Choosing NOT to Work

Man and woman riveting team working on the cockpit shell of a C-47 aircraft at the plant of North American Aviation. Office of War Information photo by Alfred T. Palmer, 1942.

I love when my opinions are all of a sudden backed up by reality!!

I've been talking with hubby, Mason, and over the radio waves about unemployment benefits keeping great people from working for well more than a year. Never in my life have I known so many otherwise go-getting adults to choose NOT to work. But never before has there been such incentive to stay unemployed!

If you were laid off in the prime of a career, the benefits of unemployment will easily outweigh the cost of working lower paying jobs. We have guys working second jobs at Wing Zone to make ends meet, but rarely do we see professionals seek employment in order to kick the government benefits.

America has had its fair share of recessions. One great American trait has always been our work ethic - when times got tough, Americans got working. Remember Rosie the Riveter and rationing during WW2? Everyone pitched in to keep our economy going and to support our troops.

Now, millions of Americans collect unemployment rather than taking those two jobs needed to make ends meet. Americans weigh the benefits of working versus the benefits of free-time and free money. Even if a job pays more than unemployment, it's the loss of free time that costs so much more.

A company in Michigan has found out what I've known all along: ...some seasonal landscaping workers choose to stay home and collect a check from the state, rather than work outside for a full week and spend money for gas, taxes and other expenses...

There were times during past recessions when adults worked anywhere available to earn a paycheck. There were times that government handouts were not an option because of the stigma attached. As Bob Dylan sang, "Times, they are a changin'," and it never rung truer than in 2010.

The fact that unemployment benefits have been extended to 18 months has a direct effect on the availability of qualified, experienced workers. Why would anyone take a delivery driving job when they can stay home and have wings delivered?

Rest assured that when benefits run out and we receive a load of applications from newly available workers, I will be asking, "So, what have you been doing for the past 18 months?"

And this leads to another question that's been burning inside: Where are the volunteers?? (To be continued...)