Last night the excited tweets were flying from UNC students who had stood in line in the rain and received tickets to see President Obama tomorrow. I find it sadly ironic, however, that the president arrives as this story hits the media.
Students who are critical thinkers should be able to recognize that the president has implemented damaging economic policies that have exacerbated a tough recession. The result? A terribly gloomy job outlook for the class of 2012, not to mention the astronomical federal debt that has exploded during this president’s term, and which awaits the 20-somethings. It’s sadly ironic on so many fronts. How many of the students who will cheer on the president tomorrow are willing to face the reality of his policies?
The college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work.
A weak labor market already has left half of young collegegraduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don’t fully use their skills and knowledge.
Young adults with bachelor’s degrees are increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that’s confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans.