A quarter-century ago, there were 56 teenagers in the labor force for every "limited service" restaurant — that is, the kind where you order at the counter.
Today, there are fewer than half as many, which is a reflection both of teenagers' decreasing work force participation and of the explosive growth in restaurants.
But in an industry where cheap labor is an essential component in providing inexpensive food, a shortage of workers is changing the equation upon which fast-food places have long relied. This can be seen in rising wages, in a growth of incentives, and in the sometimes odd situations that business owners find themselves in.
Too many restaurants, not enough teens to work in them.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 20 2018, @01:17AM (1 child)
Lock? German shepherd?
Public charging station? Work?
See, i'm not talking about somebody who's indigent, just nomadic. TFA was talking about fast food restaurants who can't find workers, because the workers can't afford homes in commuting distance. I'm saying that if you eschew rent, you can make your dollar go further.
No mailing address? P.O. box. Can't register to vote with a PO box? Well, what are you really missing anyway? No driver's license? E-bike.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday July 20 2018, @02:13AM
When I was in college a bike with a Kryptonite lock would last an average of 1.5 nights outside before it vanished - and that was for crappy old pedal bikes. I imagine that e-bikes make even more tempting targets.
If you take a German shepherd with you on your nomadic lifestyle in urban areas, I'd call that borderline cruelty. Cities aren't going to let you let your dog off-leash, especially while you sleep - where, exactly? Our nephew back-packed across the US and managed to find private property owners here and there who would let him pitch tent for a night or two, but it was hit and miss and on the miss nights he was hassled more often than not. One thing he didn't find were many people who would even entertain the idea of letting him stay long term.
Then, you've got the issue of public toileting - places with facilities generally won't have places you can sleep for free within miles.
There's a pretty big "roughing it" community that moves up and down the I-75 corridor, sleeping in places with names like "itchy bottom swamp." Getting enough work to be able to afford food is a challenge, probably made easier with cellphones.
The sad fact of life in our society is that if you choose to be nomadic, it is far easier to make your living as a combo pan-handler / small time thief than it is to get gainful employment.
🌻🌻 [google.com]