Monday, August 13, 2007

Gen Y, The Slacker Generation

I may have great disdain and disrespect for the Baby Boomer generation, but I will grant them one thing;
They worked their asses off as kids.

Their labor force participation rates were through the roof back in the day when they were young achieving the highest levels on record. And (a smug point I might add) that despite our loserness, we Gen-X'ers (at least the older ones) managed to achieve a similiarily high participation rate.

But good lord, what the hell happened to Gen Y????


Labor force participation rates for teenagers has tanked since 2000 to the lowest level on record, and precipitously so.

Now I'd like to go on and speculate about how children are spoiled rotten today. I'd like to go on about how parents find it easier to pay off their children than to bring them up right and teach them a work ethic, and I'd like to go on and point out it's my generation that taught their children this lack of work ethic, but frankly I find it pointless. Parenting has deteriorated to the point it is unsalvagable. Whatever I say will fall on dead ears or ears that have already plotted and set a course for the destination of arrested development for children and ultimately to the detriment of our economy...not to mention the likelihood I will never never see a social security check with that work ethic. And so I will write it here, just for the rights to say in the future "I told you so." For this lack of work ethic will be one of the key reasons for the inevitable collapse of our economy and our continuing decline as a world super power.

And to all the Australians that are e-mailing in, THIS IS AMERICAN DATA! This has nothing to do with Australian Gen-Y'ers. I have no clue what the Australian data looks like.

31 comments:

SoerenM said...

My guess (from the other side of the Atlantic) is that the parents have become richer, enabling them to give higher allowances. I would guess that the same graph for Denmark would look familiar.

This is not neccesarily a bad thing. It might be teenagers slacking of, but it might also be parents paying the kids an allowance so that they have more time for studying. It might also simply be bacause the amount of jobs requiring unskilled labour is declining.

Gabriel M said...

Well, I usually agree with you, but on this one I'm not sure.

This could just reflect the increased premium for full-time higher education. They might be putting in less effort but working just as must... smarter.

Gabriel M said...

Well, I usually agree with you, but on this one I'm not sure.

This could just reflect the increased premium for full-time higher education. They might be putting in less effort but working just as must... smarter.

Anonymous said...

Capt, maybe it's because we as a society are doing so well that our children are allowed to play sports or other activities versus having to work? Just a thought, no data to back up.

From a person who's group was at the top (hs grad 79).

Ro! said...

So True.. But don't give up Captain, some of us still value work ethics and hard earned money and is determined to pass it on to out children before the govt. schools gets to brainwash them.

Anonymous said...

Something that may need to be considered before condemning Generation Y is that the minimum wage has increased since Gen X passed that way; higher minimum wage means less entry level (read low-paying) jobs for 16-19 year olds to cut their teeth on. I'm not saying this is the only factor, but I bet it's a significant one.

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between participation rate and criminal activity. Crime rates have also dropped since the 1990s.

The youth hasn't had it any better. The parents have adopted the "from cradle to grave" slogan from the government...

Bill Gilles said...

A wealthy society, rising minimum wages - both good points. And let us not forget the greatest teenage job destroying force in the country - immigration! (Legal or otherwise). Let's see, I as an employer can pay a teenager who prioritizes work somewhere behind hockey, theater, prom and possibly grades - or I can hire an immigrant who took on the high cost/risk of a new country to get a job such as I'm offering to better their lives and that of their families.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Canadian. On a trip to DC in 2000 I was struck by the high demand at low end jobs like McDonalds where I recall large signs offering a guaranteed 40 hours and $8.00. The economy seemed to be just given 'er.

Haven't travelled to the States much since but would this precipitous drop not be strongly correlated to the influx of illegal immigrants and increased acceptance of employers hiring illegal immigrants? And caused by resulting downward pressure on wages in the teen (retail, fast food, etc.) sector, making packing bags at the local grocery less attractive than it was to kids in the (recent) past?

Captain Capitalism said...

No, all good points, and I concede that illegal immigration, increasing standards of living etc. contribute to this, but I still think (or maybe "wish" is the better word) that parents would want to teach their children a work ethic. Even if the kid had college paid for, I would insist he gets a job.

besides, the only reason the US has a higher standard of living than the French is because we work more. They have higher labor productivity figures than we do, but it's because they work 12 hours a week that they do not have our standards of living. I prefer working smarter, but never discount the merits of working harder.

