OT: Highly Concerning - MS Labor Participation Rate 53.8%

[johnson86-1]

Do you want to work someplace that gives you a whole lot of stress and you feel like crap all the time?

Of course not.

I’m positive there are people who feel that way about working in close quarters with folks with hacking coughs because they know even if it’s not Covid they’re likely under the weather and have to work because:

1. They’re really poor
2. Mississippi’s workforce policies are employer friendly

Eventually folks reach a breaking point and decide to 17 it.

That's certainly their prerogative, provided they don't ask for a handout.

The labor force participation rate is useful, but really all that matters is the number of working age people taking benefits. If you're not working because you're a stay at home spouse, or a trust fund baby, or made enough money to check out early, none of that is stuff really has any significant policy implications. If you are working under the table, that's not great, but would be ok if it weren't for the tendency of so many of those people to also claim disability or section 8 or whatever.

The real problem is that so many people take benefits instead of working. The percent on disability is probably the most important number as that's probably the most abused welfare program. Medicaid is probably also relevant as it's generally pretty hard to work full time and get Medicaid as an adult. But then also Section 8, SNAP and similar programs not strictly time limited, although I think you can work a decent amount and still qualify for those depending on family size.

 

[patdog]

Makes sense actually.

Mississippi is one of the five worst states in the nation when it comes to health outcomes.

On the list of things 95% of the things unhealty Mississippians should be concerned about or could do to improve their chances to not get seriously sick, social distancing because of fear of Covid is not even in the top 10.

 

[Seinfeld]

Raise your hand if you know someone who lives in MS and is capable of working but has tricked the state into giving them unemployment benefits *raises hand*

Lots of people dealing with “insomnia” these days

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Putting my opinion in a separate post so not to muddy the facts.

We have to do something. I know there is a push to eliminate income tax but I'm not sure that's enough. We have to ensure that our students have somewhere to work.

I'm not against incentivizing students who stay in Mississippi with some sort of student loan forgiveness. We are headed toward <50% labor participation very quickly. That will destroy what economy Mississippi has. It won't matter about having a Top Golf.

I can't ship wine to MS. That is an indicator of how bad we are at legislating anything that moves the state forward. It's not the biggest issue we face in this state but it is a clear indicator of why we stay behind. Our state politics consists of so much grift and misappropriation and watching from the sidelines it is actually such a sad sight seeing all the "important" people in the state fighting to see who can be the big fish in the tiny pond.

 

[The Peeper]

There are professional unemployment claim filers out there. Before semi-retiring I was on a committee at work that did all of the inverviews along w/ whomever would be the immediate supervisor of the newly hired person. Over a 4-5 year period we had several of them but 1 male applicant from Columbus comes to mind. He applied for every position that the State Personnel Board posted for us. He claimed to be a self employed "personal financial analyst" but was applying for Admin Asst positions with us. He changed his answers based on what the position was. He wasn't willing to relocate on some but was on others, he wasn't available for weekend or nights on some but was on others, he wasn't remotely qualified for any of them was the only consistent factor. Questions like can you operate any type office equipment or software? He would always put no, yet he was a "financial analyst"? We finally called him for an interview just to see this guy and after two appts being made he never showed. But what he had was an application that he had filled out and could turn in to show he was trying. I used to just sit and shake my head at some of them. The question about operating equipment or machines would get answers like "proficient at operating cash registers" at Old Navy, or McDonalds

 

[Awwhellnaw]

Call it ignorance or dumbassery, but I had to look up LPR. Quite interesting you don’t hear about this statistic on the news more..

So much could be said here. I know that a lot of people in this state (and country) are just sitting on their @$$ on a daily basis but 1 out of every 2? Wow. We’ve (I use we loosely) created a system that encourages people to not work or be contributing members of society. It’s amazing half the people in the state are surviving without having a job.

 

[onewoof]

Respectfully, after all the facts that have came out regarding COVID, and knowing what we know now, the answer is not to be “awww it’s okay, stay home if you have the sniffles!” We should be angry the government lied to us for years.

If you are a healthy individual and are terrified of COVID in the summer of 2024, I feel terrible for you, because whoever is still feeding you fear is not your friend.

