(01-14-2024, 01:42 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(01-14-2024, 12:17 PM)Sneakers Wrote: This reference illustrates exactly why you are so frequently misinformed and incorrect.  You unquestioningly wrap your arms around whatever theory you're spoon-fed, (typically by the LEFT) embracing it forever as the Ultimate Truth. 

1)   It was written by a "political thinker".  That alone should give you cause to be skeptical of its "conclusions".
2)   It was published in 2012.  All actual data and research utilized is, at minimum, twelve years out of date relative to current conditions.
3)   #1,265 best seller rank in the category of Sociology of Urban Areas................wow!  I wonder what #1,266 looks like.

For whatever it's worth, I interact with a wide variety of contractors on a regular basis and they all report labor shortages to be their primary challenge in today's market.

Of course the labor shortage is the problem they see, as consumers of labor.  But as a homeowner, a consumer of contracting services, you would see it as a problem of availability, as long wait times to get the work you want done. You would neither know nor care if the contractors volunatrily cut back to part time, or if they're spending every waking hour working. You would just say, "the problem is the wait times are long and there's not much competition." Both perspectives are right, they're just from different angles.
But from a "birds eye view" perspective, the question is, why are there these local labor shortages?
The US population is still growing, so it's not births and deaths.
The best explanation I've found is that the people they might hire can't afford nearby homes with the wages that are offered.  Hence, these would-be tradesmen vote with their feet to less expensive areas or more lucrative jobs, and boom, labor shortage.

Also, I offered you that very easy, very accessible, very short, and very low cost read as a favor.  Don't assume anything about my reading level from it. Also, don't assume anything about the truth of a matter from how popular the books about it are.