Comments about ‘Younger worker responds to older generation's disdain’

Dustin said, ""In 1960, the average new home would cost the equivalent of 2.39 times the average salary," he wrote. "Today the average home is 11.59 times the amount of the average salary. In 1960, you could buy a new car for less than half the average salary. These days the average vehicle costs more than a year's salary and will get you an equally average vehicle. "

Hmmm, let me think. Using his low numbers of $40,000 for a worker today that means the average home costs $463,600 and a new car costs more than $40,000. I think perhaps people need to scale back in what they buy and it wouldn't be so outrageous. It makes me wonder about his research.

MacMan,
I think he using per capita (individual) income, not household income. That makes the amount about 31000 per year. That means average house prices are about 359290 which looks right. There are plenty of vehicles over 31000 as well. Even with the 40000 number, it is not far off.

I'm sure I will get pummeled by the feminists for writing this. But a major factor in housing costs is the fact that so many women work outside the home, compared with the late 1950s/early 1960s. Women flood the labor market now, earning pay that can be counted as income for the purposes of calculating the amount of mortgage a family can afford. I lived in the San Francisco Bay in the mid 1970s when the housing boom started. A friend who was a real estate agent then said that the increasing numbers of women working outside the home were pushing up housing prices, and it was becoming a vicious cycle with more women working to afford the climbing prices.

Considereing that near 100% pf managment positions are occupied by the older generations I think a point should be made: When was the last time you said to yourself, " My boss works really hard" ?

What's new about this?

These "20 somethings" are the first American generation enjoying a lower standard of living than their parents.

Costs on everything have gone up, wages have gone down and jobs have disappeared. College has turned into the greatest scam of the century b/c when you graduate you find yourself competing for jobs with high-school dropouts, but you've got tens of thousands in student loans on your back.

The Baby Boomers mortgaged Generation Y's future to finance their entitlements and extravagant lifestyle, yet they wonder why we resent them.

My department is an excellent example of 20-somethings who want the promotions, the good raises, the bonuses and the good performance scores without actually putting forth the effort. Dress like a professional, sit down, shut up, do your work, put in an honest 40 and everything should take care of itself. Problem with our department is our management is not good, and they have caved in and given many what they have wanted without the effort.

A good way to deal with this issue is to have quality management, have them lay out the expectations of a professional and hold the 20-somethings to it. If they do not meet the expectations, they don't get good performance scores, raises, promotions, etc. If they want to cry and whine, let 'em quit and hire someone who wants to work hard. This situation becomes a problem when you have poor management who starts promoting people who do not have much ability, do not work hard, etc, simply because these 20-somethings demand it. You can promote the class clown, but the problem is others in your department know this person is the class clown and will lose repsect for management.