Where are the laid off feds supposed to work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since no one seems to be offering real solutions, I'm going to ask again in the hopes that someone will: what sorts of jobs are professional, college-educated, white collar workers who have been 'reduced' from the federal government supposed to do? If a person is currently making 125,000 per year, taking a payout to 100,000 might be doable, but no one is going to waste their time making 30,000 per year at McDonalds. That won't even pay for child care. The question is: are there currently enough white collar jobs empty in the country to accommodate these people? And, if not, how does it benefit the country to have a large number of these individuals unemployed?

You find a job that pays you what the market seems you to be worth. If you cannot secure a similarly salaried job then you have a problem.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

The most telling aspect of this whole mess is that the administration has not offered any plans for federal works. If they truly cared about the US and its people, they might still want to reduce the size of the federal government but then also offer incentives to the private sector to bring on those workers, offer incentives to start small businesses, create a platform to link unemployed workers with appropriate private sector jobs, etc. Instead, it seems the goal is to turn the US into South Africa, where a large, disempowered poor and minority population serves a tiny, wealthy population. Huh, I wonder who came up with that idea?

[Anonymous]

It seems likely that tariffs + layoffs + spending cuts will drive 20% unemployment and a long 10% contraction, otherwise known as a depression. Fed workers are just the start. Trump and the technofascists will be guillotined if that happens. We will probably need a new constitution. Might be helpful if we can get through the pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

The most telling aspect of this whole mess is that the administration has not offered any plans for federal works. If they truly cared about the US and its people, they might still want to reduce the size of the federal government but then also offer incentives to the private sector to bring on those workers, offer incentives to start small businesses, create a platform to link unemployed workers with appropriate private sector jobs, etc. Instead, it seems the goal is to turn the US into South Africa, where a large, disempowered poor and minority population serves a tiny, wealthy population. Huh, I wonder who came up with that idea?

They won’t do that because this is personal to them, not business. It’s not about cost-cutting they just really hate rank-and-file Feds and want to punish them.

[Anonymous]

There are lots of jobs out there. Hiring has been difficult since COVID. Reallocating these feds to the private sector will happen organically, is already happening. I don’t expect significant problems.

If I was a fed I would have been looking since November 6. It isn’t as if this was a secret plan or anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

The most telling aspect of this whole mess is that the administration has not offered any plans for federal works. If they truly cared about the US and its people, they might still want to reduce the size of the federal government but then also offer incentives to the private sector to bring on those workers, offer incentives to start small businesses, create a platform to link unemployed workers with appropriate private sector jobs, etc. Instead, it seems the goal is to turn the US into South Africa, where a large, disempowered poor and minority population serves a tiny, wealthy population. Huh, I wonder who came up with that idea?

They won’t do that because this is personal to them, not business. It’s not about cost-cutting they just really hate rank-and-file Feds and want to punish them.

This. If Fox News shows pictures of former Fed families living in tents, MAGA will rejoice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

The most telling aspect of this whole mess is that the administration has not offered any plans for federal works. If they truly cared about the US and its people, they might still want to reduce the size of the federal government but then also offer incentives to the private sector to bring on those workers, offer incentives to start small businesses, create a platform to link unemployed workers with appropriate private sector jobs, etc. Instead, it seems the goal is to turn the US into South Africa, where a large, disempowered poor and minority population serves a tiny, wealthy population. Huh, I wonder who came up with that idea?

Check out Indeed. That’s where those looking for private sector jobs go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of jobs out there. Hiring has been difficult since COVID. Reallocating these feds to the private sector will happen organically, is already happening. I don’t expect significant problems.

If I was a fed I would have been looking since November 6. It isn’t as if this was a secret plan or anything.

This. I know a law office in Maryland that has a tough time getting lawyers as they compete with the government. He told me they have a tough time finding lawyers as they all want the government jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

Sue was probably already paid less than Bob when she worked as a fed and now she’s willing to take even lower pay to get employment. Now Bob has to accept a lower paying job. I bet he regrets talking about how Sue wasn’t worth the money she wanted now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since no one seems to be offering real solutions, I'm going to ask again in the hopes that someone will: what sorts of jobs are professional, college-educated, white collar workers who have been 'reduced' from the federal government supposed to do? If a person is currently making 125,000 per year, taking a payout to 100,000 might be doable, but no one is going to waste their time making 30,000 per year at McDonalds. That won't even pay for child care. The question is: are there currently enough white collar jobs empty in the country to accommodate these people? And, if not, how does it benefit the country to have a large number of these individuals unemployed?

You find a job that pays you what the market seems you to be worth. If you cannot secure a similarly salaried job then you have a problem.

DP. Yes this is the micro level way of looking at things. But on a macro level a bunch of laid off white collared workers who cannot replace their salaries is going to trickle down. Suddenly the mid career person making 150k has to take a job making 100k, which pushes out the people who would have worked that 100k job so now they’re taking the 70k jobs and so on. Also the people who just had their HHI slashed are canceling their house cleaners and home renos and lawn care and vacations.

