Surprise: paying people to stay home works

Written by Michele Hickford, Editor-in-Chief on November 10, 2013

As the workforce participation rate continues to decline, there’s more evidence that more and more people leaving gainful employment really have no interest in coming back. In a story by Ben Casselman on WSJ.com,

Some 34.8% of Americans over age 16 say they don’t want a job, up from about 30% two decades ago, according to the Labor Department.

Casselman goes on to say it isn’t clear what’s behind the drop, but:

The drop is most pronounced among young people, women and the less educated.

Well, let’s just think about this for a minute…

• Unemployment benefits now stretch from 40 weeks to more than a year, depending on your state
• The number of Americans claiming Social Security Disability has skyrocketed, as relaxed screening of applicants gives more weight to claimants with low-mortality disorders such as a primary impairment of mental illness or musculoskeletal disorders (primarily back pain) Food Stamp recipients have increased 49% just since Obama took office.
• Medicaid enrollment is skyrocketing. According to Newsmax:

No figures are available for Medicaid expansion in the 36 states where people are being enrolled through the troubled federal HealthCare.gov website. But in states which have set up their own exchanges under Obamacare, Medicaid enrollment is booming.

In Kentucky, for example, 82 percent, or 21,342, of those enrolling in new insurance plans under Obamacare are signing up for Medicaid, the Journal reported. In Washington, it’s 87 percent of 35,528; and in New York, 64 percent of some 37,000.

In the spirit of Milton Friedman, “if you pay people not to work, you’ll get a lot of people signing up for that job.” It’s getting easier for the progressive socialists to take over this nation. Simply pay people with other people’s money to stay home and not give a damn.

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Not Obamas Son

It’s sad I have to support my family plus other families I’ve never met were is our pride anymore I served my country and it’s getting sad I’m considering Canada least they pay well for our skilled work we learned
okseabat

This logic is directly related to what this administration is doing to accelerate his redistribution fantasy driven by his progressive socialist agenda. Most people are inherently lazy and will accept payment for doing nothing. Those with good jobs and salaries or owning their own businesses are the go getters that will have to pay. All those that are twisting or otherwise interpreting laws to allow this kind of activity to survive should be prosecuted and jailed. This country survived almost two hundred years before the socialist gained enough power to reduce us to a third world country. Without personal management and the people’s desire to be free we are well on our way to destruction. I just hope we are not pushed over that preverbal cliff that the democrats talk about by socialist rhetoric and economic stupidity.
DAN HARTLEY

PROBLEMS FROM HEALTH CARE, IMMIGRATION, TAXATION, ETC …. ARE DIME A DOZEN …. WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS IS LEADER SHIP IN WHAT WOULD SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS …. LIKE FAIR TAX FOR TAXES …. IMMIGRATION .. GIVE THEM 12 MONTHS TO SIGN UP … AFTER THAT ANY ONE CAUGHT IS ILLEGAL AND SENT BACK , ARMY ALONG THE BORDER, NO ONE GETS IN , AND THOSE IN JAIL SHIPPED BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY …. HEALTH CARE … GRANTS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL … NURSE , DOCTOR, SPECIALIST, CREATE MORE DOCTORS … LIMIT LAW SUITS …. ETC …. THIS IS JUST A FEW ANSWERS .. TIRED OF HEARING THE PROBLEM … GIVE ME SOLUTIONS ….
YOU ARE TAKING A BOLD STAND AGAINST AN UNGODLY GROUP OF PEOPLE KEEP IT UP …. BUT LET’S TURN TOWARD SOLUTION …. CALL ME 251-599-5264
DAN HARTLEY
http://kcender.com/ Kcender

I really don’t know too many 16 year olds that do want a job. Based off the broad stroke of the brush so to speak they say 34% don’t want a job. Based off the labor force stats. 16 year olds are the future labor force not the current. So these stats make for a great story when used in this fashion to support the author’s own opinion. Not facts I wish to base a judgement of our society on.

Especially when jobs and education are the issues. We need more job opportunities and training and education that matches today’s needs of employers. It is sad that a country that spends what we do on education. Actually has unfilled jobs that require high quality educations and our job applicants do not have the education needed for these jobs.

THATS THE REAL PROBLEM!!! Not Lazy Americans. You keep falling for the divide and conquer tactics of the progressives when you gripe about such without pointing out the real problems.
- Pase’ Doble
  
  I started working sweeping parking lots at age 12. My pay was 50 cents an hour plus free pool privileges. I wanted to use the pool but it was $1/day. My Mum couldn’t afford it, maybe she could, but the point she was making was while in her house if I WANT something, not NEED something, work for it. I grew up in the recession of the 70’s, working is not a bad habit too get into. You aren’t gonna make a million right out of the gate, college educated, trades or white collar. We’ve got people with BA’s, BS’s that aren’t worth the paper their printed on and have NO skills other than going to school. What’s wrong with picking up a rake or a hammer? I’ve been to college, done trades or service my whole life, earned a Vet Assist cert and do volunteer work. Since those heady days of parking lot sweeping, I’ve been unemployed less than 3 months.
  - http://kcender.com/ Kcender
    