All the facts come from actual data from epidemiologists. And yes there was a toxic abuse of spreading fear. However, the numbers from the Milan outbreak were almost worst case scenario. And what they were trying to avoid worldwide.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

And for the ones that are working at entry level jobs the attitude of many is shockingly poor. I had basically the exact same thing happen three times last week. In each case the employee appeared to be approximately 20 years old. First I went to the local Lowe’s and picked up something in the outside lawn care area. They weren’t busy and the guy running the cash register out there was sitting on a box about half asleep. I always try to be nice to people in those positions and spoke a friendly greeting to him as I walked up to the register. He never said a word and just kind of looked at me. He rang up my purchase, and actually mumbled $13.19. I paid with a credit card and had to politely ask of a receipt which seemed to annoy him. I thanked him and said something like try to stay cool and dont get too hot out here. He just stared again. The purchase price is the only thing he said in the whole exchange. So, I normally don’t eat fast food anymore but we had to go out of town and I stopped at a Wendy’s drive through. Ordered and when I payed the girl spoke the purchase price and never uttered another word. Just stared when I said thank you and have a nice day. Then we went the grocery store where I had most of my groceries bagged and in the buggy before the bag boy showed up. The guy running the register was a bit older and very polite but the bag boy never said a word and ignored our thank you, have a good day parting. Thats 3 times last week but that sort of attitude is so common I am never surprised anymore. Zero common courtesy. It’s almost like they are angry about doing their job. I’ve got news for them, they can get used to working and having at least a reasonable attitude or they can plan to be broke from now on. Sadly, I don’t think they can find many workers that want to do well and prosper. I was told awhile back that our local Sonic schedules 40 workers per day in hopes that 20 will show up. I don’t know the answer but I do know that the current system is not working. My first reaction would be to fire all of them but apparently they can’t find anything any better. Pitiful.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

My last real job was at a plant in SC, good starting pay for those on the floor. Pre covid.

Easily 1/3 of those coming in would find a way to get "injured" and then claim out to get workers comp. It was a very regular thing to see, and I could spot most of them during training. There was internal surveillance cameras that would record all of the fun.

The more professional scammers could draw it out a bit longer because they already had a pattern and an ambulance chaser on retainer.

Currently, I can't say much, but a few mailbox customers do routinely start new llcs every few months and keep all those side hustles divided amongst about 6 llcs each, I would imagine to keep monies from pooling in one spot and being obvious.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

No doubt there’s always room for change and improvement. But your answers seem to be to blame shift and live off the government. How does that help anyone? Do you know how expensive it is to run a business these days?

Mmmm… considering that I see twentysomethings pretty constantly and know of their desires to leave Mississippi because there’s not much going in with their careers as far as good pay in their careers in Mississippi…

And at the same time I see Mississippi elected officials saying that they want Mississippians to work in Mississippi…

Then it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that I would want Mississippi’s elected officials to put their money where their mouths are and actually do something…

You call that living off the government…

I simply want elected officials to back up their currently empty talk with at least some action.

You can’t act like employees need to start at $60k a year. The math doesn’t math. You’ll end up like California where they’re having to get rid of thousands of jobs.

Some entry level folks do actually start that high but income depends on what they’re trained to do and how much effort they have.

 

[615dawg]

I'm afraid I'm coming around from the "Mississippi can be great" camp and into the "We get what we deserve" camp. I regularly sit in meetings where companies are pitching private equity. It's all marijuana and a little healthcare these days.

I'm just devastated at my children's attitude about our state - and it's not just mine. I have talked to exactly one friend whose child has not expressed a deep desire to get out of the state. I was really hoping the collective Six Pack would tell me that my children and their friends are the problem.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

On the list of things 95% of the things unhealty Mississippians should be concerned about or could do to improve their chances to not get seriously sick, social distancing because of fear of Covid is not even in the top 10.

I agree with that and thought the answer came from an older survey which would then make sense until 615dawg said the data is from March of this year.

Covid is essentially like the flu now.

It’s another shot you get if you’re in the public a lot and also take care of or see elderly relatives often— which I do.

 

[dog12]

We have to ensure that our students have somewhere to work.

This is why I left in 1998 after graduating from law school . . . I couldn't find a job in Mississippi.

