friend that started with us this year in January. He has a CM degree and an mba. He has always been a scheduler and is a P6 wiz kid. But he has never done PM work. He has shown some willingness to go in the field and try to learn but not much. I turned over our largest account to him and all he has done is constantly bitch. He has no idea how to do the finacials and in general has a ton to learn before becoming a PM. But he has mentioned leaving if he isnt made a Pm in Novemeber, because his frined i mentioned above made it in that time. He has no grasp that his friend worked harder than him, he just thinks he deserves it, well just because.


Point is if you are willing to work your arse off you can make it up the ladder very fast with a Stem degree even if you have a low GPA. The biggest things that will determine your ability to rise once the degree gets your foot in the door is your leadership ability, ability to think on your feet and make critical decisions on the fly, and your work ethic.

Not everyone has the personality to be a leader.

Sometimes I think Roger is a good ole baw that failed econ

Going to serf city gonna halve (pun intended) some fun. Gonna serf city cuz it's 2:1. To girls for every guy. #sexism.

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Try to fix all the stupid shite your generation did so we don't have to deal with it anymore. God you people are fricking idiots.

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Yes, the generation that gave you smartphones, personal computers and everything else that makes life easier today.

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Isn't that the same.. for everyone? There will always be those who are talented and work hard and those who do not. Maybe i'm biased because I spend my days working with other millennials and we work our asses off. Nights, weekends.. whatever it takes to get the job done.

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I guess what I am saying is the thing that holds most people back imo is their personality. They can't communicate nor lead. In the engineering field this is fine, but you will be relegated to being a design engineer and you will not move to management no matter the work ethic.

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You just threw out the raw dollar figure of what someone in 1940 made like that was making a point

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Because your shitty reading comprehension failed you. You would have to see the post it was in reply to.

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guess what I am saying is the thing that holds most people back imo is their personality

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Yep posted this earlier. There are doers and whiners.