Comments on: Open borders and bottleneck jobs http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/open-borders-and-bottleneck-jobs/ European Opinion Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:58:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Doug http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/open-borders-and-bottleneck-jobs/#comment-14116 Doug Fri, 31 Mar 2006 18:40:16 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2457#comment-14116 At least for the building trades and the unqualified service workers, I'd guess that a not insignificant share are working in the grey economy. Whether those workers are locals or internationals is probably a bit of a wash; the employers cannot afford the non-wage costs of hiring people officially, in no small part because their clients resist paying the prices it would costs to hire people completely legally. So people who are registered as unemployed may in fact be working off the books, thus formally explaining part of the apparent mismatch. Age may be another significant issue, with people at either end of their working lives finding it more difficult to get places. At least for the building trades and the unqualified service workers, I’d guess that a not insignificant share are working in the grey economy. Whether those workers are locals or internationals is probably a bit of a wash; the employers cannot afford the non-wage costs of hiring people officially, in no small part because their clients resist paying the prices it would costs to hire people completely legally. So people who are registered as unemployed may in fact be working off the books, thus formally explaining part of the apparent mismatch.

Age may be another significant issue, with people at either end of their working lives finding it more difficult to get places.

]]> By: Guy http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/open-borders-and-bottleneck-jobs/#comment-14115 Guy Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:22:48 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2457#comment-14115 PS: I do not really know if the French need more masons or architects (they sure need more plumbers). French readers are welcome to elaborate on this. PS: I do not really know if the French need more masons or architects (they sure need more plumbers). French readers are welcome to elaborate on this.

]]> By: Guy http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/open-borders-and-bottleneck-jobs/#comment-14114 Guy Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:06:19 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2457#comment-14114 "May I offer the obvious suggestion that jobs are in place A, while the qualified but unemployed are in place B." Yeah, obviously. But why don't the governments in place A, with all their subsidised training programmes, succeed in "qualifying" the unemployed in place A? Many of those job vacancies are not for rocket scientists. Anyhow, I also would like to know about bottleneck jobs in other EU countries. Or, why were people hostile to the concept of the Polish plumber. All those arguments about how East Europeans were going to "steal our jobs", what were they all about? Cheap populism? Or is there more to it? And all those kids in the French banlieues, can't some of them not be trained to become professional, say, masons or architects? I know I am generalizing, and I am being naive on purpose, but is this really just a simple matter of mobility? “May I offer the obvious suggestion that jobs are in place A, while the qualified but unemployed are in place B.”

Yeah, obviously. But why don’t the governments in place A, with all their subsidised training programmes, succeed in “qualifying” the unemployed in place A? Many of those job vacancies are not for rocket scientists.

Anyhow, I also would like to know about bottleneck jobs in other EU countries. Or, why were people hostile to the concept of the Polish plumber. All those arguments about how East Europeans were going to “steal our jobs”, what were they all about? Cheap populism? Or is there more to it?

And all those kids in the French banlieues, can’t some of them not be trained to become professional, say, masons or architects?

I know I am generalizing, and I am being naive on purpose, but is this really just a simple matter of mobility?

]]> By: teme http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/open-borders-and-bottleneck-jobs/#comment-14113 teme Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:46:48 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=2457#comment-14113 May I offer the obvious suggestion that jobs are in place A, while the qualified but unemployed are in place B. May I offer the obvious suggestion that jobs are in place A, while the qualified but unemployed are in place B.

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