I found a job in Northern Virginia. Thus, I moved up here in 1998 and have been here ever since.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I'm afraid I'm coming around from the "Mississippi can be great" camp and into the "We get what we deserve" camp. I regularly sit in meetings where companies are pitching private equity. It's all marijuana and a little healthcare these days.

Mississippi has a Jeep Wrangler economy and no one wants to be a part of it. ($1 to Perd)

I'm just devastated at my children's attitude about our state - and it's not just mine. I have talked to exactly one friend whose child has not expressed a deep desire to get out of the state. I was really hoping the collective Six Pack would tell me that my children and their friends are the problem.

Mississippi doesn’t have anything to offer high schoolers and college kids who don’t give a 17 about just the outdoors.

The irony of the state government’s wanting to aid private schools is that Mississippi wants to fund its brightest children who have all the advantages beginning at kindergarten so they can eventually leave the state.

 

[mike tice]

People are still afraid of COVID? Yikes

Can you break this down by race and age please? Just curious

 

[mstateglfr]

Some people start ahead, some people behind. But America has always been a place where if you show up and work hard you will get rewarded.

This is some strong blissful ignorance.

People work hard and arent rewarded all the time.
People work east and are rewarded all the time.
People work hard and are partly rewarded all the time.

Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps was initially a sarcastic comment since it cant be done. Hilariously, it changed to a sincere viewpoint on how people can advance in socioeconomic status.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

There are professional unemployment claim filers out there. Before semi-retiring I was on a committee at work that did all of the inverviews along w/ whomever would be the immediate supervisor of the newly hired person. Over a 4-5 year period we had several of them but 1 male applicant from Columbus comes to mind. He applied for every position that the State Personnel Board posted for us. He claimed to be a self employed "personal financial analyst" but was applying for Admin Asst positions with us. He changed his answers based on what the position was. He wasn't willing to relocate on some but was on others, he wasn't available for weekend or nights on some but was on others, he wasn't remotely qualified for any of them was the only consistent factor. Questions like can you operate any type office equipment or software? He would always put no, yet he was a "financial analyst"? We finally called him for an interview just to see this guy and after two appts being made he never showed. But what he had was an application that he had filled out and could turn in to show he was trying. I used to just sit and shake my head at some of them. The question about operating equipment or machines would get answers like "proficient at operating cash registers" at Old Navy, or McDonalds

Manufacturing sees a fair number of people who "interview" because apparently that is part of the process of keeping benefits coming in.

 

[retire the banner]

This is some strong blissful ignorance.

People work hard and arent rewarded all the time.
People work east and are rewarded all the time.
People work hard and are partly rewarded all the time.

Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps was initially a sarcastic comment since it cant be done. Hilariously, it changed to a sincere viewpoint on how people can advance in socioeconomic status.

Couldn’t disagree more. Sure, there are outliers in every statement and every situation. But if someone has a consistent work ethic and good attitude they will be rewarded. The reward may look different but you can be successful in American society. It’s 2024, not 1964 - so stop being racist mstateglfr.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Call it ignorance or dumbassery, but I had to look up LPR. Quite interesting you don’t hear about this statistic on the news more..

So much could be said here. I know that a lot of people in this state (and country) are just sitting on their @$$ on a daily basis but 1 out of every 2? Wow. We’ve (I use we loosely) created a system that encourages people to not work or be contributing members of society. It’s amazing half the people in the state are surviving without having a job.

My opinion is that a lot of that is a cycle of poverty that includes poor/no parenting, poor/no academics and growing up with absolutely no idea that a world exists outside of what you grew up in. "They" see government benefits as "the good life" and have no idea what they could actually have, assuming they are not mentally or physically unwell. I think you nailed it with the term "surviving", but they see it as having it figured out. While frustrating to see this kind of thing, I also realize that what they see as a decent life, I would consider the worst luck of my life. I don't know what fixes that.

 

[mstateglfr]

I'm afraid I'm coming around from the "Mississippi can be great" camp and into the "We get what we deserve" camp. I regularly sit in meetings where companies are pitching private equity. It's all marijuana and a little healthcare these days.

I'm just devastated at my children's attitude about our state - and it's not just mine. I have talked to exactly one friend whose child has not expressed a deep desire to get out of the state. I was really hoping the collective Six Pack would tell me that my children and their friends are the problem.

