Many of my friends, family members and I have lost our jobs or been undervalued by employers. We are becoming victims to the downward spiral that is an economic recession.
However, while we might be struggling because of the bad economy, it does not mean we should have to devalue ourselves by accepting lower pay to get employed. The local job market is clogged with over-qualified students and professionals, who are forced to take low-paying jobs because of the bad economy.
Santa Barbara residents need to demand equitable wages based on their experience and training.
“I am employed at the Yacht Club Inn in Santa Barbara, and my hours have been cut drastically because no one is traveling,” student Jasmine Maimone said. While she is currently looking for another job with the same pay rate, in reality she might have to work for less. Ultimately, she has to pay for her own rent, food and tuition.
Employers on Craigslist.com are posting positions with bachelor’s degree requirements for jobs paying low-income salaries. This is making it difficult for my father and other Santa Barbara residents to find a job where there is a balance between qualifications and pay.
“Lower-level tech jobs, but above entry level, in the Santa Barbara area are now paying less than non-skilled labor jobs like custodial work,” my dad said. “This is ridiculous,” he went on, “These tech positions require experience and education, and people are being taken advantage of.”
I was taught that we work in exchange for our experience, our skills and the labor we provide to a company. Yet experienced workers and educated students from City College and UCSB are getting the shaft when it comes to finding high-paying jobs.
Not only are pay-rates decreasing, but more businesses are shutting down. This is resulting in an excess of unemployed locals-many of them students.
“I used to work at my parents’ hardware store … in Carpinteria, and because sales are at an all-time low and the landlord doubled the rent, my parents are closing the store,” student Chris Austin said. He added that he is looking for a cashier job, but is worried about what his parents will do.
Even so, Austin said that his parents decided not to cut their employees’ wages because they take into account the cost of living.
Living expenses in Santa Barbara are extremely high, which employers should take into account. They should pay what is fair for the position by comparing pay rates to other areas in the state with a similar cost of living.
The state of the economy has created difficulties for businesses, but many local companies are taking advantage of the out-of-work personnel in the area.
My father has been unemployed for six months because he is not willing to take a position paying less than what should be required.
To avoid a further exploitation of the job market, we should all do the same.
Businesses need to be fair to job-seeking individuals in the Santa Barbara and Goleta community by hiring skilled workers at the wages they deserve-not at the bare minimum.