Japanese lost generation

Airyfairy12

Just saw this article earlier today about Japans lost generation, a large group of people in their 40's and 50's who are jobless, single, childless and still living with their parents.
This same thing is happening with the millennial generation but no one talks about it.
Rents are continuously rising, house prices are rising, there's less opportunities, fewer jobs & jobs available are much harder to get, many jobs 20 years ago required very basic qualifications at least but now require years of study + experience as employers wont train in employees anymore.
If one career choice doesnt work out theres no jumping ship without the financial means to support 4 years of full time study. With the high competitiveness for jobs + nepotism, location, increasing number of employers & businesses offering short contracts and internships instead of permanent jobs. Many low skilled jobs are now being offered as short term CE schemes and dont pay a living wage.
This leaves many people in a position of perpetual unemployment.


https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-japan-lost-generation/?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-businessweek&utm_content=businessweek&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Just wondering what others make of this. Its scary to think so many young adults will be headed this way.

Irishphotodesk

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Just saw this article earlier today about Japans lost generation, a large group of people in their 40's and 50's who are jobless, single, childless and still living with their parents.
This same thing is happening with the millennial generation but no one talks about it.
Rents are continuously rising, house prices are rising, there's less opportunities, fewer jobs & jobs available are much harder to get, many jobs 20 years ago required very basic qualifications at least but now require years of study + experience as employers wont train in employees anymore.
If one career choice doesnt work out theres no jumping ship without the financial means to support 4 years of full time study. With the high competitiveness for jobs + nepotism, location, increasing number of employers & businesses offering short contracts and internships instead of permanent jobs. Many low skilled jobs are now being offered as short term CE schemes and dont pay a living wage.
This leaves many people in a position of perpetual unemployment.


https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-japan-lost-generation/?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-businessweek&utm_content=businessweek&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Just wondering what others make of this. Its scary to think so many young adults will be headed this way.

It’s not that people aren’t talking about it, people don’t care about millennials, they lost their voice when they displayed massive amounts of entitlement.*

*= complete generalisation ....blame the media.

Potential-Monke

It's bound to happen in a world where the basic jobs are now being engineered to be done by robots and AI, all the while colleges are offering jobless courses as a main course instead of an addition to proper courses. Thing is, it's moving too quick for some older generations to be able to catch up with, and re-skilling is not only expensive, but demands a lot of time which a lot of people won't have because they have bills/mortgages which need full time jobs to pay, leaving little to no time for education.

Church on Tuesday

It's hard to eke out an existence these days if you are 25 to 35, let's be honest.

Our generation got ****ed over sadly, just bad timing I guess.

What frustrates me more is older people, who really should know better, looking down at our generation and tut tuting away for themselves and this kind of weird superficial sympathy.

But we are a resilient lot as has been evidenced over the last few months and we will pull through, keep the chin up and always keep moving forwards.

Nexytus

That's a depressing slant to take on it

The_Brood

Lol. In Western media there is this seeming endless fascination with making Japan to be some kind of insanely weird, lonely, depressed, socially broken country that should be looked down upon with pity and revulsion. Like every nation Japan has its particularities and it has its issues, but Japanese culture, work-ethnic, and will puts the modern Western world to absolute shame. They have achieved much more now and in the past than the Western powers with dramatically fewer resources.

Western jornos write articles about a "lost generation," when western society is drugged up to its eyeballs on tinder, tic toc and social media....great joy and fulfilment that brings, I'm sure.

I don't see how you can compare Japan's situation with Ireland. Japan has a work to death ethic, a very fixed social hierarchy, a faltering economy, and are pretty isolated in Asia. The Irish people have all of Europe to expand themselves in, in addition to what's available in Ireland.

mariaalice

Per COVID.

I know of two careers where someone could practically walk into a job with a year or two training.

Health care assistant and chef, now they are most likely not going to pay a fortune but my point is there are areas where there are jobs.

Also, not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin or the greater Dublin area.

silverharp

it will sort itself out in a generation or so, population should start falling and will mean more space to live and more buying power

completedit

It seems we are a critical juncture in society; it's weird but when you think about it, modern society has only really been operating in its current guise since maybe around the start of the last century and then firmly is entrenched after WW2. It's not an incredible amount of time. Every era undergoes change. It feels like we are at the end chapter in the story of mankind. I actually think we'll eventually live much slower lives which are much more self-aware. The idea of growth for growths sake and just to keep fat cats happy, where people trudge to work without actually realizing their place in the world is coming to an end.

