How has The Quality of Life changed over time in North America?

[BoxingSpecialist2]

I'm a 24 year old male, and when I'm at work, I often hear older (say 35 years+) coworkers say things to me like "In my day, we had more free time" or "In my day, we had much more job stability", or "In my day, we had more discretionary income". One coworker in particular told me that in the 1980's in Canada, he could quit his job then just get the same job somewhere else the next day. Is that true? Was the workplace less competitive back then? Did people make more money back then? Did the workforce have more power?

Is this true? And when did the quality of life in North America hit its peak? Would you say that today the quality of life is declining in North America?

How has feminism, minority rights, immigration, and such influenced the quality of life and what sort of statistics do we have to illustrate that?

Very open-ended questions I know, so feel free to answer them however you like!

 

[Matra2]

One coworker in particular told me that in the 1980's in [COLOR=#009900 !important]Canada[/COLOR], he could quit his jobthen just get the same job somewhere else the next day. Is that true?

He's exaggerating but it is not far from the truth. I spent part of the 80s in Ontario but I didn't work as I was still in school. I remember it was quite common for older brothers and sisters of kids I knew to go straight from grade 12 to well paying industrial jobs working with their hands. Even high school dropouts did fine as factory jobs were everywhere. Any teenager who wanted employment could get it quite easily. In fact having two part-time jobs was not unusual for a lot of high school kids. Even in the 90s it was still like that. Now everything is made in China or Bangladesh so a lot of those unskilled jobs don't exist anymore.

 

[joegoofinoff]

Boxingspecialist2 - Good topic. I'm going to come at this from a different angle. In 1799, George Washington died, aged 68. In his life, he was closer technologically speaking to 2 thousand years before Christ than he would be to today. Think about how far we've come in this short span of 214 yrs. Things are moving so fast, it seems as if we live in a "cartoon." But how far will we go in just the next 20 yrs. if things continue at this clip. Can things keep moving at this technological clip? Even the idea of things being manufactured in Asia. What will happen if they invent more labor saving devices that make Asians obsolete? It's been said, [labor saving devices aren't made to make things easier for us, they're made to replace us]. Just some thoughts.


joegoofinoff...

 

[Carolina Speed]

He's exaggerating but it is not far from the truth. I spent part of the 80s in Ontario but I didn't work as I was still in school. I remember it was quite common for older brothers and sisters of kids I knew to go straight from grade 12 to well paying industrial jobs working with their hands. Even high school dropouts did fine as factory jobs were everywhere. Any teenager who wanted employment could get it quite easily. In fact having two part-time jobs was not unusual for a lot of high school kids. Even in the 90s it was still like that. Now everything is made in China or Bangladesh so a lot of those unskilled jobs don't exist anymore.

Not an exaggeration here in North Carolina. Where I'm from there were furniture manufacturers on every corner and it was true here if you wanted a job in the furniture industry you could get it whether you were a high school graduate or a drop out. In the 80's my father who started in furniture when he dropped out of high school in the 60's became a very good upholster and could literally quit his job and go across the street and get another one. If you were good, you could make 40 to 60k in the 80's, which was a great living down here in the 80's for a high school drop out. Most all those jobs moved to China in the 90's. My stepmother only worked part-time, but didn't really have to. Now, a lot of men I know work 2 jobs and of course, many women have to work also just to make the mortgage and feed their children.

Both my parents who grew up in the 50's and 60's say that had it pretty good and often say they understand how tough it is for a family to make a living these days.

Think about it, $20 to $30 an hour in the 80's down here as compared to $10-15 an hour now(2013), is what many jobs pay down here now if you can find one.

Outstanding topic......we could on forever on this one!

 

[Leonardfan]

I would say in America - the pinnacle of what this country was supposed to be was the post WW2 period up until 1964 or so.

During that time, America's economy was booming due to this country being the only major country in the world whose infrastructure was not destroyed during the war. America became the major industrial country in the world. Detroit was booming and their were manufacturing jobs everywhere. The rust belt didn't exist. Whites were at their zenith in every facet of American society. That was the "American Dream".

The commie cultural-marxists also began to pervade American society at that time but it would take them about 20 or so years once they got into America's college and universities and began to brainwash the "counter-culture" it spelled the beginning of the end. Ever since the mid-60s America has been in a downward spiral.

Not sure if anyone here watched Sopranos but I remember seeing the first episode 10 years ago when I was 19/20 and this really resonated with me:

"I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over. . . . I think about my father. He never reached the heights like me. But in a lot of ways he had it better. He had his people. They had their standards. They had pride. Today, what do we got?"

