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Well my education is in economics and, in general, the way to solve a 'shortage' in labour is to raise wages. Of course, what they're really talking about is a

by Mikeb85 10y ago

Well my education is in economics and, in general, the way to solve a 'shortage' in labour is to raise wages. Of course, what they're really talking about is a shortage in engineers willing to do the job at the price they've specified, so they lobby the government to open up immigration to workers from abroad willing to work for less, while at the same time trying to push more and more kids into CS, so that the market will be over-saturated with workers and they'll be able to drive wages down to blue-collar levels... Edit - guess I should answer the article more directly. There isn't a tech skills shortage. There's lots of tech workers. I personally know a bunch who are unemployed or in other fields. This article has yet more data on it. But the shortage is a useful scapegoat for the practices I described above.

sharemywin 10y ago
The problem is the shortage is with companies wanting exactly "XYZ" experience in the last 2-3 years.
- Mikeb85 10y ago
  If there was a real shortage, it wouldn't be a problem. The more a business needs labour, the more flexible the 'requirements'.
  - sharemywin 10y ago
    Businesses have a hard time quantify the value of IT labor. add a widget maker and he can produce x more units. If the demand is good enough they hire him. with IT its different. I could write thousands of lines of shitty code and it takes a while to figure it out especially if I'm "training".
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
linkregister 10y ago
This article is about the UK software development market, which is significantly different from that of the US.
jimmydddd 10y ago
I agree with this point. A Rutgers University professor did some research on this issue. He is quoted as saying something like "just because I can't find a 60 inch flat screen TV for $100 doesn't mean there's a shortage of flat screen TVs."
- ryandrake 10y ago
  Yea, I use the "I want a $10K Ferarri = shortage of Ferarris" example but it's the same thing. The word shortage is meaningless without stating the asking price.
  - wolfgke 10y ago
    "Shortage" means that even if you payed absurdly high prices you will not get any/not enough, though you would immediately be willing to pay that price.
    - dwaltrip 10y ago
      The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is, which of course is going to be a matter of debate.
      - wolfgke 10y ago
        > The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is "absurdly high" is intended to mean an amount of money high enough such that not the money but the supply is the limiting factor.
    - helthanatos 10y ago
      Likely, raising wages for computer jobs would lead to more people doing jobs, but it may also lead to lower quality. Computer programmers try to have job security and delay or wait until deadlines to get things done. Giving them more money could make them more competitive or they may see more money and more security. It's amazing how much of a difference there is in computer jobs and pay. There's also a chance that some jobs people just don't like and won't accept without a ridiculous amount of money. But then again, if no one wants to do it without a large sum, that may make the job worth the money.
jrnichols 10y ago
> the way to solve a 'shortage' in labour is to raise wages. I wish that was happening in health care. We hear that we have a shortage of people in EMS, but our wages have been stagnant for years. Happening a lot in nursing as well. Keep hearing about shortages, but there are new grads that can't find jobs. Although some of those "shortages" are self-caused too. Not everyone is going to be able to find a new grad nurse job right there in the SF Bay Area. Sometimes you just need to take that job in Sacramento to get things started.
bobosha 10y ago
Put another way: "there is no shortage of jobs, just a shortage at the salaries these devs feel entitled to. "

by Mikeb85 10y ago

sharemywin 10y ago

The problem is the shortage is with companies wanting exactly "XYZ" experience in the last 2-3 years.

Mikeb85 10y ago
If there was a real shortage, it wouldn't be a problem. The more a business needs labour, the more flexible the 'requirements'.
- sharemywin 10y ago
  Businesses have a hard time quantify the value of IT labor. add a widget maker and he can produce x more units. If the demand is good enough they hire him. with IT its different. I could write thousands of lines of shitty code and it takes a while to figure it out especially if I'm "training".
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

linkregister 10y ago

This article is about the UK software development market, which is significantly different from that of the US.

jimmydddd 10y ago

I agree with this point. A Rutgers University professor did some research on this issue. He is quoted as saying something like "just because I can't find a 60 inch flat screen TV for $100 doesn't mean there's a shortage of flat screen TVs."

ryandrake 10y ago
Yea, I use the "I want a $10K Ferarri = shortage of Ferarris" example but it's the same thing. The word shortage is meaningless without stating the asking price.
- wolfgke 10y ago
  "Shortage" means that even if you payed absurdly high prices you will not get any/not enough, though you would immediately be willing to pay that price.
  - dwaltrip 10y ago
    The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is, which of course is going to be a matter of debate.
    - wolfgke 10y ago
      > The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is "absurdly high" is intended to mean an amount of money high enough such that not the money but the supply is the limiting factor.
  - helthanatos 10y ago
    Likely, raising wages for computer jobs would lead to more people doing jobs, but it may also lead to lower quality. Computer programmers try to have job security and delay or wait until deadlines to get things done. Giving them more money could make them more competitive or they may see more money and more security. It's amazing how much of a difference there is in computer jobs and pay. There's also a chance that some jobs people just don't like and won't accept without a ridiculous amount of money. But then again, if no one wants to do it without a large sum, that may make the job worth the money.

jrnichols 10y ago

> the way to solve a 'shortage' in labour is to raise wages. I wish that was happening in health care. We hear that we have a shortage of people in EMS, but our wages have been stagnant for years. Happening a lot in nursing as well. Keep hearing about shortages, but there are new grads that can't find jobs. Although some of those "shortages" are self-caused too. Not everyone is going to be able to find a new grad nurse job right there in the SF Bay Area. Sometimes you just need to take that job in Sacramento to get things started.

bobosha 10y ago

Put another way: "there is no shortage of jobs, just a shortage at the salaries these devs feel entitled to. "