3 ms·

“Shortage of programmers” almost always means “we don’t want to pay full price for programmers”.

smnrchrds 6y ago
Isn't that the definition of shortage? When we say there is a shortage of X, it means that there is X, but not enough of it to keep the prices at an affordable level, so the prices have risen and some people who need X, want X, and/or previously could afford X no longer can. This is true as long as there is a shortage, not an absolute lack of something. I mean, famines happened because sometimes there would be a shortage of food, perhaps due to drought, or a sudden increase in population not matched by an increase in food production. Prices would go through the roof. Rich people could afford the new prices and persevered. Poor people died of hunger. But if the poor mustered enough gold, they could go buy food like rich people did. So my question is, do you consider famines shortages? If not, what even is a shortage? In yes, how is labour shortage any different, except in scale?
- Invictus0 6y ago
  The mere fact of something being expensive doesn't mean that there is a shortage of it. A shortage is when there is less of a given thing than there is demand for it. Typically, demand goes down when price goes up and there is no longer a shortage, so a lack of essential goods like water would be considered a shortage because demand cannot retreat in the way that demand for programmers can retreat.
- blululu 6y ago
  Note that your example of a famine brings up 'shortage' before any mention of prices. There are multiple ideas of shortage at play. At the most basic level shortage can mean that there is not enough of a good/service for everyone to have it at any price (food in a famine, medicine in a pandemic). Typically we apply shortage to situations where the supply and demand curves reach some hard stop at the edges (elasticity goes to 0). In the case of normal market dynamics where supply and demand are both reasonably elastic then there really are no shortages per say - just cheapskates.
- fluffything 6y ago
  Finally! A comedian! Perfectly setting up the classical joke that banks are too poor to find COBOL programmers because there is a "shortage" ;) ;) You, sir, are a true connoisseur and made my day! Thank you!
- BrainInAJar 6y ago
  > keep the prices at an affordable level They're a bank. They can afford it.

Isn't that the definition of shortage? When we say there is a shortage of X, it means that there is X, but not enough of it to keep the prices at an affordable level, so the prices have risen and some people who need X, want X, and/or previously could afford X no longer can. This is true as long as there is a shortage, not an absolute lack of something. I mean, famines happened because sometimes there would be a shortage of food, perhaps due to drought, or a sudden increase in population not matched by an increase in food production. Prices would go through the roof. Rich people could afford the new prices and persevered. Poor people died of hunger. But if the poor mustered enough gold, they could go buy food like rich people did. So my question is, do you consider famines shortages? If not, what even is a shortage? In yes, how is labour shortage any different, except in scale?

Invictus0 6y ago
The mere fact of something being expensive doesn't mean that there is a shortage of it. A shortage is when there is less of a given thing than there is demand for it. Typically, demand goes down when price goes up and there is no longer a shortage, so a lack of essential goods like water would be considered a shortage because demand cannot retreat in the way that demand for programmers can retreat.
blululu 6y ago
Note that your example of a famine brings up 'shortage' before any mention of prices. There are multiple ideas of shortage at play. At the most basic level shortage can mean that there is not enough of a good/service for everyone to have it at any price (food in a famine, medicine in a pandemic). Typically we apply shortage to situations where the supply and demand curves reach some hard stop at the edges (elasticity goes to 0). In the case of normal market dynamics where supply and demand are both reasonably elastic then there really are no shortages per say - just cheapskates.
fluffything 6y ago
Finally! A comedian! Perfectly setting up the classical joke that banks are too poor to find COBOL programmers because there is a "shortage" ;) ;) You, sir, are a true connoisseur and made my day! Thank you!
BrainInAJar 6y ago
> keep the prices at an affordable level They're a bank. They can afford it.