Skilled Workers

Re “A Shortage of Skilled Workers,” Opinion, Nov. 2: Joel Kotkin only tells some of the factors that have caused the labor shortage. What about the barrage of downsizing of recent years that forced many experienced and skilled people into early retirement? And what about the dismissal of these higher-paid, skilled workers in favor of lower-paid, younger workers. With no orderly transitioning of skills from the older workers to the younger ones, the end result is that it’ll cost the corporation more at the end.

The California Supreme Court decision on the age discrimination case (Oct. 30) will make matters even worse. I predict the labor shortage will become chronic in the years to come, unless we have a plan to take advantage of these displaced older, but highly skilled, workers.

ROBERT YING

Laguna Niguel

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* The California Supreme Court decided to let stand the decision that permits employers to terminate older workers without fear of age discrimination lawsuits. I hope all those 50- to 60-year-old voters, who will be standing on the corners with a tin cup begging for money, will remember how gleefully they voted out of office 11 years ago all those “damned liberal soft-hearted judges.”

“As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

BURTON BACH

Ontario