    Look around at who is cutting the grass and cutting yards or doing any of that work that trained our youth how to work. Who is doing those jobs in your neighborhood? Odds are not some local industrious youth but a grown man working for some commercial lawn service, most likely minority owned. See if you can have a conversation with one of them. The same thing for most entry level construction jobs and so on and so on. You and I grew up in a different time. In today’s world the 21st century America you compete with immigrant labor, legal and illegal for those jobs we cut our teeth on as we moved up the JOB/Career ladders that were available to us. Fast food joints are the same way. Our education system is not geared toward training for trades jobs of today, they teach how to be a good drone and follow orders well, like fill out this form to get your freebies.
  - Pase’ Doble
    
    Well, it might be a regional thing for me. I don’t see a lot of minority owners, I do see a lot of floor refinishers that are minority owned, all the painters, carpenters, framers, siders, masons, etc… are mostly in their early 30’s and up. Almost every single 20 something is walking around with their face plastered to their phones. I think we agree in a round about way. There are jobs out there but ya gotta WANT to work. Plenty of kids around my block ask to collect your bottles, rake, etc.. just not enough. And ya know whos gonna make it? the kids that do that type of thing and classes and sports and volunteer, etc.. Fast food has it’s place but it’s probably not the place for all. I didn’t do the things I did 1 at a time, I always worked and did these other things even while at college. I also don’t want any credit for it, my Mum raised me that way.
a taxpayer

right, while us working people have to pay higher and higher taxes. we cannot afford certain things, especially if Medicare is your primary insurance and you need home healthcare for your spouse.
Peter Poulidakis

How boring no feeling of accomplishment in that!
Kenny Dupre

Obama knows that by killing the American Dream he kills America.
Wentra

OK. So, how are these people surviving? My husband is out of work and his unemployment payments are very paltry. Fortunately, I have a job. You have to have kids to get welfare and that is for only two years at a time. I understand that anyone can get food stamps and housing assistance if they qualify. But, there are other living expenses. Its hard to believe that people who are not working are living very well unless they are committing massive fraud or selling drugs or some such other illegal activities.
Michael Rhodes Autry

The papers are full of jobs in nursing & truck driving… I have a 38% partial / permanent disability in my ankle, a wife with 4 chronic illnesses, and a teen daughter with 2 chronic illnesses. We all work… no choice but to become a ward of some creepy socialist state… we will just choose to work sick, hurt, and in pain…without a bunch of drugs to numb the experience unless it is beyond tolerating. We will suck it up and have that American pioneer spirit… NOT BECAUSE WE ARE GOOD OR NOBLE…but because the alternative is deplorable.
Patrick Ronan

This is more scary than anything else. The promotion of laziness among our youth. Another voting block for the liberals.
disqus_zLY0jsDmax

My brother’s former coworker, an immigrant from the former USSR once remarked to him, “The government pretended to pay us and we pretended to work.” We are well on our way down that road. However, I have found that the most degrading and dehumanizing experience of life is to not be engaged in productive work. I believe it is a human trait to desire, above all else, to fulfill our God-given potential. To avoid or ignor it causes great pain and suffering. We need to educate people on this fact, that the welfare state is slow death, it a virus, it is a subtle form of racism and enslavement as you become more and more dependent. If we could minimize our income tax burdens on workers, if we could allow our citizens to keep the vast majority of the wealth they earn, enable new entrepreneurs easier access to business entry, and once again pay workers an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work, I believe we would see industriousness skyrocket. Rather than criticizing those on benefits, we need empower the education and business sectors to offer clear solutions such that the benefits of working outweigh the benefits of government dependency.
MotherBatherick

Seeing that potato head on the couch reminds me; when obama said everyone has to have skin in his game, is this what he meant???

The attitude use to be that if you weren’t working while looking for a better job, then you weren’t going anywhere and were dissed by everyone, including your own mother.
MotherBatherick

The potato: THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON OBAMA!
TheHarp

Welcome to the Democrat Plantation.
- MotherBatherick
  
  No surprise that they are calling the State Exchanges for obamacare “overseers”.
T.K.

This OBAMA Economy has created a need for EXTENDED Unemployment. I am aggressively looking for work for 7 months. Interview upon interview. I do not believe in Disability for healthy people. But we need extended unemployment during these times to keep heads above water. I am made to show my active work searches to get these benefits, too.
- MotherBatherick
  
  I must say that I agree…obama “owns” this economy and it’s time he man up to it. But he never will because Communists plow ahead and do anything for their cause. They are an evil walking amongst us and we will find a way to rid our Country of this evil. I am sorry you are struggling…been there myself and still struggling. Gets harder and harder but no matter what ever becomes of me, I am not going to give up and let obama take away my dignity or will to live. obama is hoping the money will run out and that there will be cuts made to unemployment benefits because it (in his sick mind) pushes us closer to being forced to eat the crumbs he will offer us in exchange to stay alive and do what he and his puppet master wants. They are sick psychos and we should never give in to sick pyschos. Never.
Caniac Steve Henderson

not surprised and rather shocked actually