Man with broke phone

mariaalice wrote: »

Per COVID.



Also, not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin or the greater Dublin area.

Yeah plenty lads getting the farm subsidies, complaining about the lads in dublin on the dole. Not a days work between them.

It's a tough slog for millennials. The recession and austerity really knocked the wind out of our sails.

I fear Gen Z may have it even worse.

ILoveYourVibes

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Just wondering what others make of this. Its scary to think so many young adults will be headed this way.

Yeah.

I think people are recognizing it more in Ireland with covid.

I mean before ...people might have lived at home but had a job OR lived outside home but been unemployed.

OR they had hope for a job and a change in future.

There was something you could do. It kind of feels like now ....opportunities are shrinking.

I don't see how you can compare Japan's situation with Ireland. Japan has a work to death ethic, a very fixed social hierarchy, a faltering economy, and are pretty isolated in Asia. The Irish people have all of Europe to expand themselves in, in addition to what's available in Ireland.

But we have out own issues that are causing the same situation.


Very few industries were doing well before covid.

Creative industries are not developed here. IT is bloated. They can hire IT ten a penny and treat them terribly.

Even if you have a decent job and there are two of you looking for a mortgage ..its really tough to find one ..or even a place to rent.

Europe's fruits are not sustaining us. And there isn't a diversity of industry.

Irish people have europe to expand ourselves in just means .immigrate. ...which is something i am probably going to have to do.

People have jobs but not ones they can sustain themselves in.

And when you try and complain and change things people say ..WELL that is not a lifestyle job its one you should move up from! There is nothing to move up to anymore.

And covid has made every worse. And brexit will make it even worse.

WE will suffer more than the uk from brexit. We haven't faced this yet.

ILoveYourVibes

AND these issues are not just financial

I have no debt ..im not going to be homeless. I have income. But SOCIALLY ...Ireland is dead.

Social growth requires having your own stable home. Independent living where you don't have to move every two years or go back home while you find a new flat.

Its impossible to grow your life ..have a family for many.

That is being LOST.

ILoveYourVibes

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

It's hard to eke out an existence these days if you are 25 to 35, let's be honest.

Yes but its actually refreshing NOW to hear boomers or older people admit this and talk about it. Even if they are not doing anything.

Before maybe brexit .. ..it was denied. I think older people and even older wealthier people are seeing its a real problem which is refreshing.

ILoveYourVibes

mariaalice wrote: »

Per COVID.

I know of two careers where someone could practically walk into a job with a year or two training.

Health care assistant and chef, now they are most likely not going to pay a fortune but my point is there are areas where there are jobs.

Also, not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin or the greater Dublin area.

Can you support a family for those jobs and are they life time careers?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

It's hard to eke out an existence these days if you are 25 to 35, let's be honest.

Our generation got ****ed over sadly, just bad timing I guess.

What frustrates me more is older people, who really should know better, looking down at our generation and tut tuting away for themselves and this kind of weird superficial sympathy.

This. I was in my early 20s when the bubble burst and remember a woman, who I worked with and was in her 50s, saying that she blamed my generation for the housing bubble, conveniently forgetting that it was people of her own generation who had basically created and fueled it. That fairly pissed me off. I still don't own a home.

ILoveYourVibes

I guess we have to be positive though.


There isn't anything else we can do.

Lillyfae

Potential-Monke wrote: »

all the while colleges are offering jobless courses as a main course instead of an addition to proper courses.

This is a serious issue. "Arts" needs a massive shakeup, and there should be far more industry partnership than there currently is. But that would require university staff to actually do something more than sit on quangos, wear gowns at events and b*tch about how teaching interferes with their research.

Montage of Feck

Disruption innovation is degradation in fancy new cloths, cloths made in a Chinese sweatshop.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

This. I was in my early 20s when the bubble burst and remember a woman, who I worked with and was in her 50s, saying that she blamed my generation for the housing bubble, conveniently forgetting that it was people of her own generation who had basically created and fueled it. That fairly pissed me off. I still don't own a home.

