Some employers especially those in the suburbs are set in their ways and unwilling to budge when it comes to salary offered. For older persons, this could be deadly as well as for local economy.

These are the pet peeves of some of my customers who, at one time, had fast-paced, glamor-type jobs in media in the Big City and now that they have found themselves in the suburbs, older and on their own, they find themselves applying for and interviewing with employers not willing to hire them because they want “young kids” for eight dollars an hour. Important professionals like doctors notoriously under employ. They want and need accuracy and good workers to ensure that, but they won’t pay decent salaries by which one serving their business needs can support oneself—like pay the costs of living—a roof over one’s head, a car because you need a car in the ‘burbs—and, oh, God forbid—food!

One customer who is a medical office professional noted the hypocrisy. She said she constantly hears that they train young girls only to have them leave in four months. It shows that hiring managers and small business owners don’t always respect and value the workers. Then they complain, like one who whined that he “went through 40 girls this year.”

Where is the cost effectiveness, she wonders, even though she says she is not a financial whiz? She feels this tendency in employment practices reflects a general, all around lowered standard that doesn’t bode well for professionals and small businesses. More often than not, a younger person has ideals in mind for a different career out in the world and is transient at best, perhaps supporting themselves during high school or college. Of course there are exceptions and it’s certainly unfair to pigeon-hole people into rigid categories. However, in survival-type retail jobs, employees are often distracted by their own thoughts and where they are in their lives, underpowered by a low wage and bored. She/he may or may not always deliver the absolute premier customer service that makes or breaks a business. Most definitely, they’re out of there, first chance they get. Then the hiring cycle commences again and so does the training. And so on…

My older, displaced customer who is not receiving unemployment benefits but has sown a lifetime’s worth of business and life experience, is feeling alienated and left to scratch her head and ask, “Isn’t someone like me worth a few more dollars?”

Long-term unemployed remain as such because they are at a point in life where they are single, maybe divorced or never married, with little resources but a savings account, a large rent or mortgage, car payments and New York auto insurance payments and need to earn a minimum of $40—50,000 a year—just to sustain themselves. Because jobs were slowly evaporated under their feet, there is little left. Employers of small and large businesses want temp people or part time people at as little wage as possible for cost containment. Although doctors in private practice have been notorious for paying on the cheap, they probably figure help is plentiful especially now because people are desperate. They under employ in terms of hours because they don’t want to pay healthcare. They hire temporarily to get as much work done from office employees as possible with as little cash outlay as possible. I regret singling medical doctors in practice for themselves, as there are other small businesspersons who offer sub living wages even though they are in compliance with the legal “minimum wage,”—which is an insult when you consider the cost of living in America—but that’s another issue! And I sympathize with doctors who pay exorbitant malpractice insurance fees and everything else they must deal with. But my concern is always the “little guy.” They seem to be the most powerless and demoralized. It’s my job to try and give them a boost and empower them to negotiate wages, once offered a position.

These are among the most frustrating elements of job search and account for the portion of American workers known as the “under-employed” when they do receive and accept offers of employment.  How many times must I hear the lament, “I can’t take a job for less than $15./hour because I can’t pay my bills!” People want to work and have been accustomed to doing so all their adult lives. But many feel they cannot accept a wage of $8. or $10./per hour at only 20 hours a week. The math adds up and it’s not adequate although people realize after the unemployment insurance runs dry, they must eek out some kind of a living on ten-dollar-an-hour or less paying jobs. After all, some money is better than no money.

This Catch 22 fosters a feeling of being “stuck” and prolongs reliance upon unemployment insurance benefits and contributes to the economic problem of why so many people are out of work. It all leads to the frustration and desperation we see around us. Wall Street and big finance is supported…but what about the little guy and the small businessman/woman who are interdependent? Who will empower them to create jobs with living wages?

-By The Job Enthusiast, who won’t rest until everyone has a job!

Read more from The Job Enthusiast here.