Today's New Financial World

For those who find themselves on the line financially because of job loss, health care costs and the economy life is getting a little tougher. Many of these people in this predicament are, or were from the middle class and are now being relegated to lower class status and this really begs the question, "Is the middle class vanishing?" For those of us who have graced this part of the of the century as middle class citizens and are facing these huge losses it is more than a little daunting.

The car companies are all trumpeting the fact that they will be coming back leaner and better - but they will be back! But in the wake of this mess the one thing that seems to be lost is that the over 40s worker who will re-train but who will not fit the young and energetic image that many employers are searching for in this new economy will be the biggest casualty.

Most young people will find a way around these economic woes, but the face of the new poor will probably be the children of World War II who have helped build what we know as the middle class today. The jobs that will be available for these workers is shocking. Jobs like greeters and cashiers or some of the other retail positions are and will be available, but if a person is a skilled worker, or a college educated one there is nothing now to utilize the skills that have been honed over a decade or more. From machinists to middle managers and business people there are few jobs, and fewer actual openings.

So how do we as a country work to create the jobs, careers and hope for those mired in this newly made situation? One outlet might be the industries that President Obama is hoping to create in our more energy efficient future. The expertise from engineers down to the tradesman in these new businesses could lead to answers as to how these workers might be put back to work. But the main idea many of those hiring have to get past is the idea that an older worker is not as viable possibility as any other looking for work. After all we are fast becoming a nation of older workers courtesy of the baby boom generation and we need all our worker to actually get through this mess.

Convincing those who hire might not be an easy step, but it is a necessary one in order to get these talented people back into the workforce. In order to get our nation back on track it is also truly a necessity.