You're doing exactly as she did. Passing it off on to a "generation". Personally, I'll stick with the market conditions, the banks, the turning towards debt financing, and the ineptitude/corruption of the government.

Lillyfae

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

This. I was in my early 20s when the bubble burst and remember a woman, who I worked with and was in her 50s, saying that she blamed my generation for the housing bubble, conveniently forgetting that it was people of her own generation who had basically created and fueled it. That fairly pissed me off. I still don't own a home.

To be honest I was the same age as you and if I look at myself and those I was in school with, everyone seems to have escaped it. Most if not all have partners, children, homes etc etc. Many had to move abroad, some stayed away and some went back eventually.

She was a piece of work blaming our generation for the housing bubble though, I wonder how many "investment properties" she owned at the time, or if she was looking to blame someone for the fact that she couldn't buy an "investment property"

Mad_maxx

The_Brood wrote: »

Lol. In Western media there is this seeming endless fascination with making Japan to be some kind of insanely weird, lonely, depressed, socially broken country that should be looked down upon with pity and revulsion. Like every nation Japan has its particularities and it has its issues, but Japanese culture, work-ethnic, and will puts the modern Western world to absolute shame. They have achieved much more now and in the past than the Western powers with dramatically fewer resources.

Western jornos write articles about a "lost generation," when western society is drugged up to its eyeballs on tinder, tic toc and social media....great joy and fulfilment that brings, I'm sure.

the article is from Bloomberg which is a business and markets outfit , up until 1990 , japan was predicted to potentially overtake the USA as the worlds largest economy , it was a real concern of the americans , its decline is in truth more about the fact that no country ever had an economic bubble like japan did in the eighties , it also grew for about forty years consecutively up until 1990 . the japaneese stock market is only at half the level it was in 1990 which is staggering

the country never recovered properly from that insane time so its no surprise that people heading for fifty never got a shot

ShatterAlan

mariaalice wrote: »

Per COVID.

I know of two careers where someone could practically walk into a job with a year or two training.

Health care assistant and chef, now they are most likely not going to pay a fortune but my point is there are areas where there are jobs.

Also, not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin or the greater Dublin area.

For starters health care assistant is a vocation. You have to want to devote your life to helping others. You can't do that job if you don't live for it or if it's not in you. There are plenty of jobs you can do and actually hate. Health care assistant is not one of them.


Similar might be said for chef. Your heart has to be in it. I could never be a chef. The hours are tortuous, getting cut and burnt. Nah.

Mad_maxx

ShatterAlan wrote: »

For starters health care assistant is a vocation. You have to want to devote your life to helping others. You can't do that job if you don't live for it or if it's not in you. There are plenty of jobs you can do and actually hate. Health care assistant is not one of them.


Similar might be said for chef. Your heart has to be in it. I could never be a chef. The hours are tortuous, getting cut and burnt. Nah.

if you believe that , you musnt have spent much time in hospitals , plenty of healthcare assistants i wouldnt let look after my dog , " init for the money "

most not like that of course

Airyfairy12

Mad_maxx wrote: »

if you believe that , you musnt have spent much time in hospitals , plenty of healthcare assistants i wouldnt let look after my dog , " init for the money "

most not like that of course

'Init for the money' - The pay for healthcare assistant jobs are not much more than the dole and when they take in costs of travel its not a sustainable job. You just proved the previous reply correct in what they said, plenty of people shouldnt be healthcare assistance and its the vulnerable that suffer because of those people who you wouldnt trust to look after your dog.
A healthcare assistant job pays roughly 10 - 12 euro an hour (minimum wage is 10 euro)
You cant work as a healthcare assistant without a car/full driving licence
Healthcare assistant jobs require atleast a level 5 qualification - Not everyone can walk into these jobs as stated by MarieAlice.

mariaalice wrote: »

Per COVID.

I know of two careers where someone could practically walk into a job with a year or two training.

Health care assistant and chef, now they are most likely not going to pay a fortune but my point is there are areas where there are jobs.

Also, not everyone in Ireland lives in Dublin or the greater Dublin area.

Chef's have to have atleast a 3 year BA, many have a masters. Nobody walks into a chefing job, really dont know what that comment is talking about as she clearly hasnt got a clue. Dont know why she's even sharing her opinion when she's just making stuff up.