Hopefully they change their minds over the next few years as they learn and experience more.
With that said, 20 years ago my now wife and I talked about where to settle after she finished law school and we discussed Mississippi a bunch, especially E/NE MS since it had been such an influence and good experience for us. But as she was finishing law school, I looked and didnt see anything for work that was close to what I was making for the type of work I was doing. Between that and having a kid in tow, we dropped the discussion.

The lack of interest in young people staying is a tough reality to accept, and an even tougher reality to change.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Manufacturing sees a fair number of people who "interview" because apparently that is part of the process of keeping benefits coming in.

Yep. “Interview.”

 

[mstateglfr]

Couldn’t disagree more. Sure, there are outliers in every statement and every situation. But if someone has a consistent work ethic and good attitude they will be rewarded. The reward may look different but you can be successful in American society. It’s 2024, not 1964 - so stop being racist mstateglfr.

WT17? How am I being racist? I didnt say or even hint at anything racial. I even said 'socioeconomic status' which is not a race based statistic.
I was 100% referring to people who work hard but have limited education or dont have typical 'office social norms'. I know and work with many people in both those categories and they work hard but will never be as rewarded as others.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

WT17? How am I being racist? I didnt say or even hint at anything racial. I even said 'socioeconomic status' which is not a race based statistic.
I was 100% referring to people who work hard but have limited education or dont have typical 'office social norms'. I know and work with many people in both those categories and they work hard but will never be as rewarded as others.

Do not suggest to all of the boot-strap, self-made Americans that the American Dream may look different for different people. There's no way you can work hard and not make it.***

 

[patdog]

That will destroy what economy Mississippi has. It won't matter about having a Top Golf.

Does anyone but me hate the fact Top Golf is coming to Ridgeland? That thing is going to be a damn eyesore and will attract people you really don't want to be attracting to that area.

 

[Maroon13]

When people spend all their Employee Retention Credit money and Covid sick leave money, people will go back to work.

Estimates are $225 billion in Treasury funds went out for ERC and over half is fraudulent claims.

There is a lot of GOV money floating around out there from fraud.

 

[Anon1697564126]

or disability. that's the more abused one.

I know who is on 100% disability but raced motocross for years. the most strenuous sport in the world according to a test they did in the 2000s. As a kid he and a buddy were huffing gasoline in the storeroom next to the gas water heater. The gasoline fumes got to the pilot flame and boom, their dumb asses were on fire.

 

[Shmuley]

Raise your hand if you know someone who lives in MS and is capable of working but has tricked the state into giving them unemployment benefits *raises hand*

Hell, raise your hand if you are (closely or distantly) related to one of these MFers.

[/raises two hands].

 

[retire the banner]

WT17? How am I being racist? I didnt say or even hint at anything racial. I even said 'socioeconomic status' which is not a race based statistic.
I was 100% referring to people who work hard but have limited education or dont have typical 'office social norms'. I know and work with many people in both those categories and they work hard but will never be as rewarded as others.

Oh so your issue is making sure everyone is rewarded equally. The mythical utopia! Good luck with that, this is a broken world.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

The COVID answer is the one that people who don’t have a good reason not to work cite to make it seem like they’re being reasonable in their laziness

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

Basically half the able bodied people eligible to work in Mississippi aren't working. This is a really bad sign. In the 90s, the LPR was close to 68%. The national average is 62.5 percent, so we are nearly 10 points behind. The top three reasons for Mississippians not being in the labor force:

1. Increased dependent care needs
2. Fear of getting COVID
3. Higher Unemployment Benefits*

I can have some sympathy for childcare needs. Don't get me started on fear of COVID in 2024, but the third one is interesting. Mississippi has the LOWEST unemployment benefits in the nation at $255/week max. It's not taxed, so it's roughly equal to a minimum wage job where you get 40 hours per week. This tells me that the jobs in Mississippi are generally crappy jobs that pay very little. No wonder people are leaving our state after graduation. Where are they going to work?

I haven't seen the data, but someone told me that 70% of MSU Engineering grads leave Mississippi because there aren't jobs available for them. We are educating the workforce of Huntsville, Houston and other high tech cities.

The good news is that the unemployment rate is 2.8%, which means practically everyone that wants a job has a job.

