Where have all the workers gone?

Sammy2012

I was just reading the garda thread and it got me thinking. I work in education and the huge teacher shortage is really starting to bite. Qualified teachers are in short supply. I see kids every day trying to access services that aren't there any more, both public and privately. Waiting lists of years even if you have the means to pay. There is a shortage of doctors and nurses again both in hospital and private practice. My own doctors surgery has gone from 7 doctors down to 2. Patient list growing daily. Hospitality sector are struggling to find workers.

These are just a few examples. So my question is where have all the workers gone???

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058316064/where-have-all-the-workers-gone

Abroad for better pay and conditions.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058316064/where-have-all-the-workers-gone

Canada, Australia, Dubai, UAE, mainland Europe, you name it.

Not everyone has gone abroad to make huge money, but they see no reason to live in Ireland and pay mad rent or live at home with the folks. Can't blame them, I did it 10 years ago.

Silentcorner

And yet we spend €6 billion on funding NGO's. How many do we employ in those, 3,4K people? We have a Govt funded army of activists and a shortage of teachers, nurses and guards!

We are a great country all the same!!

We can tell you all about what the USA or the UK is doing wrong but when it comes to our own crises it's tumbleweed!!

StudentDad

It's simple really. When you take the cost of living away from the monthly salary, there isn't enough left over to make building a life here worthwhile. Lousy public services, public transport, general amenities etc etc. Why wear a hair shirt here when you can go to any other EU country and earn a similar level of income and get more in return?

The population is increasing, the workforce is at an all time high, unemployment is at an all time low.

Simply put there are not enough available workers in the system.

Only way to address it is by inward migration.

StudentDad

Inward migration by itself, isn't enough. Jimmy from Milan or anywhere else for that matter will do the same sums as Jimmy from Cork and come to the same conclusion. He's better off in Milan.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174102#Comment_121174102

The housing and mad rent isn't any better in Toronto or Vancouver in Canada, lot's of hourly wage jobs and only 10 to 15 days vacation. The city of Toronto is on the brink of bancrupcy, a rise in property taxes and all sorts of other taxes are expeced.....

Maybe Australia or mainland Europe are better choices.

Mrs OBumble

However Jimmy from São Paulo is likely to regard even a low standard of living here as better than what he could have at home.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058316064/where-have-all-the-workers-gone

The population is growing older all over Europe and Ireland is playing catch up! I moved to Switzerland over three decades ago and the very first day at work the thing that really hit me was how much older everyone was. In Ireland I was one of the oldest in the team and in Switzerland I was the youngest!

There is a massive shortage of healthcare professionals, educators, tourist industry staff and so on all over the single market and since there is mutual recognition of qualifications, you are competing across Europe for staff. So it is a combination of people leaving the workforce and heavy competition for staff that are willing to be more mobile.

Here in Switzerland our population is older than Ireland, so the problem is worse:

• It is almost impossible to register with a GP. Hospitals run GP clinics and you just take your turn with the next available doctor.
• Teachers no longer need to go through the training college. If you got a degree, speak the local language reasonably well, you’ll get a job.
• Colleges and universities are struggling to present courses in the local languages so students end up picking courses based on their language strengths. So for example if you don’t have a good command of English, the getting a degree in science, math or technology will be difficult because very few courses are in the local language.
• Companies have great difficulty filling apprenticeships. Every year there is a short fall of about 25,000 and companies try to attract young people from neighboring countries.

The aging workforce is a very big challenge around the world.

L.Ball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058316064/where-have-all-the-workers-gone

Other places have it bad too, some places even worse. so stop moaning.

I’m just out of hospital, where for some reason I met a hell of a lot more Irish nurses than I have in years. Some older ones, settled back here settled and raising families and very cheerful about it. I think these folk have saved hard for deposits, probably after working abroad. Have come across a cohort of mature Scottish nurses too who have settled here, less than an hour flight to relatives back home. A selection of Spanish/Portuguese nurses. Less Filipino and Indian nurses than previously, for sone reason. Maybe a lot have saved enough to but a decent house back home.,

riffmongous

I could have sworn that I saw a graphic a few days ago that said that that re-immigration (returning emigrants) was higher than emigration according to the last census? Particularly from Canada

donaghs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174131#Comment_121174131

Sound like a pyramid scheme.

increasing population is creating a demand for services, schools, housing. So the solution is the keep increasing the population?

