"You need a job."

When do you think it's simply inappropriate for someone to not have a job? At what point in someone's life does them not having a job make your eyebrows raise and question their purpose, if you do at all?

I'd say by eighteen, but the job market is so difficult these days it's not surprising that they can't find one. I'd say as long as you are applying to places regularly is fine. just living off of your parents though, not as good.

I would not take offence to someone being jobless until they were a few years out of university. Finding proper jobs takes time, and not everyone is willing to work in McDonalds (nor should they be).

When finishing post-second eduction without the intention of doing a masters/etc. Gonna waste all that money to be lazy and sit on your butt?
Also when graduating highschool without the intention or going to post secondary.
In both these situations I can understanding having a summer break from school before cracking down and job-searching however. (Unless their situation calls for having income right away.)

People need to be actively trying (putting in applications every few days/ looking at jobs every day or so/ trying to do the odd job of mowing a lawn in the meantime) or I'll automatically assume they are lazy and just want to feed off their parents/ the government. I don't want my tax to go towards someone who just rather sit on their butt all day than be proactive.

When do you think it's simply inappropriate for someone to not have a job?

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Uh.. this is a double-negative so I will say it's appropriate to have a job at any other time if possible. I can understand there can be health implications that stop people from having jobs, or when they are between jobs and whatnot, and there are many circumstances that are unforseen (like being a single parent with a newborn or something where the baby needs the mother and can't go to a nursery) that make it fair for that person to not work.

François said:

I would not take offence to someone being jobless until they were a few years out of university. Finding proper jobs takes time, and not everyone is willing to work in McDonalds (nor should they be).

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I think that's kind of an extremely offensive mindset. I don't work at McDonalds, but there is nothing wrong with working there. A job is a job, and picking and choosing a job that you think you're "above" is something that I think is wrong with a lot of people looking for work. You have to do what you have to do to get by sometimes, and if you don't have the qualifications that people from jobs ... at your standard, for lack of a better description, are looking for, then you'll have to settle for less to not only provide for yourself, but to provide for your family as well.

I would say if your over 21 and not in Uni/college then you should be working. if not then you should be trying to find a Job and not on Benefits.

Considering the difficulty to land in the job market and the fact that the majority of people pursue some sort of tertiary education after exiting secondary school, whether it be an apprenticeship or a university degree, I would place the age by where you should have some sort of employment at about 25? Of course, if you're actively searching for a job but at the wrong side of adversity, that's a completely different story which I fully sympathise with, but not making any attempt to seek a job and living off the Government or your parents just 'because you can' is simply unacceptable.

I don't think there is any time where being jobless correlates to being inappropriate. Having a job doesn't define one's purpose (unless of course their purpose is to get a job) I think.

If someone is happy and content being jobless, good on them I say.

I think that if you are at least 18, don't have a job and are living with your parents, you could at least do your part, if not a little more, to keep the place clean, do your laundry, and just help out in general, though I think you should have already been doing that since childhood. I think by 18, you should try to at least have a part-time job. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned, but I think it's kind of lazy when you're at that age and you don't have something else to do, but if you're at least helping out around your home or doing something (like going to to school or volunteering at a function) then I can understand not having a job. Cause believe me, work and school is difficult. But parents can't pay for everything forever.

And for the record, when I started job hunting at 18, I said I did not want to work in the food industry of any sort. I used to work at an up-scale restaurant and now I work in the restaurant part of the country club. Aside from getting out of college and teaching, I can't see myself doing anything else before that because that's most of my knowledge now. I think the restaurant industry is fun (when you're not the owner of course) and this probably spawned my love of restaurant shows and such. So even if something isn't your first choice, maybe you should try it out anyway. You may be surprised. Plus, I think people should have the chance to work for the general public at least once in their life. Then you may think twice about not leaving a tip for that young waitress.

It honestly depends. My friend is 22 and hasn't worked for about four years because she takes difficult classes full-time and it's almost impossible for her to squeeze any work in. During the summer she does go to see her mom and friends in another state, though (for the entire summer), so I think it's about time for her to consider cutting her vacations short and finding some seasonal work at least. The economy isn't very friendly towards people with little to no experience. :(

However, if you're going to university/college only three or four days a week and for very few hours per day, it'd only make sense to get a job and start building up your experience. It won't be as easy afterwards.