Lollipops23

I'm a millenial. I don't know of anyone my age who (pre Covid) was jobless through anything other than choice.

Even during the recession, I took the sh*ttest job to get me through and then managed to get better and better jobs over the course of 10 years, to where I am now. In a decent job, living in a mortgaged home.

As are the majority of my friends and family around the same age.

mariaalice

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

'Init for the money' - The pay for healthcare assistant jobs are not much more than the dole and when they take in costs of travel its not a sustainable job. You just proved the previous reply correct in what they said, plenty of people shouldnt be healthcare assistance and its the vulnerable that suffer because of those people who you wouldnt trust to look after your dog.
A healthcare assistant job pays roughly 10 - 12 euro an hour (minimum wage is 10 euro)
You cant work as a healthcare assistant without a car/full driving licence
Healthcare assistant jobs require atleast a level 5 qualification - Not everyone can walk into these jobs as stated by MarieAlice.



Chef's have to have atleast a 3 year BA, many have a masters. Nobody walks into a chefing job, really dont know what that comment is talking about as she clearly hasnt got a clue. Dont know why she's even sharing her opinion when she's just making stuff up.

Local further education colleges do catering course, and pre covid I know for a fact that places found it hard to get chefs, we are not talking Michelin stars stuff here, pubs and hotels. http://www.crumlincollege.ie/full-time-courses/culinary-arts

Also where did you get the bizarre notion that you need a full driving licence to work in a nursing home as a HCA?

Plus you are setting the bar very low if you think asking someone to do a level 5 course is too much to ask.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

Local further education colleges do catering course, and pre covid I know for a fact that places found it hard to get chefs, we are not talking Michelin stars stuff here, pubs and hotels. http://www.crumlincollege.ie/full-time-courses/culinary-arts

There's a good reason that there is a shortage of chefs firstly you have to work long hours in a fairly stressful environment and secondly the pay is **** for the amount of work you have to do. It's not really a job I would see as being compatible with having a normal social life or family.

jmlad2020

These people have also been bullied, ostracized by society. Very similar to how Irish people operate imo and their poor regard and understanding for mental health doesn't help either.

Economically this is happening in Ireland too and the similarities are uncanny. Unfortunately we will end up the way of Japan too.

A lot of people are missing the fact that these people are too mentally ill and do not wish to work. It's a societal problem

mariaalice

Constant looking for evidence that its, the older generations falt, its nepotism, you need to have parents with money to support long periods of study etc is not helpful and a lot of the 'evidence' is debatable too.

There are thousands of young people in Ireland doing grand earning a modest living or even doing well enough or very well for themselves.

That is not to say everything is perfect it's not but constantly looking for the negatives is not reality.

mariaalice

Deleted User wrote: »

There's a good reason that there is a shortage of chefs firstly you have to work long hours in a fairly stressful environment and secondly the pay is **** for the amount of work you have to do. It's not really a job I would see as being compatible with having a normal social life or family.

I wasn't making any comment about the career it's self just a point about the availability of jobs, its the same with doing a trade it's very hard to get even a quote for a job and builder are busy.

Airyfairy12

mariaalice wrote: »

Local further education colleges do catering course, and pre covid I know for a fact that places found it hard to get chefs, we are not talking Michelin stars stuff here, pubs and hotels. http://www.crumlincollege.ie/full-time-courses/culinary-arts

Also where did you get the bizarre notion that you need a full driving licence to work in a nursing home as a HCA?

Plus you are setting the bar very low if you think asking someone to do a level 5 course is too much to ask.

Catering doesnt qualify anyone as a chef, theyre not the same jobs.

I got the 'bizarre notion' from the requirement section on most advertised health assistant jobs.

Did I say the bar is too low?

mariaalice

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Catering doesnt qualify anyone as a chef, theyre not the same jobs.

I got the 'bizarre notion' from the requirement section on most advertised health assistant jobs.

Did I say the bar is too low?

Culinary Arts - Professional Cookery (Level 5)
Culinary Arts - Professional Cookery (Level 6)

That is what the course in Crumlin college is called.

Nursing homes, in general, do not require HCA to have a full driving license.

