America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that to Gen Z

Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by rednerrus on Thursday January 05, 2023 @03:55PM (#34266410)

It is disheartening to see a recurring theme of individuals expressing frustration over their inability to afford a home or advance in society, yet also expressing reluctance to engage in activities that could potentially bring financial stability. Our predecessors sacrificed their physical well-being in order to construct and maintain the infrastructure and amenities that we now benefit from. In order to maintain a functioning society, it is necessary for individuals to contribute their skills and labor to the greater good. Whether it be through manual labor or desk work, every individual is essentially selling their time, effort, and health to their employer. While it may not be the most desirable circumstance, it is a necessary component of societal functioning.

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by gradys on Thursday January 05, 2023 @04:00PM (#34266498)

People not wanting to work is not the main reason we’re seeing more people find housing unaffordable. It’s the extreme rise in price of housing relative to income.

I make dramatically more than my parents did when they were buying their first house around my age, but as a fraction of my income and savings, housing costs vastly more.

(It’s also not clear that the skilled trades jobs Gen Z apparently doesn’t want actually pay more than the alternatives. See other comments on this post.)

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by rednerrus on Friday January 06, 2023 @03:16PM (#34280386)

Here are the most reliable numbers I could come up with:

1990(Q1) average home price $124,000

2020(Q1) average home price $329,000

1990 average interest rate 9%

2020 average interest rate 3%

1990 average monthly mortgage payment $998

2020 average monthly mortgage payment $1387

1990 Average Wage Index (AWI): $21,027.98

2020 Average Wage Index (AWI): $55,628.60

1990 average monthly mortgage as a percentage of AWI 4.7%

2020 average monthly mortgage as a percentage of AWI 2.5%

I'm stopping pre-covid as it doesn't seem like the real estate market has not had time to figure out the rapidly increasing interest/AWI rates.

All of the numbers are based on US numbers.

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by incone123 on Thursday January 05, 2023 @03:58PM (#34266447)

"every individual" ha ha hah ha

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by beyond_based on Thursday January 05, 2023 @03:58PM (#34266454)

I’m going to be deadass with you brother. We don’t have a functioning society, we have an immigration labor camp.

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by rednerrus on Thursday January 05, 2023 @05:55PM (#34268142)

I'm interested in what types of media you consume that's helped to shape your worldview. The idea that living in an industrialized nation in 2023 isn't living in a functional society, seems very foreign to me. Which nation and which time period would you choose to live in over an industrialized nation in 2023?

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Re:America needs carpenters and plumbers. Try telling that t... by bluejayello on Thursday January 05, 2023 @08:52PM (#34269929)

I'd choose stone-age Europe. Die as a tribal warlord or die trying, that's life actually worth living. Being a neutered and fake modern human being even with a lot of printer money is still nothing.

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