I wouldn't make any assumptions about someone without a job, especially today. I know someone with two masters degrees who can only get a part time job and not for lack of trying. It's tough. You can't get some jobs because you're "over educated" and the jobs you're potentially qualified for have no openings because more people have higher education and fewer people are retiring. And then you have these gaps in your work history and people think you don't have enough experience, etc. It's all so unfortunate.

tl;dr it all depends on one's situation and as long as someone is doing what they can then I'm not gonna even start to judge

I got my first job at sixteen. I had just recently acquired a SIN card at fifteen, so it was physically impossible to get employed [legally] in Canada until I was sixteen lol

I've been working part-time or full-time (>30h/week) over the last four/five years. Never been unemployed for more than a week. I quit Walmart in September 2013 and was employed three days later in Quebec at Tim Horton's. I quit that and was employed at LoBlaws within a week. Maybe I just have some sort of charm :P but my certificates, education and experience helps, too.

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It becomes inappropriate at nineteen or twenty for me, esp. if you're not in school. I went to school 52h/week (with travel time) and managed to still work 35h/week (with travel time) for a total of 87h/week of pure "work" + the time it took to do projects, homework and to study = No one can complain about doing both simultaneously or at least working. If you're in post-secondary, I find it more acceptable. I don't mind supporting a student. If you're not in post-secondary, then a job of any calibre is necessary, even if you don't like it. Are you in any position to complain about Taco Bell? It's better than being a welfare bum.

I may be shallow, but I refuse to consider dating anyone who isn't either in post-secondary or employed in some respect (with, of course, post-secondary ambitions still in mind). It seems like the person lacks ambition to me + I was taken advantage of for a few years with my ex that I have the mindset that someone who is unemployed may never find employment or go back to school, regardless their individuality. Sure, it doesn't apply to everyone, but I'm very careful about it now.

You can't just say it's innapropriate for someone to not have a job, it really is tough to get a job, in fact I probably wouldnt have had my first and only job if I hadn't had help to get it.

I am 26, unemployed and having a really tough time finding something. I just got turned down for a job at a pet store *sighs*, apperently there were "better people" and I do have over 2 years retail experience, and I am trying but there seems to be very little available. I am also volunteering so I am not just doing nothing. Everyone's situation is different, and jobs do not fall in your lap.

when you're over 21 you should have a job. i've had a job since i was 16. i'm getting use to working.

My mom said that I could live with her until I die as long as I do my chores, but I wouldn't do that to her lol.

Even though it's hard to mix school and work, it's not nearly as hard as some people think. Most people want to jump right into a full-time job immediately, which is perfectly fine, but that tends to bite them when they realize they actually mean full-time. I'd recommend starting off small, getting a simple part-time job and maybe some volunteer work. You won't be nearly as overwhelmed working 2-3 days a week as you will working 5 days. Trust me, my brother decided to do full-time while he was in school, and he would come home at 11 pm and go straight to bed, and he was always tired, no matter what.

But hey, that's just me. If you can fit a full-time job into your schedule, go nuts. You get paid more.

Now, when should you have a job? I was raised to believe that you get a job at 16 while you're in school, but I don't know how others were taught. I honestly think your teenage years is a great time to get a job, provided there's nothing else holding you back. If you're 16 and you spend about 5+ hours at home doing absolutely nothing, give or take a few half-hours, get a job. What's so bad about it? You get paid, what could possibly be bad about that? Well, unless it's illegal money. Don't do drugs, kids.

Honestly, I don't think there's a need to set a minimum or a maximum age on when someone needs to have a job. It just depends on the type of income they are living around, regardless of who they live with. (i.e. a housewife or someone still living with their parents)

I'm 18 and currently unemployed, but I have put in for 3 jobs in retail, with yet to hear back from any of them. That right there is enough proof for me to agree with those who are on the ideal that it's difficult to get a job these days.

When do you think it's simply inappropriate for someone to not have a job?

Never.

At what point in someone's life does them not having a job make your eyebrows raise and question their purpose, if you do at all?

Always. Haha, of course not. If not having a job should make my eyebrows rise, then I should rather focus on when they'll be getting a job and which job they'll be getting. I don't have any hard and fast rules.

François said:

Finding proper jobs takes time, and not everyone is willing to work in McDonalds (nor should they be).

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The humblest of people are the cornerstones of society.

I hadn't even thought of school (which is a huge error on my part, considering I start College this fall).

I suppose it'd be very situational. Everyone has varied moralities, so what seems wrong to some seems perfectly natural to others. All about Perspective, something or other.

I've been trying to get a job for awhile, I'm still in school but I need/want money to be able to buy things I want, since my parents don't have much. My friends have been getting them, and I'm like 'Hey! It would be cool to work at this place/shop, I'm gonna apply!' But they never call me, and I've been trying for awhile, but it's hard where I live, since it's kinda a hole, and all the decent jobs are half an hour away or more. But yeah I don't really need one at the moment, but it would be nice.