Entry Level

I just got back from my third job interview this week. I've been looking for an entry-level administrative support position (read: receptionist). I haven't had much luck. I can only look at my experiences so far and laugh. I'm one of the thousands--tens of thousands, probably--of the college Class of '92 who are still looking for work. I can laugh because I'm lucky enough to have parents who can provide a roof over my head and the occasional use of a car.

WASHINGTON - Although the housing market is rebounding in many local markets, one important segment is not: First-time buyers are missing in action and represent a smaller proportion of overall sales activity than their historical norm. Whereas first-timers typically account for roughly 40% of sales, lately they've been involved in about 30% to 35%, depending on the source of the data. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Assn. of Realtors, estimates that there were 2.2 million fewer first-time buyers in the United States between 2008 and 2012 - a deficit of about 450,000 a year.

THE MOST important thing for any poor person trying to improve his or her condition is, of course, a job. It is the entry-level job that accords impoverished workers -- even those with no skills, no references and no employment record -- the invaluable opportunity to succeed and to prosper. It is literally the first rung up the ladder of success. If that is true, then the most vicious governmental policy would be one that eliminates entry-level jobs, making it harder for the poor to get a foothold in life.

San Jose State launched a program Tuesday that will offer low-cost, online classes in entry-level subjects that are often in high demand for students seeking to transfer or obtain a degree. The university will partner with Udacity, a Silicon Valley online education group, to create for-credit courses. If successful, the program could expand access to tens of thousands of underserved students, including those in high school and community college, wait-listed San Jose State students and nontraditional students such as veterans and adults with jobs and families.

Is there any truth to the belief that retirees aren't being respected or appreciated for their experience and wisdom? Not according to the American Assn. of Retired Persons, which reports that business managers are welcoming retired people back to the workplace in increasing numbers.

Having lived in the South Bay for about 10 years, I've been happy about the ocean beauty of this place. One can't help but notice how youth-oriented this place really is, and that is good. I love kids. They are not as bad as we make them out to be. I believe in them and I think we as parents should help them as much as possible. Not with material things--I mean help them get started in life, careers and schools. Now, if we all try to do our job in this area, why don't these large companies help them out, establish a program for them, provide entry-level positions for them, and really and truly give them a break?

Few would disagree with the finding of a recent study ("L.A. May Need $6 Billion to Rebuild" (July 29), which underscores the urgent need for massive job creation in the riot-ravaged inner city. However, I would like to point out that over 10 years ago Caltrans recognized this priority need and had the foresight to initiate an economy-stimulating, job-training program for I-105 Glenn M. Anderson (Century) Freeway corridor residents. Thousands of inner-city men and women have learned valuable skills in the free Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, which has enabled them to get well-paying construction jobs.

Only one in 10 households in the San Francisco Bay Area could afford a median-priced, single-family detached home in April, the lowest figure since records started being kept and the worst in the state, the California Assn. of Realtors reported today. To qualify for a mortgage loan on a median-priced home of $261,520 in April, a Bay Area household needed a minimum annual income of $85,904 and faced monthly payments of $2,148, assuming a 20% down payment, the association said. San Francisco's affordability index was down slightly from March, when 11% of households could afford a median-priced home of $249,508.

"It's Business as Usual for Living-Wage Opponents" (Opinion, Dec. 8) does not address the most basic issue of all--who is going to pay for the added cost of subsidizing Los Angeles city and perhaps county contract services? The "recent UC Riverside study" referred to in the article does in fact identify increased costs for the city--$93 million annually, which is likely understated. The study goes on to assume that somehow small businesses, many minority-owned, that contract with the city will somehow absorb the cost.

In his Oct. 11 "Ask the Inspector" column, Barry Stone said that a contractor must perform 1,000 inspections to become competent as an inspector ("Advice for Finding a Competent Home Inspector.") I am a home inspector, and I've been a hands-on general contractor for 37 years. I've drawn plans and have built and remodeled many homes. I don't need 1,000 inspections to become competent and professional. Mike Via e-mail Stone replies: When I specified 1,000 home inspections as a reliable benchmark of proficiency among home inspectors, it was not my intention to offend or demean inspectors with less than this level of direct inspection experience.