Airyfairy12

mariaalice wrote: »

Culinary Arts - Professional Cookery (Level 5)
Culinary Arts - Professional Cookery (Level 6)

That is what the course in Crumlin college is called.

Nursing homes, in general, do not require HCA to have a full driving license.

Theyre pre higher education courses, they wont offer secure employment for students upon graduation.
As for health care assistant jobs, generally the hours are 12 hour shifts night and day work for minimum wage, many of these jobs require the applicant to have a full driving license.
Regardless it's entirely besides the point of the thread, you tried to provide two examples of short courses that will eradicate unemployment or something?
Only one of them is likely to secure graduates with permanent work and leading back to the original argument, the pay for the job is not sustainable and the hours are incredibly long, some of them advertised as 7 days a week, 12 hour shifts for two weeks, day or two off, another two full weeks of 12 hour shifts.. all for minimum wage?
Why is that one of the only few options available for people seeking permanent work?

B.A._Baracus

A lot of talk as to who is to blame

Could it be just that everyone is out for themselves?

El Tarangu

I'm not sure I agree with the OP's premise - prior to COVID, Ireland was approaching full employment, and I assume that this was reflected in the rates of employment among young people also.

Sure, young people, particularly those living in Dublin, could still be living at home well into their 20s, but they would have (up until COVID) normally have had jobs. I think that the number of people still living at home in their 40s and 50s would be miniscule.

Airyfairy12

El Tarangu wrote: »

I'm not sure I agree with the OP's premise - prior to COVID, Ireland was approaching full employment, and I assume that this was reflected in the rates of employment among young people also.

Sure, young people, particularly those living in Dublin, could still be living at home well into their 20s, but they would have (up until COVID) normally have had jobs. I think that the number of people still living at home in their 40s and 50s would be miniscule.

Thats actually false, the majority of people on social welfare where sent to Seetac, once registered with Seetac they were no longer registered as unemployed even though they weren't working and continued to receive social welfare payments.
Similarly people on social welfare were sent on CE schemes and part time courses, technically they aren't employed as they continue to receive social welfare.
Ce schemes, as mentioned in the opening post, are temporary part time contracts that dont provide a living wage.
A very high number of low skilled jobs are no CE schemes further increasing the need for a high level of education.

Richard Hillman

I was 23-24 during the financial crash. Didn't go to college before that (that's on me) but jobs were so abundant that I felt there were options away from that. The crash hit, lost my job and I was unemployed for a couple of years. Did a few courses, did a FETAC level 5 in business, went to college for 4 years, couldn't get a job in the field when I finished, did a jobsbridge but there was no job in the end. I then worked a minimum wage job for 3 years until I lost it at the start of the pandemic.

So here I am in my mid 30s. I gave it a shot, I did every thing I was supposed to do and I have gained absolutely nothing from the last 10 years. I am back to where I was 10 years ago but with no options left.

I have exhausted my options. I'll never own a home. I won't be able to be able to afford to rent. I won't be able to retire. Government are telling me I need to avoid things like Sugar, alcohol, cigarettes to live as long as possible, even though I can't afford a pension. I literally have to die before I am physically unable to work. Although I'll probably be homeless within the next 10 years. So at least I won't have to worry about working into my 80s.

So, Yes. This generation is a bit ****ed.

jpm4

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was 23-24 during the financial crash. Didn't go to college before that (that's on me) but jobs were so abundant that I felt there were options away from that. The crash hit, lost my job and I was unemployed for a couple of years. Did a few courses, did a FETAC level 5 in business, went to college for 4 years, couldn't get a job in the field when I finished, did a jobsbridge but there was no job in the end. I then worked a minimum wage job for 3 years until I lost it at the start of the pandemic.

So here I am in my mid 30s. I gave it a shot, I did every thing I was supposed to do and I have gained absolutely nothing from the last 10 years. I am back to where I was 10 years ago but with no options left.

I have exhausted my options. I'll never own a home. I won't be able to be able to afford to rent. I won't be able to retire. Government are telling me I need to avoid things like Sugar, alcohol, cigarettes to live as long as possible, even though I can't afford a pension. I literally have to die before I am physically unable to work. Although I'll probably be homeless within the next 10 years. So at least I won't have to worry about working into my 80s.

