Lisnaholic

I'm sorry about the dilema that Chula's wife and Occult's mum are in; experienced people who are now the wrong age or insufficiently qualified to find suitable work. In fact, a similar thing happened to me in England; despite experience, I was squeezed out by the up-coming generation who had picked up more computer skills at college.

The sad fact is that in a saturated job market, companies will prefer younger people. In general, they will have more energy, fewer sick days and will be more amenable to company policy, regulations, etc. Older guys have a reputation for being prickly and set in their ways.

Also, governments prefer it that way. If there is going to be an unhappy, unemployed class, older people will cause less trouble; middle-aged people aren't likely to go rioting in the streets and smashing shop windows - however much they may feel like it.

So yeah, we are the sad statistics of modern life - but then, it is essential that young people have jobs. After all, if there is one thing more soul-destroying than being old and unemployable, it's being young and unemployable.

EDIT: What happened to Ewan McColl's dad in the 1930s:-

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953