[redwitch]

Chels, I agree that people should be able to work if they want to but not at the expense of the local economy. By being willing to accept a job at a much lower wage, they hurt those around them.

I don't know about Chicago, but I know that in California the grocery "bagboys" were the youngsters. Home Depot and Lowe's rarely had employees over 35. Hostesses in restaurants were young because that is how you got your foot in the door to be a server. Jess worked for Linen & Things in California. The oldest employee was the assistant manager -- she was 32. I don't think that the retirees are taking the jobs that young people don't want to do, I think the employers are hiring retirees so that they don't have to pay benefits or decent wages. If the retirees would say, "Yes, I want to work for you but not at minimum wage," I think it would have a huge impact on the workforce here.

As I said, if you want to work for pocket change or to have something to do, work for The Villages -- there are a lot of jobs that are perfect for retirees there. To alleviate boredom, volunteer. There are many things people can do without accepting a job that a local could do if employers would pay a decent wage and offer benefits.

When a skilled position pays $10-12.50 an hour with no benefits and that's called a "good" wage, the local economy suffers. Here, if you're not in the medical field, it is hard to make a living wage and even those wages are seriously depressed compared to even Southern Florida or Orlando.