Rejected Round-Up, Vol. I

I thought I’d share some of the many thumb-twittling “gee, isn’t it a shame” stories I’ve stumbled across over the past year (during which time the US is reported to be at “full employment”) in one consolidated post.

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Uber Angst: A Driver’s Nights Behind the Wheel

And there I was—master’s degree, 25 years as a journalist, Pulitzer nominee—wiping vomit off the car seat. The napkins were small and the liquid soaked through to my hands. That’s the kind of moment that makes you question your life decisions.

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In search of the missing office minority — the over-fifties

HR departments will soon laugh at the fuss they made over keeping spoilt millennials happy

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Unemployed, 55, and Faking Normal
You know her. She is in your friendship circle, hidden in plain sight. She is 55, broke and tired of trying to keep up appearances. Faking normal is wearing her out.

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Why America’s impressive 5% unemployment rate feels like a lie for so many

Employment statistics in particular have a habit of eclipsing the real story. As any worker will tell you, it is not the number of jobs that matters most, but what kind of jobs are available, what they pay, and how that pay measures against the cost of living. The 5% unemployment rate, other words, is hiding the devastating story of underemployment, wage loss, and precariousness that defines life for millions of Americans.

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Is the hot tech job market leaving its veterans behind?
Since being laid off in June from his $90,000-a-year tech support engineer job at Oracle Corp., Beaupre, 46, has applied for hundreds of positions, with no luck...He’s also not hopeful about finding another decent job in tech, and recently accepted a part-time position at Home Depot for $11 an hour.

I really love this observation from someone in the "comments" section who has the nerve to insinuate that, contrary to what Mark Fuckerberg believes, young people AREN'T smarter: 

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Keep this one in mind if/when the market crashes...

Wall Street is gripped by something called 'juniorization,' and it is freaking some people out

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Funny how "Downton Abbey" closed out its run with the "end of the service era in England" storyline, while in America the servant class is growing...wouldn't it be a tragedy if the rich millennial in this video had to fix his own bed every day?

"Hello Alfred" - A New Virtual Butler App

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Not a typo, folks, 35 is when you should start preparing to retire...

Age discrimination in the workplace starts as early as 35

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High Salaries Haunt Some Job Hunters
From the comments: This article demonstrates the fraud of the unemployment rate. Employers would not be able to successfully hire qualified applicants with low-ball offers if the labor market were tight. Employers realize it is a buyers market and rationally attempt to secure the required skill set at the lowest possible cost. Clearly this is evidence that the unemployment rate does not reflect the status of the labor market.

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To paraphrase the "massively old" woman in the video, If our average life expectancy reaches 100 years, and women in their 50s are not welcome in the workforce, just what the fuck are we going to do for the next 50 years?

Women over 50? Help not wanted
From the comments: Boy, how exciting for the American workforce - where you are over the hill at 35 and considered "old." Since most people don't get great jobs right out of college, you have about 10 years in the workforce and you are too old. Really is going to be amusing to see how the corporate world continues this trend in their favor.

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1,200+ comments on this one, lots of disturbing stories confirming what I already know...
Over 50, Female and Jobless Even as Others Return to Work

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While this story makes a feeble attempt to paint a nice picture of "road gypsies," I think it depicts a fucking miserable existence. It also proves this America is a crummy place to be simultaneously (1) single, (2) jobless, (3) old, and (4) female (note the 2nd and 3rd stories with married couples aren't as grim as the first one with the single woman)...

Too poor to retire and too young to die

While cleaning restrooms, the smell of urine stung her eyes. “I’ve got a master’s degree,” she reminded herself. “Good thing my old classmates can’t see me now.”