Current Job Market

[Ignatius]

I saw this post and wanted to start a new thread:

Walmart low on oil

Was talking to real dad last night. Had to laugh when he said he could not find any conventional oil. I said “dad, this isn’t the 50’s or 70’s and synthetic and synthetic blends meet manufacturer specs, a conventional never will”

bobistheoilguy.com

A month ago today I left my employer who I had been working for since July 2018 due to the fact that business had seen a major downturn (despite posting record breaking during the previous 18 month time period). On top of that we had massive turnover due to what I believe was a shift in company policy to pay their employees as little as they could get away with in the sense that they could still retain said employee(s) under those conditions. Thankfully I have a fair amount of money saved up and live without much expense so I've been fine simply taking the past month off to travel and also just have time for myself that I have not had for a long time it seems.

That all being said I have been out looking at what the job market has to offer in my local area to plot what my next adventure in earning will be. I have been working in a seasonal position for UPS in which I get to determine when I want to work which has been okay to pick up a few extra bucks and give me something to do. It seems like everyone is hiring right now and there are a superabundance of jobs that pretty much any person with a high school diploma and no experience can get and make anywhere between $15-$25 per hour. One of the biggest issues right now is with the covid shots and the fact that some employers are wanting to impose their own individual mandates on their workers and others are simply trying to figure out what to do be it weekly testing for those who have not (and perhaps refuse to) receive the shots. One major employer in my area is now seeing huge manpower shortages since they decided to mandate the shots for their workers, they have workers protesting on the street in front of company headquarters and many are simply deciding to retire or otherwise self-terminate their employment.

I have applied for a variety of different positions and aside from the hoops you normally have to jump through like drug screen and background checks it seems like just about any employer will hire anyone actually willing to work for them. I've had several entities contact me same day after I submitted my resume to them asking me to interview with them same day or ASAP otherwise, if not outright offer me a position no strings attached so long as I jump through the aforementioned hoops. It's nice because I've found myself in a position where I can pick and choose what I want to do next on my own terms, in fact I've had a few places that I've turned down that have continued to solicit me with other positions I might find more favorable because it seems that they are so hard up to get anyone to work for them.

I really think that employers are going to have to start coming to realization that they're going to have to offer more to potential employees to incentivize and motivate said people to want to work for them. Pay, benefits, and just about everything else is similar across the board and it looks like every company has found itself in the exact same position as far as manpower shortages, etc.

 

[hrv]

I saw this post and wanted to start a new thread:

Walmart low on oil

Was talking to real dad last night. Had to laugh when he said he could not find any conventional oil. I said “dad, this isn’t the 50’s or 70’s and synthetic and synthetic blends meet manufacturer specs, a conventional never will”

bobistheoilguy.com

A month ago today I left my employer who I had been working for since July 2018 due to the fact that business had seen a major downturn (despite posting record breaking during the previous 18 month time period). On top of that we had massive turnover due to what I believe was a shift in company policy to pay their employees as little as they could get away with in the sense that they could still retain said employee(s) under those conditions. Thankfully I have a fair amount of money saved up and live without much expense so I've been fine simply taking the past month off to travel and also just have time for myself that I have not had for a long time it seems.

That all being said I have been out looking at what the job market has to offer in my local area to plot what my next adventure in earning will be. I have been working in a seasonal position for UPS in which I get to determine when I want to work which has been okay to pick up a few extra bucks and give me something to do. It seems like everyone is hiring right now and there are a superabundance of jobs that pretty much any person with a high school diploma and no experience can get and make anywhere between $15-$25 per hour. One of the biggest issues right now is with the covid shots and the fact that some employers are wanting to impose their own individual mandates on their workers and others are simply trying to figure out what to do be it weekly testing for those who have not (and perhaps refuse to) receive the shots. One major employer in my area is now seeing huge manpower shortages since they decided to mandate the shots for their workers, they have workers protesting on the street in front of company headquarters and many are simply deciding to retire or otherwise self-terminate their employment.

I have applied for a variety of different positions and aside from the hoops you normally have to jump through like drug screen and background checks it seems like just about any employer will hire anyone actually willing to work for them. I've had several entities contact me same day after I submitted my resume to them asking me to interview with them same day or ASAP otherwise, if not outright offer me a position no strings attached so long as I jump through the aforementioned hoops. It's nice because I've found myself in a position where I can pick and choose what I want to do next on my own terms, in fact I've had a few places that I've turned down that have continued to solicit me with other positions I might find more favorable because it seems that they are so hard up to get anyone to work for them.

I really think that employers are going to have to start coming to realization that they're going to have to offer more to potential employees to incentivize and motivate said people to want to work for them. Pay, benefits, and just about everything else is similar across the board and it looks like every company has found itself in the exact same position as far as manpower shortages, etc.

Sad state of our country right now.....also paying people extra NOT to work or look for work did not help either...Just a few days ago there was a person with a sign asking for money and right behind him was a Burger King with a sign that said....Help wanted starting at 10.50 an hour...sign up today...and get a bonus....

 

[javacontour]

I read a Business Insider article today that suggests many of the things you said plus others, such as some people are remaining home as they have school aged children and are staying with them, home schooling or what not. Employers may need to offer child care or other perks to convince workers to take the job.