Anonymous said...

Considering the high costs of going to college in the US, it's probably better to let the kids finish school as soon as possible, without any kind of distraction, like working.

Mrs. Bob said...

Actually here in Utah the largest increase in employment has been among the service sector, low paying jobs. I have friends who are managers for these types of jobs, normally given to high school kids or just barely graduated. The few that apply and are hired quit, or are fired for laziness. My own brother fits into this category and I had a conversation about this very subject with my friends a few years back. We all had a sibling who was 18 and they all refused to get a job. Which was unheard of to us because we had all gotten jobs at 16 if not sooner. It is definitely an attitude, although illegal immigration seems to be supplying much of the manpower for these jobs around here lately.

Jungle Jim said...

I agree with the commenters who say that illegal immigration is to blame. First of all, illegal immigration has lowered the wages for unskilled labor down to almost nothing. And most employers would rather hire illegals who will happily work for low wages and not complain.;

http://provocateurjim.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

I don't know about the illegal immigration thing - it probably does contribute some. My guess is that there are two big reasons that teens aren't getting jobs as much. The first is just as others have said - increased standards of living equals less need for a teen to get a job for pocket money.

The second is that most universities want students to be involved in various extracurricular activities - clubs, sports, volunteer organizations, etc. - and part-time jobs aren't exactly cutting it for those sort activities. You're looking at a comparison between a student who worked a job flipping burgers or waiting tables versus a student who was vice-president of Key Club, FFA or some other club or organization. The vice-president looks better because they are showing leadership potential.

As for myself, I had summer work and an after school job from around the time I was 12 on, doing everything from bucking hay, laying pipes, apple picking and cow-punching (grew up in rural Idaho) to working for Subway and a coffee shop to finally working as a teacher's aid for the school district and as a tutor. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I'm technically 'Generation Y' (born 1983).

janham said...

Living in Australia I agree with you to a certain degree. But what am I. I was born in 1971. I am hardly a baby boomer but I am not generation y either.

My parents worked their butts off to put me through school and provide me with the opportunities that they never had. They raised me with a strong work ethic where I started working as a part time shop assistant at 15. I was hardly brought up to be lazy.

As for you saying that the younger ones sit on their bum all day I disagree. There are plenty who either chose to have an education or work.

Open your eyes.

Snowman said...

I don’t believe that our generation are slackers but there are some who do just bludge and do nothing with their life. There is a lot to consider, the environment they are brought up in, and the way the parents raise there children and the crowds we fall in to.

Back in your generation you had a wider range of jobs and more positions to fill. Now we have little job opportunities and are not paid enough to work in the first place. As for myself I hold a managerial role and am still attending school. So I don’t consider myself a lazy slacker and the reason I hold such a high position is because of my parents and the environment they created for me. Sure our generation is spoilt with technology and hand outs from Centrelink but some of us actually work for our money and don’t accept hand outs.

As an Australian Gen Y citizen I have a career goal of becoming a successful police officer and am not going to get that job sitting on my butt watching the television.
So I believe your stereotypical comment to be correct in some ways and degrading to some who are trying to get ahead in life and become something and not just another statistic.

Some teenagers are forced to stay with their parents and not move out and if you don’t have to support yourself yet, why would you move. After finishing Higher school certificate most don’t want to go looking for work and that’s where you article is correct but I’m sure after a year of hard work you don’t want to do get in it again.
I’m not one of the slackers but there are defiantly some giving us a bad name.

Anonymous said...

At least somebody from my home state + city (yay!) has sense lol.

Loom we can sit there at bad mouth Gen Y till we are blue in the face. But instead of bagging us out for our abysmal work ethic how about the people who raised us, take responsibility for their actions.

Gen Y wouldn't be in the state it is if our parents had the balls to "discipline" and not shove money on our hands to make a problem go away.

HOWEVER...the even bigger generalisation is that ALL GEN Y are spoilt little terrors that will be the downfall of humanity. There are plenty of people in my generation who are hard working have a decent work ethic and are decent people who will contribute to society and have to clean up the mess.