Blarney_man

Back home during pandemic

Blarney_man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174196#Comment_121174196

It's like this all over Europe, Ireland is the best country to live in at the moment, in Europe. Outside of Europe maybe some middle east countries and Singapore can rival Ireland

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058316064/where-have-all-the-workers-gone

It's pretty simple, wages in most of those jobs aren't great and the jobs tend to be crap

People have been looking at what to do after their leaving cert for years and on one hand they can become a guard, uphold the law by dealing with the utter scum of the earth every day, put their lives on the line and get paid a sh!t wage and crap benefits

Alternatively they could do something like data science, get a graduate job paying €40k+, live with their parents rent free and work from their bed

Why would anyone choose the former?

Same goes for teaching, nursing, childcare and pretty much all the other jobs that are facing shortages.

And because there hasn't been a pipeline of people going higher education for those sectors, now there's a shortage of graduates. Those that do graduate probably look at their job prospects and decide to do something more lucrative instead

Some of them go abroad, professions like doctors or nursing are always in demand elsewhere and are very easy to transfer elsewhere. A doctor can make 2-3 times in the US compared to here and pay far less tax for example

The old trick when this happens was to just import workers. But between a housing crisis, skyrocketing rents and cost if living, plus some stories about crime waves in Irish cities (particularly targeting foreign nationals), those potential workers decide to go somewhere easier to live

babyducklings1

It’s a very good question, Huge numbers left during the last recession, of the ones I know none have returned. The number of people who left is staggering so maybe there is a big gaping hole in our workforce of working age people? Don’t know.

Blarney_man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174475#Comment_121174475

People won't return for one reason: "What will my neighbor say?" They have it bad all over the world, Ireland is a shinning star at the moment

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174113#Comment_121174113

A large majority of that 6 billion goes to schools, sports, medical services, older people's services, disability services. Not sure why you are claiming the 6bn stops government spending on nurses when a lot of it is spent on nurses in hospitals and disability centres.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174312#Comment_121174312

Bullshit. Some of that 6bn includes wages for teachers and nurses.

francois

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174113#Comment_121174113

NGO's seem to be the new invented bogeman. The GAA is an NGO.

Drivel. Chronic underinvestment in housing is driving people aeay.

Mr. teddywinkles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174528#Comment_121174528

To be honest building housing all over the place ain't the answer either. Considering our basic infrastructure is shite as well

SuperBowserWorld

So, when your kids are qualified from 3rd level where do they live? In your house? With their mammy and daddy. This is why people leave. Rent etc etc is too expensive here. And it's not the same everywhere. Just in the most expensive cities in the world.

Here is an interesting thread on Reddit re same ...

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/16r37g0/is_the_situation_in_ireland_really_as_dire_as/

The people saying everything is fine here are in the "I'm all right Jack brigade".

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174113#Comment_121174113

What do NGOs have to do with nurses, teachers and guards though?

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174507#Comment_121174507

What are you talking about? What 6bn?

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174473#Comment_121174473

Alternatively they could do something like data science, get a graduate job paying €40k+, live with their parents rent free and work from their bed

Why the fook woukd you live with your parents if you were earning €40k+

I was on far less than that when I loved out.

Also they must be pretty stupid parents if their son or daughter is earning €40k plus and living in their house and not at least charging them €100 a week in rent.

That's just very bad parenting. Once you hit 18 living is not free nor should it be.

maninasia

I lived in an aged society and there is no absolutely no lack of docs and nurses, it's not well correlated. Each country has its specific issue going on . In Ireland we train docs and nurses, pay a lot of their fees but don't ask them to stat on for a few years after graduation.

Main issue by far is lack of housing in Ireland...we should build up, cheap housing and give folks a place to live. All govt agencies should build rental accommodation for their sector . Also have an immigration policy that reflects needs of the country.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174628#Comment_121174628

I'm sure they'd love to move out but paying €1800 in rent for a shoebox probably doesn't appeal to a lot of people, especially when they also have to suck their landlords d!ck once a week on top to keep their lease

There's going to be a lot of young people forced to live with their parents just to afford a deposit on a €500k house which you couldn't swing a cat in

tabby aspreme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174628#Comment_121174628

Because they are trying to compete in the rental market with people earning half that amount, or on social welfare who all have a Hap payment and can outbid the person on 40k when it comes to renting somewhere to live

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121174180#Comment_121174180

Yep they will work hard for the minimum and not speak up. As they are regularly told in a meat factory in this area if you don't like it you can go home and we will have another plane load here tomorrow.