So, Yes. This generation is a bit ****ed.

Can't you just tap Gail Platt up for a few bob?

Irish Praetorian

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was 23-24 during the financial crash. Didn't go to college before that (that's on me) but jobs were so abundant that I felt there were options away from that. The crash hit, lost my job and I was unemployed for a couple of years. Did a few courses, did a FETAC level 5 in business, went to college for 4 years, couldn't get a job in the field when I finished, did a jobsbridge but there was no job in the end. I then worked a minimum wage job for 3 years until I lost it at the start of the pandemic.

So here I am in my mid 30s. I gave it a shot, I did every thing I was supposed to do and I have gained absolutely nothing from the last 10 years. I am back to where I was 10 years ago but with no options left.

I have exhausted my options. I'll never own a home. I won't be able to be able to afford to rent. I won't be able to retire. Government are telling me I need to avoid things like Sugar, alcohol, cigarettes to live as long as possible, even though I can't afford a pension. I literally have to die before I am physically unable to work. Although I'll probably be homeless within the next 10 years. So at least I won't have to worry about working into my 80s.

So, Yes. This generation is a bit ****ed.

Gotta say this hit me right in the kisser, recognized a lot of myself and a lot of my peers in those few paragraphs. I don't know what to tell you other than I was in a similar boat recently but things turned around pretty fast, but at least know you're not alone in that boat. I've also learned from my new position that a metric boat-load of people who seem to have it all really don't and run their finances on a shoestring. Either way, keep on keeping on.

IAMAMORON

It has nothing to do with millennials or generations.

Technology is taking over the work that people had to previously do, automation is everywhere.

Look at your average retail bank, only about 5-10 staff. Used to be around 40-50.

Many services are being swallowed by computers. I have an acquaintance that sold a fund management operating system to a leading investment bank. It will take the place of about 140 staff. It only needs a team of 7 to run it. Well it runs itself, the team just monitor and test it.

However I have also heard that there are jobs that a computer cannot do. I spoke recently with someone who works as a content moderator on You Tube. A computer can only do so much. For the record content moderators are getting paid around a 2-250 euro a day. Not bad money for sitting on your hole watching videos all day long?

IAMAMORON

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was 23-24 during the financial crash. Didn't go to college before that (that's on me) but jobs were so abundant that I felt there were options away from that. The crash hit, lost my job and I was unemployed for a couple of years. Did a few courses, did a FETAC level 5 in business, went to college for 4 years, couldn't get a job in the field when I finished, did a jobsbridge but there was no job in the end. I then worked a minimum wage job for 3 years until I lost it at the start of the pandemic.

So here I am in my mid 30s. I gave it a shot, I did every thing I was supposed to do and I have gained absolutely nothing from the last 10 years. I am back to where I was 10 years ago but with no options left.

I have exhausted my options. I'll never own a home. I won't be able to be able to afford to rent. I won't be able to retire. Government are telling me I need to avoid things like Sugar, alcohol, cigarettes to live as long as possible, even though I can't afford a pension. I literally have to die before I am physically unable to work. Although I'll probably be homeless within the next 10 years. So at least I won't have to worry about working into my 80s.

So, Yes. This generation is a bit ****ed.

I would not be too negative just yet. You are only in your mid thirties. Count yourself lucky, your life is all ahead of you.

Stop blamestorming and start brainstorming. Focus on where you spent your time and how you feel you wasted it. Learn from this and don't do it again.

Seriously, there is more to life than getting expensive mortgages and filling the paws of pension providers. This is your life, make the most of it. It is not all about doing what the system tells you you should be doing. Do what you want and do your own thing.

This is not a dress rehearsal. Be proactive about your future.

blindside88

I can’t agree with you OP. I’m a millennial and can’t stand to see the whinging from a lot of my generation (not aimed at you OP). I along with most of my friends would have come out of college or apprenticeships into the economy in recession. We worked hard, sacrificed early on and a large portion of us managed to get on the property ladder. Most of the lads I know that complain about the government and not ever being able to afford a house spent their 20’s putting their wages up their nose/ drinking 4 nights a week/ travelling around Australia doing jobs they’d turn their nose up at here.

