The changing face of the middle class

N1AK

grizzly1911 wrote: »

I read somewhere that being a doctor was good (Asian view?)as it provides a career for life if one isn't stupid. Many others having a more limited potential due to constant change and competition bumping people out.

I don't think anyone could argue with the idea that Doctors, Dentists and other medical specialisations are a good career choice. The fact that jobs are spread across the country, and world, certainly is a nice bonus.

kabayiri

The middle class pendulum may well swing again.

2 decades ago I had to commute weekly to London.

1 decade ago I only visited one day a week.

At the moment I can do it all via telecommute.

Cheaper for me == cheaper for the client.

I can't be alone in this.

purch

kabayiri wrote: »

I can't be alone in this.

You are when you telecommute :eek:

JWF

You are the Doctor and i claim my £5

movilogo

If properties had become unaffordable, then market would have become stagnant. But even then, houses are selling in days (even outside London) at so called inflated price. Not many houses are being repossed either.

It seems like a paradox!

BobQ

getmore4less wrote: »

We have new career choices the IT industry is(if you choose the right sector) is a relatively high paying even at the lower end jobs.

Many that would have been career engineers are now in IT still earning well into the "middle class" salary ranges. Although the UK is still a world leader in Engineering innovation and good money is available.

As above the trend to push more into higher education has created a glut of nearlies/wanabees.
Look good on paper but in reality are not that smart and have aspirations beyond their abilities, we have a trend for quantity over quality.

This misses the point. If this nation wants to have the ability to design and develop innovating things (whether we are talking about nuclear power stations or vacuum cleaners) we need good quality scientists and engineers. Many that we have are retiring.

One of the disadvantages of making people pay the full cost of their university education is that they decide what they study and the nation ends up with too many doctors and media studies specialists and not enough nuclear engineers and food scientists.

misskool

BobQ wrote: »

This misses the point. If this nation wants to have the ability to design and develop innovating things (whether we are talking about nuclear power stations or vacuum cleaners) we need good quality scientists and engineers. Many that we have are retiring.

One of the disadvantages of making people pay the full cost of their university education is that they decide what they study and the nation ends up with too many doctors and media studies specialists and not enough nuclear engineers and food scientists.

Actually, one of the biggest problems in HE at the moment is too many PhD's and too many postdoctoral workers chasing very very few permanent positions.

There is a trend for short term solutions, "training" PhD students and fixed term contract workers but the number of permanent jobs haven't increased by near the amount of postgraduate students. So you get a glut of very well trained workers on low wages.

The problems are many fold but the one thing this country isn't short of is PhD's!

Thrugelmir

Middle class is suffering due to a decline in the number of middle management roles within service industries. .

grizzly1911

misskool wrote: »

The problems are many fold but the one thing this country isn't short of is PhD's!

Don't a lot do a PhDs or Masters because there aren't suitable work positions for them to actually move into?

I know one guy who has a Masters working on virtually minimum wage, short term contract who lacks social skills, common sense and will probably always struggle in the world of work.

Keeps the Universities going no doubt.

grizzly1911

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Middle class is suffering due to a decline in the number of middle management roles within service industries. .

Weren't they really white collar working class?

Middle class was stretched too far down the scale, to make people feel important.