Researchers suspect money may play a role.
ONTRADICTING the Republican assertion that wealthy Americans are the nation's job creators, a recent study has found that the rich in America are above all very big vacation takers.
"We think this tendency to opt for vacations may be strongly correlated to wealth," said one researcher, "although more work needs to be done to confirm our hypothesis."
One hundred very wealthy Americans agreed to participate in the study without remuneration "because they don't need the money," the researcher said.
For three months, wealthy subjects were asked to keep a daily log of their activities, a "statistically significant" number of which were logged in The Hamptons, the Riviera, and Bora Bora.
One wealthy woman, aware that her logs might be published for the study, dedicated forty-five minutes out of every day to "job creating thoughts." Among her thoughts were: "brainstorm what a 'job' is"; "give Manuel a raise"; and "get last year's gown's dry-cleaned for charity auction to clear mind for more job thoughts."
Several men in the study set out specifically to create jobs, but claimed to be thwarted in their efforts by, as one man put it, "having to keep this blasted log. It wearies one horribly."
Researchers compiled their results and found some revealing trends:
- Eighty-five members of the study group created zero jobs, but did very well at croquet.
- Twelve members wanted to create jobs, but couldn't very well do much about it on the deck of the Queen Mary 2.
- Two subjects almost created a job, but then lost it at the polo races.
- One woman hired a butler, thus creating a job, but then found him wanting in the silver-polishing department.
"Such a disappointment to us all," said the lone, temporary job creator. "But silver is silver."
© 4.16.12 Kate Heidel
