Where are they?

[sealhall74]

Cities can't hire enough law enforcement officers.
Schools can't find enough bus drivers and crossing guards.
High School athletics now suffering from a shortage of game officials.
The whole world is looking high and low for the NEXT "greatest generation" to show up.
 

[rocki]

Cities can't hire enough law enforcement officers.
Schools can't find enough bus drivers and crossing guards.
High School athletics now suffering from a shortage of game officials.
The whole world is looking high and low for the NEXT "greatest generation" to show up.
 

 

This doesn't sound like too shabby for pay for someone in shape that needs the $$$$$. Nowhere near 6 figures, but I would also think you would be able to supplement this as needed. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/R ... n-Illinois

[sealhall74]

Cities can't hire enough law enforcement officers.
Schools can't find enough bus drivers and crossing guards.
High School athletics now suffering from a shortage of game officials.
The whole world is looking high and low for the NEXT "greatest generation" to show up.
 


 

This doesn't sound like too shabby for pay for someone in shape that needs the $$$$$. Nowhere near 6 figures, but I would also think you would be able to supplement this as needed. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/R ... n-Illinois

 

That annual salary must be assuming you get in a solid 40 hour workweek doing it.  I would guess most HS officials work more like 10 hours a week or less.  Do you get paid from the time you hop in your car and head to the field?  Probably not, but you can write off your mileage no doubt.
 

[ST_Lawson]

An average of under $20/hour for someone who has to take that much verbal abuse?...I can see why there's a shortage.
Some parents act like their HS freshman backup catcher is the second coming of Johnny Bench and berate or threaten any official who makes a call even slightly not in their favor.

A friend of mine (and WIU band alumni) is a referee for little league games in the Chicago suburbs area and some of the stories he has would make you sick.
 

[rocki]

An average of under $20/hour for someone who has to take that much verbal abuse?...I can see why there's a shortage.
Some parents act like their HS freshman backup catcher is the second coming of Johnny Bench and berate or threaten any official who makes a call even slightly not in their favor.

A friend of mine (and WIU band alumni) is a referee for little league games in the Chicago suburbs area and some of the stories he has would make you sick.
 

 

But on the other hand, if you are someone who has played sports in the (not too distant) past, and have loans and stuff to pay back, rather than sitting around saying there are no jobs to be had, a person might just see this as a supplement income that gives back to current kids. But, I'm old, so what do I know?

[ST_Lawson]

But on the other hand, if you are someone who has played sports in the (not too distant) past, and have loans and stuff to pay back, rather than sitting around saying there are no jobs to be had, a person might just see this as a supplement income that gives back to current kids. But, I'm old, so what do I know?
 

Are there really a lot of people sitting around not working? The current unemployment rate is 3.5% which is lower than it's been in at least the last 30 years.

[sealhall74]

Monetized youtubers with 100K faithful subscribers watching one new video per week could earn close to $100K annually or at least that is what the internet says.  Someone like a Karolina Protsenko is probably making millions.

[bignecks]

Thirty year old here who works in financial services from home. Workers are more productive than ever. I'm in constant full mental activity from 30 mins before I clock in to 10 mins after I clock out. I have student loans I'm not making payments on as I save for a house (which takes half a year of salary to move into). No, I don't want to pick up a second job. The first job sucks up ten hours of my day and leaves me feeling like a zombie after work. Your answer to all of your complaints is reforming the workplace. These aren't complaints that fall on empty ears in my generation. Most people I talk to feel the same. 

[rocki]

My apologies. I stand corrected. However, the question still remains.

[ST_Lawson]

My apologies. I stand corrected. However, the question still remains.

 

I think the answer is pretty much put out there in bignecks response: "Your answer to all of your complaints is reforming the workplace."
Many employers are placing higher demands on people's time, which leads to less time to do anything else, while also only paying them enough to "barely survive" (and you can almost completely forget about saving enough to buy a home or putting anything away towards retirement). At the same time, people want a better "work-life balance" so they can actually see their family members and occasionally have the ability to take a break.

I know that I am extremely fortunate in that my job allows me to work from 8-4:30 M-F, with weekends off, decent vacation time, and pays enough that I don't have to take a second job. I just wish that what I have was the "norm" rather than the "exception".