Mike Hosking: Do young Kiwis really have a work ethic?

As we sit here, along with places like the United States, were are in the very lucky position of basically having what they call full employment: the ability to employ everyone who wants a bit of work.

We find ourselves with a new problem, well actually not that new, but unfortunately with a problem that we suspected we had a solution for, but sadly it appears we have been wrong.

So the argument was simple: the reason we have been sitting here for the past few years lamenting the fact that industry after industry can't get workers for love nor money was because the money was rubbish.

That was the argument put forward by most; there were those who suggested the problem might actually be slightly more complex than that.

My suspicion is that we have a mix of problems.

Part of it is a mismatch between those who leave school and what they want to do for work - and whether there is a lot of that work out there.

Part of it is a lack of communication from industry over getting their profession in front of kids - engineering would be your classic example, it's a world of options that half the kids wouldn't have the slightest idea about.

Part of it is career guidance, which I am told by those in the business, as well as kids, hasn't changed in decades.

And part of it is attitude: I fear we are producing increasing numbers of New Zealanders who don't actually want to do a lot of work.

From hospitality, to truck driving, to fruit picking, to building. Year in, year out there are shortages, pay them more they argued. If only we didn't offer slave wages, we'd solve our problem.

Well we have some new evidence. They did pay them more in rest home care. They paid them a fortune more, up to 50 per cent more.

A landmark deal, that was brought about through activism and protest, pay equity and a massive $2 billion bill to go with it.

And yet what do we find out? Has the shortage been fixed? No.

Is there a line of applicants to collect this new pay rate? No.

Are they pretty much in the same place they were before the deal? Yes.

The only thing that's really changed, as one person told me last week who has a parent in care, was the massive bill that's been passed on to the punter.

So those affected are all paying more for the same service, while the service still has the same issues it had before the whole thing began.

Now this may or may not play out for other industries, I don't know. But for all those who argue pay is everything are clearly wrong.

And we need to go back to the basics. Why do we work? And why do we work at what we work at?

And the answer has to be fun, some sort of enjoyment, pride, or satisfaction. It has to be a means to an end. A pathway, some experience, or a calling.

Because if the rest home scenario is a case study, they've handed out up to 50 per cent, and it hasn't worked.

And if that doesn't work, and we're still arguing cash is the answer, then a lot of people are going broke.