I mean HOUSE did say "our children our the future"

Eskimo said...

Sure generation Y has got a terrible reputation and that we don't work ‘as much’ as the generations before us, but consider the situations…it only makes sense for the hard work from our previous generations to lead others to have a less stressful ‘work life’ eventually.

Today's world is vastly different from the world we had only 20 years ago. Times change and so do the influences; most of us today say we live in a world of sex, drugs and celebrities…and this is what tends to influence us gen Y'ers, although a lot of us deny it [we hate to say we are influenced in anyway and go out of our way to prove this] however we are, it's unavoidable in today's society.

Yes it's true ‘parenting has deteriorated to the point it is unsalvageable,’ but not for every family, this is an extremely broad statement...

However it is true that in a lot of ways gen Y is 'laid back' compared to its predecessors but just don’t forget times are different and the standards we have to live up to are as well.

chloe.skipp said...

I am in generation Y and I have to agree that my generation "as I was born in 1985" has defiantly lost its way.
I am not trying say we are all a lost cause, but there is a massive portion of us that are.
Some of us are slackers, I agree, we do have it much easier than your generation, but is it because of the wealth that more of us have these days and how much easier life is?
I know we have a huuuge poor society and I’m not ignoring that fact, but the saying
“The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poor" is so true.
Discipline? What’s that!, yes our parents are much easier on us then I imagine yours were, is this because you had it harder by your parents and you don't want to treat your children the same?
But where has the respect gone!? I do believe that yes the environment you grow up in and the people you associate yourself with are a massive impact, but I feel that the respect for each other and defiantly our elders has gone.
Our generation get married early (if they even do) and just pop out kids, and then a lot of the kids are raised by broken families or single parents; look at the percentage of marriages that fail! We don’t fight, we give up, and we are not fighters like you were.
But no, that is not everyone, and I’m trying not to box us in...But I just feel a major part of my generation has lost its work ethic and respect for others, and that really breaks my heart.

Chloe

SlickNick said...

You say that your comment is based on American figurs alone, and that you have no idea what the Australian figures would be. But my own guess, would be that the Australian figures would show much the same thing. I think that there are a lot of contributing factors to the problem, such as the previously mentioned illegal immigration (lack of work), more youth in tertiary studying, but I believe that a percentage of it is just that kids these days are slacking off. Is it all of them? No. But it's certainly a large percentage of them. It's the way the Baby Boomers generation have grown them up. I see a lot of parents (especially the younger married/unmarried parents mentioned by Chloe) that aren't showing their kids what it's like to work hard. Or to really try their best with things, such as school or a job. There's a total lack of initiative. There's really no solution to this, but maybe we can hope that people start realising this, switch off their kids TV's and XBox's and start showing them what "hard work" really means.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea, im too young to have a detailed opinion. All I know is that there are alot of young working people nowdays, yes there are some slackers, but it's not like it's the majority.

priya said...

Living in the information age, Gen Y’ers are much smarter, only a little too smart to work. I believe it’s the attitude that the Gen Y’ers carry. Being technically savvy, brought up mostly by single parents, fiercely independent, they want to get to the top of the ladder very soon and they know that they have better opportunities and options, so if they quit one job they get another. They are ‘Not Fighters’ (Chloe).
If one considers today’s job market which is highly competitive, educational qualifications and experience are highly valued when it comes to skilled labour. So, those who are busy getting a full time higher education degree and those who are quitting because of more options are a large number who may be contributing to this decline in labour participation levels. Today, 64% of women and 60% of men go to college after graduating high school and 85% attend full-time. (*Source: The Millennials: Americans Born 1977 to 1994; Bureau of the Census: Educational Attainment, 2002)
Of course, illegal immigration cannot be denied as a reason. But this again comes to the point where American Gen Y’ers should see the need to become more competitive in the labor market to get entry and maintain their jobs which means they need to have work ethics ingrained in them. As Chloe pointed out, the social environment does matter and added to that, the media hotchpotch, marketing and entertainment is at its peak. With all of this around, Gen Y is bound to be lost. But, I do feel that a lot many of us, still, have a decent enough work ethic. There is no point blaming the Baby boomers for the Gen Y’s behavior. I believe the colleges and other educational institutions also equally bear the responsibility to provide work ethic education to Gen Y.