I could get 10 people hired, today by 5 pm for 16/hr at a minimum, full time plus overtime pay. Seriously. There are tons of jobs out there right now.

 

[Awwhellnaw]

My opinion is that a lot of that is a cycle of poverty that includes poor/no parenting, poor/no academics and growing up with absolutely no idea that a world exists outside of what you grew up in. "They" see government benefits as "the good life" and have no idea what they could actually have, assuming they are not mentally or physically unwell. I think you nailed it with the term "surviving", but they see it as having it figured out. While frustrating to see this kind of thing, I also realize that what they see as a decent life, I would consider the worst luck of my life. I don't know what fixes that.

I agree with all of this. They are probably more content with their current lifestyle (surviving on handouts) than I’ll ever be with mine. The only fix is to stop pumping out said handouts but we know that’s not going to happen. It’s just aggravating that the working people are the ones flipping the bill. But what can you do? Only answer I can come up with is either laugh or cry..

 

[WGWFA]

People are still afraid of COVID? Yikes

Read between the lines. People either want the handout, automatic $18+ to start and are lazy as ****.

 

[retire the banner]

Read between the lines. People either want the handout, automatic $18+ to start and are lazy as ****.

Yeah and according to some on here, it’s a good move to sit at home and collect from the government because working is hard.

 

[615dawg]

Does anyone but me hate the fact Top Golf is coming to Ridgeland? That thing is going to be a damn eyesore and will attract people you really don't want to be attracting to that area.

I'm with you. Top Golf works in a downtown entertainment district, not in a place like that.

I mentioned it because it personally burns me up that our state official accounts touted it as economic growth.

 

[mstateglfr]

Oh so your issue is making sure everyone is rewarded equally. The mythical utopia! Good luck with that, this is a broken world.

I dont have an issue and this is not about some utopia where everyone is equally rewarded. I just disagree with your claim that if you show up and work hard, you are always rewarded.
Sometimes your hard work is claimed by a boss. Sometimes your hard work goes unnoticed. Sometimes your hard work is appreciated but rewarded in a lesser way than you expect.

You made the fantastical claim- dont be upset when someone tells you it is a fantasy.

 

[Dawg1976]

I don't visit my in-laws because I'm afraid of getting COVID.

The same is true for trips to Target with my wife.

A lot of COVID in the local Target and the area where my in-laws live.

Hell....I wear gloves when getting mail from the mailbox.** I actually know someone that has been doing this pre-covid. And he's younger than me.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I'm with you. Top Golf works in a downtown entertainment district, not in a place like that.

I mentioned it because it personally burns me up that our state official accounts touted it as economic growth.

Mississippi constantly thinks its too small projects are so big.

And I often do this when I see what the econ folks are doing…

 

[T-TownDawgg]

I dont have an issue and this is not about some utopia where everyone is equally rewarded. I just disagree with your claim that if you show up and work hard, you are always rewarded.
Sometimes your hard work is claimed by a boss. Sometimes your hard work goes unnoticed. Sometimes your hard work is appreciated but rewarded in a lesser way than you expect.

You made the fantastical claim- dont be upset when someone tells you it is a fantasy.

Sometimes you just don’t want to do a little searching because you’re lazy or you know you won’t be able to hack it outside of your little comfort bubble.

I don’t know what world you live in, but if you have skills, reputation, and experience and you’re not being rewarded, you must lack self-marketing/searching skills because everyone I know that has the tools that feels they’re not being rewarded are being actively courted by MULTIPLE offers the moment they put feelers out.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

People are still afraid of COVID? Yikes

I occasionally see people with mask on here in Austin. It's usually whenever I go to a medical office.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I agree with all of this. They are probably more content with their current lifestyle (surviving on handouts) than I’ll ever be with mine. The only fix is to stop pumping out said handouts but we know that’s not going to happen. It’s just aggravating that the working people are the ones flipping the bill. But what can you do? Only answer I can come up with is either laugh or cry..

It's a complex issue. I'm 100% on board with some of my money going to help those who simply cannot provide for themselves because I think that as a society, caring for others matters. That thought is competing with the feeling of suck that comes with knowing some people "cheat the system". I don't have any easy answers to such a complex issue, nor do any of our politicians...