I recall one profiled in the Seattle Times a few years ago. He was working as a Walmart greeter into his 90s. He said he didn't need the money, but the job got him up, out of the house, and socializing with people.

If the greeter didn’t show up for work one day I feel comfortable saying it wouldn’t matter at all, it’s not the same as when the cooks at McDonald’s don’t show. It is nice to have them welcome you though.

That is not the kind of jobs we’re talking about though. People who don’t need to work are not who’s being discussed.

Since we’re using anecdotes instead of data I’ll add some. More than one retiree in my family left the workforce because of Covid because they were afraid of contracting it. I don’t know if they’ll go back to work, but they’re not in the labor pool regardless.

> People who don’t need to work are not who’s being discussed.

That's exactly the topic of the person I replied to.

No, I don’t have numbers, I just know several people. Not wealthy by any means. People on pensions, etc.

And sure, some people works those jobs since they can’t find anything else. Not sure what you’re getting at. Would you prefer those jobs just didn’t exist?

> Would you prefer those jobs just didn’t exist?

They don't exist in my country and people don't seem sadder for it.

Some simple jobs exist so mentally challenged people can find pride and purpose in their lives because they are doing useful work, rather than sitting around being pitied.

Again, says who?

Do the mentally challenged universally care about pride in their work and purpose? Isn’t a pointless job still pitiful?

Some people are excluded from being paid the minimum wage and in some cases are exploited. That’s likely not in many or most cases, but my point is that I doubt the jobs were created with the mentally challenged in mind.

> Again, says who?

I personally know some. I've seen some profiled in the newspaper. I know of programs that match them with jobs.

> Do the mentally challenged universally care about pride in their work and purpose?

Universally? There are always exceptions. But plenty do, just like with everybody else.

> I doubt the jobs were created with the mentally challenged in mind.

I've seen them, for example, working as ticket takers in movie theaters. Nothing wrong with that, and it's a job that still needs doing.

What jobs don’t exist? Low wage jobs? Jobs that you can’t support a family with?

I call BS.

Anecdata: I'm a number that supports that, I couldn't live with myself if I wasn't able to do meaningful work. You sound like a cohort of friends I have who run around with "eat the rich" feel-good campaigns and can't be bothered to have dinner with their families; that was presumptuous but I feel like the world would be much happier with more people finding meaningful work (understanding of course that "meaningful" is different for everyone and it's rare that you find a perfect fit at your first/second job) and fewer people asking for the world to change in ways that stroke their ego. Life is an adventure, and an adventure where you never get hurt or face challenges isn't much of a life now is it?

"Eat the rich" is a stupid slogan, I still don't understand how a Walmart greeter is a meaningful job considering it almost only exists in the US.