I’m aware that this is a generalisation but so is saying that millennials are a lost generation. If you think about the amount of discretionary spending we do in comparison to previous generations you can see why it’s harder to buy property.

pgj2015

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I was 23-24 during the financial crash. Didn't go to college before that (that's on me) but jobs were so abundant that I felt there were options away from that. The crash hit, lost my job and I was unemployed for a couple of years. Did a few courses, did a FETAC level 5 in business, went to college for 4 years, couldn't get a job in the field when I finished, did a jobsbridge but there was no job in the end. I then worked a minimum wage job for 3 years until I lost it at the start of the pandemic.

So here I am in my mid 30s. I gave it a shot, I did every thing I was supposed to do and I have gained absolutely nothing from the last 10 years. I am back to where I was 10 years ago but with no options left.

I have exhausted my options. I'll never own a home. I won't be able to be able to afford to rent. I won't be able to retire. Government are telling me I need to avoid things like Sugar, alcohol, cigarettes to live as long as possible, even though I can't afford a pension. I literally have to die before I am physically unable to work. Although I'll probably be homeless within the next 10 years. So at least I won't have to worry about working into my 80s.

So, Yes. This generation is a bit ****ed.

Did you study Business in college for 4 years?

Un1corn

The_Brood wrote: »

Lol. In Western media there is this seeming endless fascination with making Japan to be some kind of insanely weird, lonely, depressed, socially broken country that should be looked down upon with pity and revulsion. Like every nation Japan has its particularities and it has its issues, but Japanese culture, work-ethnic, and will puts the modern Western world to absolute shame. They have achieved much more now and in the past than the Western powers with dramatically fewer resources.

Western jornos write articles about a "lost generation," when western society is drugged up to its eyeballs on tinder, tic toc and social media....great joy and fulfilment that brings, I'm sure.

I dunno. Japanese life is no joke. An extremely authoritarian culture where hierarchy face and collectivism are everything. Couple that with working 24 hours a day 7 days a week there isn't alot to enjoy about life there. If you are woman you are **** out of luck and expected to become a housewife. The reason the birth rate is dropping is life isn't very attractive.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Deleted User wrote: »

You're doing exactly as she did. Passing it off on to a "generation". Personally, I'll stick with the market conditions, the banks, the turning towards debt financing, and the ineptitude/corruption of the government.

Nah, I'm not trying to pass it off to another generation to be honest, I actually have a fairly similiar attitude to the whole thing as yourself, I just thought it was a bit ridiculous to blame people of our generation for creating a housing bubble which had begun to inflate when most of us were still at secondary school.

Richard Hillman

pgj2015 wrote: »

Did you study Business in college for 4 years?

Accounting

pgj2015

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Accounting

could you start your own business as a book keeper?

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Nah, I'm not trying to pass it off to another generation to be honest, I actually have a fairly similiar attitude to the whole thing as yourself, I just thought it was a bit ridiculous to blame people of our generation for creating a housing bubble which had begun to inflate when most of us were still at secondary school.

yeah, she was being a bit of a muppet by trying to pass responsibility over to that generation. TBF we're all responsible for how the country has turned out.. but I have to laugh at the complaints on this thread about how hard things are for their generation. My parents went through a much harder time, as did theirs. Hardship is relative.. with everyone considering themselves to have had the hardest period, based on their own experiences. TBH I'm amazed at how far Ireland has come in the last 30 years, from employment, through to the general quality of life, but people will still moan about how hard things are for them.

Kaybaykwah

Japan is another planet.

The Irish have an obsession with owning property, and while they complain of the high cost of housing, which is undeniable, there is a strong sense of value in owning real estate as a reaction to centuries of disenfranchisement. I think that that reflex was a healthy one in spite of abuses in the Celtic Tiger years. The cost of property was pretty high before the CT, and the Irish like the Italians, in North America and elsewhere are always keen on buying into it as soon as possible.

Japan has a weird, almost incomprehensible relation to Property. There are millions of vacant houses and apartments all over Japan. They keep building and squashing value at every turn. They also don't like old or pre-used housing, and single family homes are sometimes demolished and built anew to avoid living in somebody else's used space. Same with cars, upper middle class folk don't like buying used.

I remember reading somewhere in the nineties about an American student furnishing his apartment with spotless furniture and electronics from garbage day rounds.