Menial jobs that no one wants to do?

Question

Let's be real. In the US, the AVERAGE American is not going to do low-wage janitorial, agricultural or domestic work. When the bills are due and you have no other options, facing hard times we'll temporarily take whatever work we can get. In the past, I have too, but all the while l wanted out and to get a better job. I went to college and so did many of you. Those that don't usually have a trade or skill to get them their "ideal" job. Nothing wrong with any of this. It's the American Dream.

My question is, WHO do we REALLY expect to work in the so-called menial, agricultural, domestic positions?
Americans are hard-working people. We want to feed our families, but face it, it's hard to fill these positions and they don't pay a lot. The CEO of a company makes $100,000/yr while the janitor makes $18,000.

We could pay the janitor more, but then there's inflation and downsizing.

Serious answers and ideas, thanks.

Sure. In past decades we had seasonal guest workers that came and did much of the agricultural work. Poor, uneducated whites, and of course many blacks did lower-skilled, labor and domestic work. Immigrants have by and large replaced many of these workers in past times because our society has changed. The composition of the workforce in 1927 and 2007 has drastically changed.

So, more ideas and maybe an actual answer.

Im not here to put anyone down. And in my personal opinion, I don't consider construction nor factory work menial. Lots of construction workers and factory workers make WAY more folks with a so called degree I know my cousin does. It's hard work, of course, but they pay well.

Ok, this is my last detail. Maybe the quesiton was ambiguous. Construction, Sanitation, factory work, can range from minum wage to $20+ an hour depending on where you are. working at Wal-mart (consider the turnover rate), does not fall in the same line.

Shutting down companies that hire illegals doesn't seem like a rational option.

Maybe it is just a tough problem with a tough answer that no one likes.

Thank you all for your answers, opinions, and ideas.

Answer 1

Your point is a good one. There certainly are SOME US-born Americans who are willing to do those jobs. However, the vast majority of US-born Americans can and do find better jobs - better paying, less physically strenuous, more pleasant, or all of the above. The fact that we have more illegal immigrants than unemployed people in the United States clearly means that either certain sectors of the economy will shrink, or we have to have immigrants come in and work. Using illegal immigrants is the solution right now, but it has a variety of negative consequences that an increased level of legal immigration would not have.

A lot of people say that we should get the same people to do these jobs as we got before illegal immigration took off. The problem with that is that in the last few decades, the educational level of young Americans has risen dramatically. We could make janitors of people with college degrees by paying them a lot of money. A lot of these people don't really use any specific skills they learned in college anyways. The problem is that some businesses would not be able to compete internationally if their low-end labor costs went up. This would result in job losses for high end labor.

So, the only truly viable solution is to increase the number of legal immigrants allowed per year.

Answer 2

Anytime a country wants to support additional immigration, legal or illegal they through out the old item, that there is no one in the country who will fill those jobs.
To me that is just BS. Sure the immigrants are going to fill those jobs, because they are the only ones who will work for a wage that the US citizen considers less than a living wage, and who is getting paid under the table or off the books. If the employer paid the citizen off the books, and some probably do, then maybe the citizen could afford to work for less.
The employer is the one who supports this system, because he will do what it takes to make his product cheaper. You can not tell me that if you paid a brick layer a living wage that you would not find more than enough people willing to lay brick. But if you can pay an illegal $5.00 an hour to do it and that allows you to undercut the competition then you are probably going to do it and say that you couldn't find citizens who would do the work so you had to hire an illegal.
It hasn't been that long ago when all those jobs were filled by legals, now today you can't find one doing it.
My question is where do you go from here. Who is going to come in next to do those jobs when the current workers are considered too expensive?

Answer 3

But if you didn’t have the options of low paying jobs, how would you have put yourself through college, on the back of the tax payer? There are a lot of jobs that nobody really wants to do, but they are there and Americans do, do them. So what do you tell the person who is on hard times, or trying to work their way through college? Sorry, but the illegal aliens have taken all the work so you can’t have a job? Let not forget that once the illegal aliens have the “right” to work here, it won’t be long before they are after your job, after all they have the “right” to work, and if they have the education and are willing to work for less why not let them? Then what do you do? Take less and less money for the job? Soon your job will pay less them minimum wage and you’ll be out on the street begging food from the government. If you don’t think so look at the construction industry or landscaping and then tell me they don’t take jobs from Americans or are only taking job we won’t do.

What to do? FIRST secure the boarder, and once that is done then a guest worker program, six months here, and six months home, no children, no spouses, unless they are working. And no children under the age of 16 can receive a work permit.

Then if an employer hires illegal aliens, they get a fine equal to 100X state or federal minimum wage (which ever is greater) for each man hour worked. That fine would be leaved on the company, the president of the company, and the CEO. Total fine would be 300X state or federal minimum wage.

That would go a long way in solving our problems.

Answer 4

The low wages for these jobs has been caused by the existence of illegal workers who will do the work and cannot legally negotiate for a competitive wage.

If there had been no illegals for the last 30 years keeping the wages down, Americans would want to do these jobs, just like they do other jobs that are not enjoyable but pay well.

Answer 5

Illegals work in all jobs. I work in a factory where there were illegals who made the same wage I did. Not now as ICE held a raid and they are gone and the temp agency that hire them was fined and warned the next time they would be out of business. Those positions would pay more when the illegals are gone and not being paid under the table. Then legal people would do the jobs. Nice try.

Answer 6

Believe it or not, those jobs are starting to look pretty damn good to people that can't get them anymore because of illegal workers. Even low wages are better than no wages, and not everyone is eligible to draw a check. It doesn't sound like you know many average Americans. We don't have to love the work to take pride in doing it and providing for our families.

Answer 7

Let's be real. In the US, the AVERAGE American is not going to do low-wage janitorial, agricultural or domestic work. Let's be real, Americans do these jobs always have always will.WHO do we REALLY expect to work in the so-called menial, agricultural, domestic positions, my answer is any employer who has to break the law to be in business is a business who desires not to be a fair lawful employer. They are breaking the law with the use of illegal workers to line their own pockets.No matter how nice it looks in print. A business any business that resorts to disobeying the law is going against that we America are a nation laws. Not just selective laws but all laws.

Answer 8

The way you all talk there the only 1s capable of doing all jobs>They did not have these jobs before so they won't have them in the future>They will be deported in time and they will be replaced will legals at a fair wage> The employers will have to give up some of the money they cheated having illegals working for them>>

Answer 9

Then who's going to do those jobs when the illegals don't feel like doing menial labor either? Are they somehow genetically predisposed to just want those jobs and nothing more? I mean if that's all they are wanted for then why bother with all the fighting about making sure they are educated? What are people going to do to earn a living when their "dream job" has been outsourced for cheap labor? What are those people going to do that can't afford to go to college? I went to college and watched what I went for, go from a good paying job to barely more than minimum wage. Not to mention there are people who are ok with menial labor and to now have illegals clammoring to do it for cheaper still, when as you said.....it's for low wages as it is.

We all can't be CEO's......and nothing is "beneath" me when I need to eat as well....(except drug dealing and prostitution and other illegal endeavors.) Not to mention the illegal invasion isn't just taking "menial" jobs. They are taking much wanted and needed jobs from American citizens. I was floored to see 3000 people from every age and ethnic group show up for 300 part time Wal-Mart jobs. Obviously we have plenty of our own who need them.

Answer 10

Excuse me, Princess!

1.) no job is below American pro's used this excuse to justify illegal aliens breaking the law.


2.) Companies that cant afford to pay American a fair wage and need to depend on illegal aliens workers to survive in business need to be shut down!!!