“Just Go Into A Trade,” The Myth of a One-Size-Fits-All Solution to Poverty
I saw the exasperated defeat of a single mom who was struggling. She was trying to put herself through nursing school while taking care of her daughter and her mother, wondering if she would ever even own her own home. She posted her frustration online to her community. Maybe she wanted extra support, maybe she just wanted to know she was not alone.
A recently released, four-month study of the North Bay showed clear affordable housing discrimination to single female renters with children in Marin County, and single female Latina renters in Sonoma County. This again, highlighted a struggle for single parents and women, not only for homeownership but also to find a place to rent, and just have the basics in their life.
Then the comments started. “Quit Whining,” “Work Harder,” “It is not the government's job to take care of you,” “Go into the trades, that's what my sons did, now they make six figures, and do not have to rent, you can just buy a house.” (she was an investment realtor) “College is overrated,” and one man said, “There are TONS of trades for women who can't do manual labor.”
In the face of economic struggles, the advice “Just go into a trade” has become a commonly parroted phrase from well-meaning individuals. It’s the new “learn to code,” back in the day. While trades can indeed offer viable career paths and are respected as much as a college degree, there is a varied complexity of issues people face, and this solution is not a fix-all remedy for poverty. Telling struggling or poor people to “just go into a trade” can inadvertently gaslight them into believing that only they alone are responsible for what is happening to them. This oversimplification fails to consider the circumstances many face, such as childcare responsibilities, lack of support, and systemic barriers. The women were not turned down for an apartment because they didn't go to welding school. Dismissing these challenges with a quick-fix solution is dismissive of the very real hardships people are experiencing.
As a woman, trades ARE hard to get into. As a woman who attempted to break into the automotive field, I experienced firsthand the gender disparity prevalent in trades. The notion that trades are an accessible option for everyone ignores the barriers in these fields. Issues of discrimination, harassment, and lack of opportunities are significant obstacles that cannot be ignored.
Contrary to popular belief, trades do not always guarantee the lucrative incomes that some suggest. United Auto Workers are currently fighting for higher wages and many fiscal conservatives are convinced that “they are making decent money.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average autoworker makes about $28 per hour. This wage increased about a dollar from the year before.* While it is more than childcare providers in the states they work in and a little bit more than restaurant industries in their state, it is still less than the median income, at about $58,240 (Median income is $74,000).* It is not enough to buy a home in America. To afford a median-priced home in the country, an American needs to earn closer to $100,000 a year, up from $75,500 in 2022. And even then, they would be priced out of owning a home in nearly half of the 50 largest cities in the country.*
- *https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2023/10/14/how-much-uaw-workers-earn-comparison/71159764007/
- *https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html
- *https://www.visualcapitalist.com/what-you-need-to-earn-to-own-a-home-in-50-american-cities/#:~:text=So%20to%20afford%20a%20median,largest%20cities%20in%20the%20country.
Moreover, we ignore the substantial financial burdens that often accompany the pursuit of higher education or trade school, deterring many from seeking seemingly lucrative six-figure careers. The rising cost of tuition, coupled with the burden of student loan interest rates, has created a formidable barrier for individuals aspiring to break into certain professions. Even in the realm of trade schools, while they may offer a more direct path to certain careers, the associated costs can be prohibitive for those already grappling with economic hardships.
The irony lies in the fact that the promise of financial success through these educational avenues often comes at a steep price, placing additional strain on individuals who are working hard to overcome systemic barriers.
In pursuit of financial stability, many parents find themselves working multiple jobs, sacrificing quality time with their families. The impact is not only felt by parents but also by children who, in turn, are forced to contribute to household incomes while still in high school. This cycle of absent parents and overworked children has consequences and damages children’s ability to thrive with proper guidance.
Not everyone is equipped to work in trades, pursue a six-figure job, or attend college. Yet we snub our nose at those working unskilled jobs, often stigmatizing them, despite their indispensable role in our daily lives, and tell people working unskilled jobs to “become skilled” or else be doomed to struggle for the rest of their lives. Employees working full-time at minimum wage cannot afford necessities, such as food, housing, transportation, childcare, and healthcare in any location. No one in America who works 40 hours a week should be below the poverty line.
Being poor is expensive. You don’t get volume discounts. You never have enough money to buy in volume. You don’t get credit cards. You can’t have credit until you have money. You don’t get points on purchases on your credit cards. You don’t get free checking because you can’t keep a minimum balance in the account. So you have to pay someone to cash your paycheck. It costs a lot more to do laundry in a laundromat than it does to do it in a washer/dryer at home, but you don’t ever have $1000 to buy and install a washer/dryer. You can’t afford to get a cavity filled. You have to wait for an abscess to form before you can get it treated, and then you pay to lose the tooth and buy antibiotics to cure the infection before it kills you. You can’t afford to buy high-quality items that will last a long time because you can never wait long enough to accumulate the money, so you wind up buying cheap things over and over again because you need them now. And that’s more expensive. You never get enough sleep, which causes health problems and decreased productivity. There are a lot of better jobs you could get if public transportation would get you there and back, or if you could afford to live closer to where the jobs are so you could walk or hitch a ride. These are just a few of the things most people don’t even have to think about.
It is long overdue that we reframe the narrative around the minimum wage, emphasizing its origin with FDR as a means for individuals to meet their basic needs, rather than a wage solely for teenagers in school.
In our pursuit of a more equitable society, there are no simplistic solutions to the various challenges that individuals facing poverty encounter. Rather than perpetuating a one-size-fits-all remedy from the 60s, we must actively engage in dismantling the barriers to housing and financial stability.
Advocating for subsidized childcare can empower parents to pursue career opportunities, and reinstating welfare-to-work programs that can provide a safety net for those striving for a better future. Additionally, our collective effort should be directed toward urging policymakers to prioritize the creation of genuinely affordable housing, or housing on sliding scales. Contrary to the woman’s belief who said, “It is not the government’s job to take care of you,” we, as taxpayers, contribute to the collective pool of resources that sustain our nation, and it is reasonable to expect that our government plays a role in creating a level playing field. Advocating for accessible education, housing, or anything, else is not an unreasonable request; rather, it aligns with the fundamental principle that a government should actively work to ensure opportunities are distributed fairly among its citizens. In essence, it is a shared responsibility to use our collective resources to build a society where economic opportunities are not just accessible to a privileged few but are extended to all who contribute to the common good through their taxes.
It has become apparent that our society has, to some extent, shifted towards an “every man for themselves” attitude, a scarcity complex, and fear that if someone has more, they will have less. We, as a nation, shifted to an attitude where individuals should solely rely on personal efforts to overcome obstacles, rather than advocating for them. This mentality places undue burdens on individuals, creates isolation, and has caused a breakdown in a truly thriving society of communal support.
By pointing out political corruptions, pointing out systems created for us to fail, holding for-profit industries of education and housing accountable for over-inflation and greed, supporting those daring to step down a greater path, championing causes, and addressing the systemic issues at play, we can collectively contribute to creating a society that values and supports individuals from all walks of life on their journey toward economic security and stable housing.
We are all stakeholders in each other’s well-being. The economic outcome for the single mother will affect her child’s education and future, which will affect the broader society around her. Multiply that by all the struggling people out there. Therefore, we should all want her to thrive.
