The Day The Earth Stood Still

Historically they say there are indicators of a recession before it happens. You know like lack of ice cream sales, an uptick in unchanged lightbulbs and the occasional grown man riding a child bike like a brand-new sports sedan. No, but seriously are the indicators before such a thing happens? I have seen more and more Lyft, Uber, and Door dash logos pasted on the glass of passing automobiles. My local Starbucks now has a line that wraps around four blocks in my neighborhood. I thought I was VIP because I always get a vente ice coffee with three shots of espresso every Monday and Friday. Club rules changed and the new VIP is to sit in Starbucks until they close with your face glued to your device. I’ve stood outside looking through the glass to see what’s so special about these new VIP members. All they do is stare at a screen lifelessly, I think I’ve watched maybe one or two blue lights bounce and reflect off their foreheads. Who knows, I’ve seen strange things for sure. I’ve checked my bosses Facebook account, and every post is his cashapp tag attached to some go fund me about “making ends meet”. I knew the guy who knew this guy who always had the latest trends. I heard that guy has been selling all his clothes to make mortgage payments.

Even weirder, the time seemed to just stop moving all together and no one needed their phone anymore. I woke up drenched in a pool of sweat, lifted my right arm and maneuvered my hand to silence my alarm clock. It was nowhere to be found, I panicked and ran to every door in my neighborhood, but nobody answered. I pressed my face against every window, and you know what I noticed? No clocks, I went everywhere you could imagine the liquor store, the check cashing place, the dispensary. Honestly, they were packed, I mean I didn’t know these facilities were home to so many people. Still, no clocks so in some limbo-like fashion we were all stuck in time. Destitute in our search for structure to add to our life and daily routine.

Where are all the jobs, someone has to say it I mean we can’t tip toe around the elephant in the room. Or have you not seen people young and old with that bright red door dash bag that keeps your food warm. Have you not seen the housewives stocking up their pantries with red wine. Not even the sweet kind, the dry kind that irritates your throat with each sip. I mean the laundry mat around the corner from me looks like the grocery store now. Rush hour consists of clean whites and how many quarters you had in your kid’s piggy bank. Where are all the jobs?

I would hate to say we’re dying here but the truth is I just spent fifty dollars at Walgreens, and I only brought three things. A pack of gum, some ChapStick and a stick of deodorant. Normally, I get two packs, but it went up three dollars and that priced me out. Hell, four out of five people I know graduated from Uni and work at that same packed Starbucks. It’s insane that all they got out of their four years was barista training and student debt. Where are all the jobs?

A June study by Resume Builder has found that three in 10 job listings posted online are for roles that don't actually exist or that the company has no real intention of hiring for. The survey interviewed hiring managers from nearly 650 companies to assess how widespread fake job postings are and whether hiring managers believe it an acceptable practice. These fake job listings covered all levels of employment. The survey found that 63 percent were for entry-level roles; 68 percent for mid-level roles; 53 percent were for senior-level roles; and 45 percent and executive-level roles.

Word to the wise jobs can’t scream that there is a labor shortage and pull unethical tactics like these. Then on top of that the entry level position needs five years of experience and must do the job of three different roles. Again, where are all the jobs? Reality and bottom lines often don’t mix. You can’t worry about profit margins and have your doors open with saran wrap at the entrance.  I get it though, you have a long line of esteemed workers, who have slogged and made their “bones” the hard way. If they did it everyone should, you know the ten years at the same job not offering you upward mobility and laying you off if you don’t fit in the metrics of success. Maybe it’s easier to hire internally and forget all of us on the outside, the coworker’s son with no credentials or experience gets a nice upfront salary with more benefits than his father.

In today's job market, both employers and job seekers are increasingly leveraging generative AI to enhance their employment strategies. Human resources departments and recruiters are utilizing AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline various processes such as resume screening, bulk messaging and candidate ranking. These systems are designed to efficiently handle the large volumes of applications, identify the most suitable candidates and manage communication at scale.

See that’s the crummy part, a business benefits the CEO and shareholders; everyone after that is expendable. When a business is run for profits alone, a team of well-equipped individuals that engage in their work passionately is not there. We get a lack of respect for others’ time and our own time. AI is a great tool, but it can’t be used to take place in what has been for so long human to human interaction. Every

Once again, I ask where are all the jobs? If jobs aren’t equivalent to careers, then I see a lot of those. I’ve seen peers tack gig jobs on top of gig jobs, in an attempt to make ends meet while they wait. Forcefully trying to find a way to maneuver and algorithm that leaves them aloof to if careers are available. We were fed the idea that education meant something, that getting into the right rooms meant something, that careers were afforded to all that worked hard. If low paid labor is our idea of hard work, then no wonder.

So yeah, ask yourself, have you seen the signs? Because at this point, it’s not about prediction, it’s about recognition. We’re not approaching a recession; we’ve been quietly living in one, dressed up in branding and buzzwords to keep us distracted. The jobs are gone, or fake, or behind some digital wall that only answers to algorithms. People aren’t lazy they’re tired. Tired of applying, waiting, hustling, and still coming up short. We’ve traded career paths for survival gigs, futures for instant payouts. The system isn’t broken. It’s functioning exactly as intended—just not for us. And if that doesn’t scream crisis, I don’t know what does. Wake up. This is the warning.

I don’t sugarcoat it. I just call it curbside.

-Jax