Jobless

The tale (Times, Dec. 30) of young, unemployed auto workers receiving welfare rather than working because they are unable to find jobs paying $14 an hour without a high school education or any marketable skills confirms the benefit of economic competition.

Thanks to industrious Japanese manufacturers and price-conscious American consumers, many admittedly unskilled, uneducated, and overpaid unionized employees of U.S. auto makers have finally been forced to confront the real world. We should applaud, not lament, this development.

The “disappearance of thousands of high-paying jobs that required few skills” translates into lower car prices and increased consumer welfare.

MARK S. PULLIAM San Diego