Also not to mention private sector people will now be competing with all the feds for jobs. There are hundreds of applicants for 1 position. What happens to the private sector people who get bumped out of jobs by laid off feds?

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Regardless of how you feel, a bunch of laid of feds is society’s problem too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

The most telling aspect of this whole mess is that the administration has not offered any plans for federal works. If they truly cared about the US and its people, they might still want to reduce the size of the federal government but then also offer incentives to the private sector to bring on those workers, offer incentives to start small businesses, create a platform to link unemployed workers with appropriate private sector jobs, etc. Instead, it seems the goal is to turn the US into South Africa, where a large, disempowered poor and minority population serves a tiny, wealthy population. Huh, I wonder who came up with that idea?

They won’t do that because this is personal to them, not business. It’s not about cost-cutting they just really hate rank-and-file Feds and want to punish them.

This. If Fox News shows pictures of former Fed families living in tents, MAGA will rejoice.

This is exactly why I will never truly live in peace with these people even once Trump is gone. I now know how they feel and how much they’d revel in my family’s suffering. I can’t just chalk that up to an agree to disagree situation.

Everything could magically snap back to normal tomorrow and I would still know the hate in their MAGA hearts. I am cutting out friends and family who seem gleeful of people like me losing their jobs. I will only live in blue cities and associate with liberals and I know many others who feel similarly. A good chunk of the country is just dead to many of us. There will be two Americas however this turns out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this seems to be the point— high unemployment, which leads to desperation and disempowered workers. Everyone will suffer if a market is flooded with similarly credentialed people. Why should a private company keep Bob if they can hire Sue, who lost her Fed job and will take a huge pay cut to secure work? It’s bad for all of us. It’s no coincidence they’re attacking the largest employer in the country. This is meant to destabilize our society.

I don’t have easy answers. I suspect many people will end up in state government. Many might leave the country; there are countries that recruit highly skilled, young workers. I lived in a country with tremendous brain drain, and I wonder if we’re heading down that path.

Sue was probably already paid less than Bob when she worked as a fed and now she’s willing to take even lower pay to get employment. Now Bob has to accept a lower paying job. I bet he regrets talking about how Sue wasn’t worth the money she wanted now.

I agree. I think the ripple effects are going to be tremendous but will take awhile for them spread. We’re just at the beginning now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since no one seems to be offering real solutions, I'm going to ask again in the hopes that someone will: what sorts of jobs are professional, college-educated, white collar workers who have been 'reduced' from the federal government supposed to do? If a person is currently making 125,000 per year, taking a payout to 100,000 might be doable, but no one is going to waste their time making 30,000 per year at McDonalds. That won't even pay for child care. The question is: are there currently enough white collar jobs empty in the country to accommodate these people? And, if not, how does it benefit the country to have a large number of these individuals unemployed?

You find a job that pays you what the market seems you to be worth. If you cannot secure a similarly salaried job then you have a problem.

DP. Yes this is the micro level way of looking at things. But on a macro level a bunch of laid off white collared workers who cannot replace their salaries is going to trickle down. Suddenly the mid career person making 150k has to take a job making 100k, which pushes out the people who would have worked that 100k job so now they’re taking the 70k jobs and so on. Also the people who just had their HHI slashed are canceling their house cleaners and home renos and lawn care and vacations.

Also not to mention private sector people will now be competing with all the feds for jobs. There are hundreds of applicants for 1 position. What happens to the private sector people who get bumped out of jobs by laid off feds?

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Regardless of how you feel, a bunch of laid of feds is society’s problem too.

I don’t get why people don’t get this. It’s obvious. Nothing is in a vacuum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since no one seems to be offering real solutions, I'm going to ask again in the hopes that someone will: what sorts of jobs are professional, college-educated, white collar workers who have been 'reduced' from the federal government supposed to do? If a person is currently making 125,000 per year, taking a payout to 100,000 might be doable, but no one is going to waste their time making 30,000 per year at McDonalds. That won't even pay for child care. The question is: are there currently enough white collar jobs empty in the country to accommodate these people? And, if not, how does it benefit the country to have a large number of these individuals unemployed?

You find a job that pays you what the market seems you to be worth. If you cannot secure a similarly salaried job then you have a problem.

DP. Yes this is the micro level way of looking at things. But on a macro level a bunch of laid off white collared workers who cannot replace their salaries is going to trickle down. Suddenly the mid career person making 150k has to take a job making 100k, which pushes out the people who would have worked that 100k job so now they’re taking the 70k jobs and so on. Also the people who just had their HHI slashed are canceling their house cleaners and home renos and lawn care and vacations.

Also not to mention private sector people will now be competing with all the feds for jobs. There are hundreds of applicants for 1 position. What happens to the private sector people who get bumped out of jobs by laid off feds?

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Regardless of how you feel, a bunch of laid of feds is society’s problem too.

I don’t get why people don’t get this. It’s obvious. Nothing is in a vacuum.

Tech had hundreds of thousands of employees laid off following COVID and the economy didn’t collapse. I think a lot of people find the obvious entitlement of federal workers in this thread to be off putting. That’s a generalization but reading some of the comments in this thread make it very challenging for me to empathize with some of these individuals.