Priya

Kris said...

At the absolute base of this claim, I would like to argue. I would like to say that the demands of study and the increase in further education is a lot higher these days - a degree was a rare thing in a previous generation, whereas nowadays it's fully expected for most people to go to university for a few year and get a colourful piece of paper regardless of waht it says or what subject it pertains to. I would like to say that claims of societal downfall from generation to generation have typically been recurring throughout history and always end up proving themselves untrue in some ways, or balance themselves out in other ways.

Buuuut, I know that a lot of people my age and below are generally unspeakably lazy and probably don't have a really good excuse for why they don't get out there and work. So I have no real choice but to agree based on what I've seen.

-Kris

NAY. said...

As a member of Generation Y I strongly disagree with your opinion!

Personally, I have worked since I was 14 and 9 months of age, which is the earliest legal age for a person to work in Australia. As I am currently studying to further advance my career prosects, I am what you consider to be, a ‘slacker’. I find this an insult to be ‘grouped’ in with the same people who have ‘no’ motivation in life aside from self driven desires.

As the economic crisis has shown both here in Australia and elsewhere around the world, the job market is getting fierce and in order to stand a chance ‘generally’ a degree is required for nearly everything.

The conditions and requirements have changed in the work market since Generation X - maybe your opinions need to be updated as well.

Emma said...

I don’t believe that you can categorise a whole generation as ‘slackers’ rather I believe that the slacker comes out in the individual. And yes times are a changin,’ kids now are probably given more than the baby boomer generation ever received, but this is probably the result of parents believing that there kids should be given everything that they once never had. I believe that the Y generation have to work harder to obtain jobs in modern society and need increasingly more qualifications than ever before.

Mario Di-Fiore said...

The obvious answer is to send 'em all to work! Maybe we should try some sytem whereby people who don't work don't get anything. Social Security (Centrelink) makes it too easy for people to not have to work, and they get paid not to work.

James A. Bacon said...

Captain C -- The answer to your question resides in a recent report by the Pew Research Center in a paper entitled, "America's Changing Workforce: Recession Turns a Gray Office Grayer." The bottom line: Gen Ys are staying in school/college longer. I am confident that the same explanation applies to the Gen Ys Down Under.

(As an aside, Boomers are staying in the workforce longer than the previous generation, reversing a decades-long trend to earlier retirements. That reinforces your point that Boomers have a strong work ethic.

-- A Boomer from Across the Pacific

James A. Bacon said...

Captain C -- The answer to your question resides in a recent report by the Pew Research Center in a paper entitled, "America's Changing Workforce: Recession Turns a Gray Office Grayer." The bottom line: Gen Ys are staying in school/college longer. I am confident that the same explanation applies to the Gen Ys Down Under.

(As an aside, Boomers are staying in the workforce longer than the previous generation, reversing a decades-long trend to earlier retirements. That reinforces your point that Boomers have a strong work ethic.

-- A Boomer from Across the Pacific

Anonymous said...

Quite simply, this isn't accounting for two things: the economy, and the high rate of volunteering and extra-curricular activities.

When I was in high school (1999-2003), I only worked during the summers. The rest of the year I volunteered my butt off (church, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, parks & recreation) and was a participant (or leader) in a multitude of clubs (LGBTA, Amnesty Int'l, Poetry club, Jazz Band). None of those things would count towards that graph.

The amount of volunteering and leadership kids need to do now to get into college is incredible, so I'm not surprised they're choosing that over paying jobs.

Anonymous said...

working less is not necessarily a bad thing. http://www.worklessparty.org/

Anonymous said...

As a representative of Gen y. I can say you are totally correct, most of my generation has become lazy and dare i say it, dole bludgers. However most of us are trying to find work. But ever since the financial crisis finding work has become extremely hard! For example i am a recent school leaver and only just found work a couple of weeks ago, and i know for a fact that most of my friends, who for your information are gen y are looking for work!
So if i may suggest something..Please be a bit more understanding of our situation. Because in your day it was much easier to find a job.