That's pretty much how I feel and how I have felt the past 10 years.

 

[whiteathlete33]

I was making 45,000 a year as a 22 year old in 2004. Not great money but decent. Today I'm making a bit less. Luckily, I have a home that is completely paid off and get collect a rent so I'm not struggling to make ends meet.

 

[Leonardfan]

I was making 45,000 a year as a 22 year old in 2004. Not great money but decent. Today I'm making a bit less. Luckily, I have a home that is completely paid off and get collect a rent so I'm not struggling to make ends meet.

WA33 - I know what you mean. In 2007 when I was 25 I was making about 42k a year - it rose up into the mid 60k range but I left the DC beltway bubble and I am back to making what I did when I was 25. It was hard enough finding a job so I'm not really complaining though. It's amazing how living inside that DC beltway bubble really inflates money and gives people a false sense of themselves. Everyone that lives in that region or moves to it becomes out of touch with the realities of what the rest of American lives like.

 

[whiteathlete33]

WA33 - I know what you mean. In 2007 when I was 25 I was making about 42k a year - it rose up into the mid 60k range but I left the DC beltway bubble and I am back to making what I did when I was 25. It was hard enough finding a job so I'm not really complaining though. It's amazing how living inside that DC beltway bubble really inflates money and gives people a false sense of themselves. Everyone that lives in that region or moves to it becomes out of touch with the realities of what the rest of American lives like.

I'm still working as a "temp" for a financial company for a year and a half now. I've been promised permanent employment for the longest. Talk is cheap.

 

[Leonardfan]

I'm still working as a "temp" for a financial company for a year and a half now. I've been promised permanent employment for the longest. Talk is cheap.

I know what you mean. I was hired on as a temp at my job now, before my contract was up they said they were going to bring me on full time and they let go of a full time employee that was hired when I was. I felt vindicated that my knowledge and work ethic proved valuable as I was able to prove my worth.

I hope that you either get hired on fulltime soon or are able to find a better job elsewhere. My best advice is never stop looking for jobs (I am sure I'm preaching to the choir though :thumb.

 

[whiteathlete33]

I know what you mean. I was hired on as a temp at my job now, before my contract was up they said they were going to bring me on full time and they let go of a full time employee that was hired when I was. I felt vindicated that my knowledge and work ethic proved valuable as I was able to prove my worth.

I hope that you either get hired on fulltime soon or are able to find a better job elsewhere. My best advice is never stop looking for jobs (I am sure I'm preaching to the choir though :thumb.

I've been promised permanent employment but we shall see. I can deal with being a temp for now because I get overtime and actually can make a decent paycheck. I don't get paid time off though, yet another employee who is a temp does. It's all office politics.

 

[Average American]

Not an exaggeration here in North Carolina. Where I'm from there were furniture manufacturers on every corner and it was true here if you wanted a job in the furniture industry you could get it whether you were a high school graduate or a drop out. In the 80's my father who started in furniture when he dropped out of high school in the 60's became a very good upholster and could literally quit his job and go across the street and get another one. If you were good, you could make 40 to 60k in the 80's, which was a great living down here in the 80's for a high school drop out. Most all those jobs moved to China in the 90's. My stepmother only worked part-time, but didn't really have to. Now, a lot of men I know work 2 jobs and of course, many women have to work also just to make the mortgage and feed their children.

Both my parents who grew up in the 50's and 60's say that had it pretty good and often say they understand how tough it is for a family to make a living these days.

Think about it, $20 to $30 an hour in the 80's down here as compared to $10-15 an hour now(2013), is what many jobs pay down here now if you can find one.

Carolina, perfect (albeit tragic) summation and testimony. The difficulty providing for a family now.. in my mind has been the greatest lifestyle decline in the last 50 years. Exporting of decent jobs (unions who got greedy bear a lot of that responsibility in my opinion), plus the importation of de facto slave labor (illegal immigrants) has de-valued American workers.. which means they have less leverage, less pay and end up needing their wives to help carry the load paying bills.. both parents out of the house, means less time for mothering & fathering = more deviants & wiggers with each generation. It's really sad, and I remember my parents & their peers (baby boomers) being able to buy houses on (a single) blue-collar income, 2 cars in the driveway & living in halfway decent neighborhoods.. not generally the case for us (their kids). Unions did a lot of good for mis-treated workers, but something went wrong & their aggressive gambles cost America a lot of industry ~