You have every right in the world to be scared: the media and the government are telling you every day that the Depression is right around the corner.
Lately it's the auto sector that's screaming for cash. I don't get it. Cash for what? If people aren't buying a lot of cars right now, then the industry is going to have to cut back. It's just the way the world works. Or used to.
I know, I know, a lot of people might be put out of work, but I don't understand what good it does to give billions of dollars to a failing industry. It seems odd to me that the way keep auto jobs going is to lend companies money so they can build a lot of unwanted cars, drop them in Lake Ontario, and build more unwanted cars.
I don't know any women that have a whale bone corset. Then again, I haven't met any Canadian whalers, either. Why? Because the Canadian whaling business is dead. Has been for a long time. But no one is going around saying we need to bail out whalers. The lesson: whaling died and whalers went on to do other things.
I've been listening to the news stories saying that there aren't any jobs out there, and the ones that are around are disappearing fast. So today I went on craiglist.org and workopolis.com and I saw all kinds of jobs in the Toronto area alone. Hundred and hundreds of them. A taste:
Looking for professional security officers for a high profile client in the Mississauga Area. Compensation to start at $15.43/hour.
Firefighters wanted across GTA, starting salary of $45,500 rising to $49,950 after 6 months. You must be 18 years of age or older and physically fit.
The Toronto People Bank Office is currently recruiting for our client in the banking industry who is seeking Machine Operators. $10.43.
Production Line Worker. Compensation: $12.35.
Now Hiring, Bakery Mixers Wanted! Wage: $10.80-$11.88/hr.
Wrapping homes in plastic on new construction sites. Must be comfortable working out side in cold weather. $15.00.
Manpower Banking is currently looking for Settlements Officers to work with Fixed Income accounts in one of Canada's largest banks. $19 - $21 per hour.
How about Vancouver:
Entry Level Market Research Analyst Position. $35,000 - $45,000.
Cooks. For Health care kitchen.Good pay & benefits.F/t and P/T day shifts. $16-$20p.h.
We are in search of hosts, servers and baristas. Willing to train those with the right attitude. Compensation: Extended Health and Dental Benefits.
Busy Itallian restaurant needs to hire one part time dishwasher. $10 / hr + tips daily + free meals.
We're looking for a carpenter helper immediately, for residential construction. Will pay $15pr/hr cash.
What's wrong with any of those jobs? Nothing, as far as I can tell. Besides, if they suck, you can quit and do something else because there's lots more where they came from.
Maybe now you'll begin to see why I hate the idea of taxing people more and handing that money out in the form of cheques and bailouts. Here's the thing: if you tax the construction company more, the first thing they are going to do is cut back on those "need carpenter helper" ads. Poof. There goes a job, and here comes another welfare request.
Raising taxes also takes money out of people's pockets, money that could have been spent on new houses, which lead to even more "need carpenter helper" ads. The carpenter helper gets paid, eats at an Italian restaurant, where the server picks up the plates and hands them to the dishwasher. Round and round we go, and not a bureaucrat in sight. The more the government becomes involved in fixing an economy they didn't know was broken in the first place, the faster the economy will tank.
If it's even tanking. Berry's Common Sense Economics Guide tells me to always believe what is in front of my face before buying anything the TV says. The news guys can quote numbers and the government creeps can try to scare me, but the want ads tell a different story: if you're willing to try something new and step out of your comfort zone, there is a job out there for you. It just depends if you think the job's "beneath you," or "not up your alley."
If it's pride holding you back, then there's nothing anyone will ever be able to do for you. If it's geography holding you back, then you have to remember what you are: a Canadian. Two hundred years ago, your house was a forest and your street was a creek. People had to come here, tear the forest down, and drain the swamp where your Ford plant now stands. The people who did these things came here because they needed work. They went where the money was. If they'd sat in a London alley waiting for a handout, they'd have starved to death.
Welfare and bailouts can wear you down and turn you into less than you were. Getting off your butt, taking a risk, learning something new, and going where you need to go can give you your life back.
There is now no excuse whatsoever for not being able to find work. The internet has made job searches a literal joke. You can send out 100 resumes to 100 different companies in under an hour. If you write a decent cover letter and send your resume to 50 places, I'll bet you will land something. You just have to do it.
If you want to.
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