OK...WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 11% OF THE WORKFORCE IS "UNEMPLOYED"...IE "LOOKING FOR WORK"...
AND THAT ANOTHER 7% IS "DISCOURAGED" AND NOT LOOKING FOR WORK ANYMORE... OR ARE WORKING PART TIME BUT DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR FULL TIME WORK...
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER CATAGORY THAT IS BEING MISSED...!!
I CALL THEM.... THE "DESPERATELY SELF EMPLOYED"...!
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T "LOOKING FOR WORK"...AND AREN'T "WORKING" PART TIME...
BUT RATHER WHO HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE "JOB MARKET" ALTOGETHER...AND HAVE STARTED WORKING FOR THEMSELVES ON A VERY LOW LEVEL...
IF YOU CAN'T "FIND A JOB"...OR "WORK PART TIME"....AND YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST SIT ON YOUR ASS... WHAT DO YOU DO...?
YOU "START A BUSINESS"... IE...YOU HIRE YOURSELF...JUST LIKE YOUR WOULD-BE "BOSS" WOULD DO...
LONG TERM AND DESPERATELY UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE ... OFTEN "WORK FOR THEMSELVES"....
TRUE... FOR SOME THIS MEANS PROSTITUTION (THE OLDEST PROFESSION), OR DRUG DEALING OR PETTY CRIME...
BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF DESPERATELY UNEMPLOYED... IT MEANS CUTTING LAWNS, PAINTING HOUSES, SHOVELING SNOW...OR SELLING "STUFF" AT FLEA MARKETS OR ON-LINE...
THIS IS "SUBSISTENCE SELF-EMPLOYMENT..."
HOW MANY EBAY SELLERS ARE REALLY "DESPERATELY UNEMPLOYED"...THEY CAN'T FIND A REAL JOB...THEY AREN'T WORKING FOR WAGES...PART TIME OR OTHERWISE...BUT THEY ARE "MAKING MONEY". WHAT I CALL: THE "SUBSISTENCE SELF EMPLOYED"....
ARE THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING PEANUTS...AS SUBSISTENCE SELF EMPLOYED...COUNTED IN ANY OF THE STATISTICAL DATA...? I DON'T THINK SO...
MANY JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THEY WON'T FIND ANY WORK...PART TIME OR OTHERWISE...THEY AREN'T LOOKING FOR WORK...BUT THEY AREN'T REALLY "MAKING IT" IN THEIR "SUBSISTENCE BUSINESSES"...
MANY OF THESE "SUBSISTENCE BUSINESSES" CAN BECOME "REAL JOBS" EVENTUALLY FOR SOME PEOPLE...
AFTER ALL THAT IS WHAT A SELF EMPLOYED PERSON IS...THEY "MAKE THEIR OWN JOB"...THEY AREN'T HIRED BY ANYONE AS "WAGE SLAVES"...THEY HAVE NO "BOSS"...BUT OFTEN NO REAL INCOME.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE DESPERATELY SELF-EMPLOYED ARE JUST GETTING BY...
LIVING ON THE EDGE OF POVERTY...OR IN IT...
YOU SEE THIS A LOT IN THIRD WORLD ECONOMIES...THE STREET VENDORS...THE SIDEWALK SELLERS..
DO THESE GUYS WHO OFFER TO "WASH CAR WINDOWS" AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS...COUNT IN THE UNEMPLOYED DATA...
I DON'T THINK SO...
IF YOU COUNT THE "DESPERATELY SELF EMPLOYED" I THINK THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE US IS AT 20% +....!
