[Magdalen] Gap year (or more)

[Jim Guthrie]

Lynn writes:

>And one more thing that stats  almond do not reveal- what about those who never
>finish/graduate high school? I'll bet they are not included in the >percentages
>and they may well be the "face" of what many think are the marginally
>employees. The number of kids NOT graduating high school is staggering.

http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

Following the link I provided at the outset will disclose the number is 9%

Some may find the income disparities of interest as well.

M Michaud added:

>Yes they are --I gave the link because it's broken down further.

>That must be the explanation for all the barristas and cab drivers
>with Phds.

Doctorates are at 2.1%. How many Barristas does that leave?

Jim O brings up the point that he's not interested in unemployment numbers but
employment numbers. Not unreasonable, but unemployment numbers are based on
those actively looking for work. It may be that those barristas have simply
decided that's a better job than the field in which they did their dissertation.
What a waste.

I should add that the U.S. Channels kids as well as the countries offering free
tuition. SAT's anyone? Of course the moneyed crowd can afford the SAT Prep
classes, the summers in Europe, the Community Service" stuff, not to mention
avoiding after school and summer jobs to give their kids a leg up in the
process. And colleges eat that stuff up on applications as well. Elite are
self-perpetuating -- and the cost of higher education is a big part of that.
Easy access for them is just icing on the cake.

And Roger Stokes mentioned "Permanent Employment." That's mostly a thing of the
past in private employment in the United States. The sad phenomena I think is
how this is translating into hostility against Public Employees and Teachers and
others who had the same benefits and pensions as private sector employees
enjoyed back in the day. The drive to reduce or wipe out Public Sector pensions,
lower salaries, cut the workforce is driven in large measure by people who have
been robbed of theirs and resent the fact that others still have these benefits.
Even the Police -- once exempted from such hostility are coming under fire as
the public discovers that in some places, the retirement pension can total as
much as $300,000.

Clergy in traditional mainline churches are not exempt -- I remember a battle
royale while on the vestry of one parish  when calling a new Rector, the budget
that some of the cheapskates had in mind was wrecked when contributions to the
[defined benefits] Church Pension Fund came up. <g>.

Cheers,
Jim