You know me, I just can’t keep my mouth shut.

After finding yet another posting on Craigslist about the subject of fair wages for skilled and unskilled labor, I decided to post something in the wrong category (I posted it as a “gig” when it’s really just a rant) since that’s where the conversation is happening on the ground. Here’s how mine went:

I appreciate the comments of people who have been posting on the subject of going rates for various grades of labor. Buuuut it seems like people are being perhaps a tad unrealistic.

We’re in a Depression, sure the early stages of it, but the global economy is going into a tailspin. In a few months, people will be stumbling over themselves to get a *terrible* job that pays ten dollars an hour.

As far as labor goes, this right now seems like the time to be gain new skills any way you can and accrue value within your local community by doing things like volunteering, working for lower wages or for free, for barter, and just helping each other out in general according to a cooperative charitable spirit. Good working relationships made now - instead of being petulant about wages (though everyone has a right to make a living) - will pay off dividends when times get a lot worse.

PS. Please flag this post for being miscategorized. I like the fact that there’s a conversation happening about this stuff, but I agree with trying to keep results on Craigslist clean and well-sorted (as I commence to muddying them up)

I also posted a little self-congratulatory bit of social advertising under the “gain new skills” link. Figure it couldn’t hurt.