<p>Is a job at walmart really a job you’d want? For me, I’d go crazy if I have to repetitively say hi to people and move things across the laser thingy.</p>
<p>It’s not a big deal, but it’s a matter of circular poverty. So someone has no money and is on welfare, gets a job making almost nothing at Walmart, and is still on welfare. I’m NOT saying Walmart is doing nothing wrong, it’s just that the vast majority of people interested in jobs at Walmart are people who are going to be on federal means-tested benefits regardless.</p>
<p>ISUClub remember that the next time you go somewhere and a retail worker greets you and completes your shopping transaction for you. For many people it’s not about how glamorous the job is, it’s about the fact that they have to take whatever kind of job they can get and learn how to accept that as a part of their life.</p>
<p>"Is a job at walmart really a job you’d want? For me, I’d go crazy if I have to repetitively say hi to people and move things across the laser thingy. "</p>
<p>If a person really needs money – for instance to eat or to stay in college – they’d gratefully do a job like that. I worked as a cashier and as a file clerk summers when I was a Harvard student. I was grateful for the opportunity to earn money for college.</p>
<p>Anyway, those jobs are fairly pleasant. The jobs I’d have a hard time working would be things like being an agricultural worker or cleaning lady. I’d have done those things, though, if that was the only way that I could afford to have food, shelter or an education.</p>
<p>I’m just saying, I’d rather find work as a tutor, paperboy, or a bus driver. In fact, I Am doing these things. I wouldn’t say that any of these jobs are more luxurious than a job at wal mart. I don’t find it degrading to work at wal mart. I just have a different set of preferences.</p>
<p>I’m a cashier at Whole Foods and it ain’t bad. I enjoy talking to people even if a few are jerks. It’s much better for me than having to teach someone something (tutor), get up at or before the crack of dawn (paperboy, although around here they just drive in vans), or deal with some of the users of public transportation (bus driver).</p>
<p>“it’s just that the vast majority of people interested in jobs at Walmart are people who are going to be on federal means-tested benefits regardless.”
Once again, wal mart seeks out these people and consciously gives them jobs over people who are not on some sort of public assistance. I highly doubt that the majority of people who apply to Wal mart are on welfare, because many people on welfare don’t feel the need to get a job because they’re getting a check every month and probably living in gov subsidized housing (sec 8). People on welfare have little incentive to find a job unless they are forced to, so I doubt that a higher percentage of welfare recipients apply to wal mart than non welfare recipients. If they do, it is likely because they are referred by gov offices because they realize wal mart likes to hire welfare recipients. Look at the numbers and articles and criticisms of wal mart- they like to hire people on welfare, and will give them a job over someone who is not on welfare. It’s just how they operate. It’s legal, and it happens because of gov intervention. It’s wrong to construct a policy giving incentives to hire one group of people over another, sounds a lot like discrimination to me. I have a problem with every employer who does this, and especially the gov for supporting such practices. Wal mart just happens to do it more often than any other company. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were “Secret” memos telling managers to hire welfare recipients, I mean why else would they put a “tax survey” on an application? They can’t use that information to deny a person a job, so obviously it’s used to give someone a leg up on others. I think what the gov is doing is immoral and discriminatory, and I do not buy from wal mart or other companies that do such things. It’s hard to ignore the facts and the links between wal mart and tax credits. It’s not a coincidence that they hire so many welfare recipients.</p>
<p>I don’t know the cold hard stats on what kind of employees Walmart hires but yes tiff90 is correct. They do get federal tax credits for hiring people who’ve received state aid as well as ex-cons.</p>
<p>So, I’m just going to go out on a limb here…</p>
<p>Did that Walmart not need anymore employees? Generally places like to hire only when they actually need people, not just whenever someone applies. </p>
<p>Just keep applying elsewhere, unless where you live really sucks (Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Gary come to mind) you’ll probably find something, somewhere, eventually. And if you don’t, well, soon you’ll have a college degree.</p>
<p>I agree with Qwerty.</p>
<p>When I asked for an application for Hyvee, I was told that there was a huge stack of applicants already. I didn’t even bother.</p>
<p>lol Gary</p>
<p>Also, look for stores/places that are opening soon in your area. They usually need new hires to deal with the initial rush of customers.</p>
<p>are you serious? Your blaming the economy about not being able to get a minimum wage job? Thats really sad lol</p>
<p>Go back to your fantasy world where everything is perfect please. People often use the economy as a cop-out but you cannot deny that the economy has had an effect on hiring in every industry from medicine to defense to accounting to burger flipping.</p>
<p>It makes perfect sense. People that can’t get the higher-up jobs are having to take non-salary positions, which means less availability for those without the same credentials.</p>
<p>it’s still a really lame excuse. It’s used way too much.</p>
<p>Not a lame excuse at all. Many stores are hurting, and if you take a moment to look at job listings it’s obvious. Around here, whatever few places are hiring can’t take on people for more than 15 hours a week! If that! It’s incredibly different from other years with job hunting where people my age were holding full-time retail jobs. And don’t even get started on pay. Used to I would always request pay of at least 25 cents above minimum wage. Now I would gladly accept minimum wage. Why? Because it’s a job that I would be damn lucky to get, and it really is THAT bad. Everyone is looking for these jobs and so many people are desperate.</p>
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<p>I think you have a very confused sense of what it’s like to be on welfare. First of all, many federal means-tested benefits REQUIRE that the recipient have a job. I understand that there are plenty of people who abuse the system, but they are in the minority. Section 8 housing has very long lines for waiting; it does not cover very many people on means-tested benefits.</p>
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<p>I’m not disputing this, but consider that there are plenty of other factors.</p>
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<p>Exactly. Everyone’s quick to blame Walmart - and trust me, Walmart is blame-able - but really, what if they were just full? Or if they needed someone with different schedule requirements?</p>
<p>Depending on where you live, most likely you are competing with people that will still be around when you are back at school. and yes, it is that bad out there. I went from managing a training department at a major bank to working in a call center (not a manager) for less than $10 an hour. Many white-collar workers that did the traditional thing and hold out for a job matching their skills are now out of unemployment benefits and are scrambling to get work anywhere. The economy is improving but it is slowly making its way into the job front. So today’s college genius is sometimes competing with the college star from 20 years ago (who has experience).</p>
<p>I couldn’t find a summer job - no one wants to train a kid for only a few months’ work :s.</p>
<p>If you cant find a job, go to craigslist or look in the newspaper. Finding a job should be extremely easy if your not lazy and not a total idiot. Its pretty sad if you can’t find a job. If you put in the work to finding one, you will def find one imo. And for the economy. Yes the economy sucks but this is a reason why students should focus more on school and less on partying bc the job market is tight right now and only the best will receive jobs.</p>