DETROIT - Fancy nameplates in the auto business are prepping for a bruising battle for buyers of entry-level luxury sport sedans. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week, the Germans and Japanese showed a flurry of new lower-end luxury models, which analysts say have big growth potential among cost- and efficiency-minded buyers who still want nicely appointed performance sedans. The new crop includes redesigned versions of the Lexus IS line, the first Mercedes-Benz front-wheel-drive sedan for the U.S. market, Infiniti's Q50 replacement for its G37 sedan and a BMW 320i, priced about 10% below where the current 3-Series line starts.

Lexus recently introduced an all-new car, the CT 200h, and it's a hybrid in more ways than one. Unless you're a descendant of Gregor Mendel or his peas, it's likely you think of hybrids in strictly automotive terms. But let us not forget that the term has long been more broadly applied to the result of two dissimilar entities being combined. Think of the pluot, a sweet combination of the plum and apricot. To that end, this five-door hatchback is a hybrid of performance and efficiency, entry-level economics and stylish luxury and, unfortunately, Lexus and cost cutting.

Drafting is an auto racing art, the trick being to follow another car closely enough to take advantage of reduced air resistance, but not so closely as to crash into its bumper. For the 2011 model year, this racetrack technique is wafting into the increasingly competitive space of subcompacts, a market segment that inspired yawns until two years ago when gasoline prices shot holes through consumers' wallets and got them thinking small. Take the Mazda2, an inexpensive new hatchback that's taking advantage of Ford's heavily marketed new Fiesta — a car that itself was following the success of Honda's capacious Fit and Toyota's bargain-basement Yaris.

Foreclosures in California and other Western states continued to batter sales for builder KB Home, which reported its fifth-straight quarterly loss. The Westwood-based builder lost $256 million, or $3.30 a share, for its fiscal second quarter ended May 31. That was more than triple the average loss estimate by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Shares of KB Home sank 41 cents Friday to $17.72. The stock has fallen 55% in the last year.

When economic worries rise, many consumers forgo life's little luxuries. Those luxuries are getting a lot bigger. March proved another tough month for carmakers, with overall U.S. sales declining 12% compared to the same month last year, reports released Tuesday showed. While results were bad in nearly all categories, among the larger drags were luxury vehicles, which declined 15%, according to Autodata Corp.

Firefighters, nurses, teachers, civil servants and others seeking market-rate, entry-level homes in Los Angeles County are going to have more to choose from after last week's launch of a $150-million fund to help create workforce housing.

There's nothing like competition to bring down the price of a product, even expensive electric cars. Chrysler Group said it will be offering a special deal on its first electric car, the Fiat 500e, when it goes on sale this summer. While the sticker price will be $32,500 before various government incentives, California residents can lease the car for $199 a month, plus tax, and a $999 down payment. It is a 36-month lease. Photos: Top 10 cars with lowest cost per mpg “It is a pretty attractive deal to test the waters and see what kind of a take rate they can get,” said Mike Wall, an analyst with IHS Automotive.

The real estate bust idled hundreds of thousands of construction workers. Now, with housing on the mend, builders are hiring again. Trouble is, many workers aren't coming back. Years of sporadic employment drove many from the industry. Incomes aren't what they used to be. Laid-off workers remember the sting of lost livelihoods; some have had enough of boom and bust. Former house painter Alan Schaffer has hung up his paintbrush to pursue a degree in business administration.

Big Dog's got a brand-new motorcycle for 2008. Predictably canine in nomenclature, it's called the Mutt. Having spent a day aboard Big Dog's latest, I'd say it's a Rottweiler-Labrador mix -- fierce and powerful but also friendly and coordinated. With its 682 pounds powered by a throbbing 117-cubic-inch S&S V-twin motor, this manageable ProStreet isn't quite the novice bike it's billed as, though it is the puppy of Big Dog's five-model lineup.

THE MOST important thing for any poor person trying to improve his or her condition is, of course, a job. It is the entry-level job that accords impoverished workers -- even those with no skills, no references and no employment record -- the invaluable opportunity to succeed and to prosper. It is literally the first rung up the ladder of success. If that is true, then the most vicious governmental policy would be one that eliminates entry-level jobs, making it harder for the poor to get a foothold in life.