Archie Bunker is losing his job, according to Reuters
The Archie Bunker, blue collar, non-college graduate working class family breadwinner has been hit the hardest by this recession. Already suffering with declining wages for the last few decades, these workers have had fewer jobs within which to work.
Men… incurred about 80 percent of the job losses in the 1990-91 recession, but Sum said by his calculations the numbers this time were dramatically different. In the 1990-91 recession, men lost 1.037 million jobs. They have lost 4.5 million to date in this one.
This is grim news for struggling blue collar families. While women’s role in the workforce has expanded, by some estimates the male remains the main breadwinner in about 75 percent of two-income U.S. households.
“When males lose their jobs … women become more important to family income, and those that have not been working will re-enter the labor market to sustain family income,” said Peter Doeringer, a Professor of Economics at Boston University.
Pundits are saying that capitalism is on its last legs, that our economy will be dramatically different after the fallout of the trillions of dollars of toxic bank assets are dealt with. What they need to add to their scenario is massive change in blue collar America, in the heart of the United States.
Solution? Educate. Get these workers into two year educational programs to teach them green jobs, a la Van Jones’ book:
America, as a strong manufacturing and productive economic powerhouse, needs to also factor in our carbon footprint.
We can educate these men, their families, high school students and college students so that they can work the green jobs we will need, to come out of this recession.
Seems like an excellent idea in theory. Any idea how it’s working so far?
Thanks to his son Morty, Paulsen is running for president this year from the grave sites. Franken and humorist Dave Barry have also gotten significant book-tour mileage in the past by declaring themselves Oval Office hopefuls.
I think it is safe to say capitalism is not on its last legs – it just moved East to make more profit. Archie Bunker jobs are exactly what have been off shored. Until American firms recognize they have some duty to their countrymen as well as their wallets poor Archie and his type will suffer more.