Other things I've read is the stimulus money has allowed some to pay off debts and retire early. Combine that with increased home values and a run up in the stock markets and some can retire early.

oilBabe is thinking she has 3 more years, and I'm looking at retiring in the next 6. It doesn't mean I won't do something. It just wont be something where I'm on-call and can be awaked at 2am because someone's mission critical system is down.

 

[RhondaHonda]

It’s quite an interesting time. I don’t believe the little bit of stimulus money is the difference between someone working and retiring. I think it may have to do with younger people still living with their parents deciding not to work though. OP, good on you for being selective. Find something that works for you and don’t be afraid to ask for more money right out of the gate.

 

[jeepman3071]

I hope this will be a wake-up call for some companies. Greed is a major factor here, and CEO salaries are just incredibly blown out of proportion. What happened to re-investing into the company and it's assets (including labor)? In the words of comedian Bill Burr "how big does your F'n yacht have to be?"

 

[hrv]

I hope this will be a wake-up call for some companies. Greed is a major factor here, and CEO salaries are just incredibly blown out of proportion. What happened to re-investing into the company and it's assets (including labor)? In the words of comedian Bill Burr "how big does your F'n yacht have to be?"

not really you will just see more coming from the southern boarder to work...

 

[Nick1994]

Sad state of our country right now.....also paying people extra NOT to work or look for work did not help either...Just a few days ago there was a person with a sign asking for money and right behind him was a Burger King with a sign that said....Help wanted starting at 10.50 an hour...sign up today...and get a bonus....

$10.50 to work at Burger King? Pass. I don’t blame them for holding a sign on the street too. Far less work and far more money.

People are sick and tired of being treated like crap and being paid crap with crap benefits. I don’t blame people one bit for leaving.

 

[pghvolvo]

I don't require the Vax or masks in my business and my employees make between $20-$30 plus an hour, yet I can't find a single person to apply.

I know two plumbers by me are in the same boat. Neither of them require the vax or mandate masks, pay starts at $25 and up with hiring bonuses between $5K and $10K for new hires. They can't even get one application. One said he would be happy if he could get some clicks on their Indeed ad. He's spending $100 a day and the Representative at Indeed said, he might get applicants if he spent more? $3,000 a month and he's already getting zero applications?

What I'm hearing is a lot of older workers walked away and retired early during the Covid shut down. So instead of companies needing to replace five or ten retiring workers a year it became fifty or more. Now multiply that out by how many companies across the country and here we are. Plus this new generation thanks to Youtube, reality tv to name two, everyone wants to be the Kardashians and become millionaires in a couple years by walking around looking important. Well a $30 an hour job isn't going to cut it.

Well I've had it with the entilement attitude of many of my employees, they all get to find a new job next September when I retire. It's not worth the BS I have to put up with to continue owning a business.

As my friend, one of the plumbers I talked about above said to me last month, $22 and hour and a bus pass being offered by a local McDonald's is looking better and better every day. He may be closing up shop next month but I haven't heard Yay or Nay on that decision yet.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Our company has been hiring, in fact we even are using contract workers from those places that specialize in replacement workers during Union strikes.....

 

[Dave Hess]

We are always hiring.

No McJobs that I have been posting for around 4 years here on BITOG.

Field service easily break $110K with just an associates degree in electronics.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

There is a difference between a job and a career.

You can find pretty good work, if you are looking. There is golden opportunity within all this doom and gloom, if you are prepared to go get it... and you are correct, the McDonalds etc up to $12 per hour OR we can bring you in at $14, we need people that badly, if you have come to the realization that way will simply not work to live any kind of a life, anywhere, then you are poised to actually start living.

Oh, by the way, they want to hire thousands of people at north of $20 an hour so who is looking for work.... some people get there and then they realize, whoa, I might need to actually work here (occasional lifting of 30lbs is hard? What? Okay.) and they vanish.. this with a 4 digit signing bonus.. so, I ask again. Who is looking for work that is not even hard.. what you will realize, is.. That most people simply do not want to work.
Or be on time.
Or have to do.. anything, really, to have money.

They may have an extensive cryptocurrency stash....

 

[BAJA_05]

The way inflation has shot up the last 11 months -- your $15.00 an hour job that people wanted making minimum wage is still not cutting it. Employers are bending over backwards to get decent employees in the door. Heck my company is offering a 3K bonus at 6 months of full employment and anybody who has started before May 2021 is getting 2k retention bonus payed out at the end of January 2022. Never in my life have I seen sooooo many help wanted signs/ads.

 

[hrv]

There is a difference between a job and a career.

You can find pretty good work, if you are looking. There is golden opportunity within all this doom and gloom, if you are prepared to go get it... and you are correct, the McDonalds etc up to $12 per hour OR we can bring you in at $14, we need people that badly, if you have come to the realization that way will simply not work to live any kind of a life, anywhere, then you are poised to actually start living.

Oh, by the way, they want to hire thousands of people at north of $20 an hour so who is looking for work.... some people get there and then they realize, whoa, I might need to actually work here (occasional lifting of 30lbs is hard? What? Okay.) and they vanish.. this with a 4 digit signing bonus.. so, I ask again. Who is looking for work that is not even hard.. what you will realize, is.. That most people simply do not want to work.
Or be on time.
Or have to do.. anything, really, to have money.

They may have an extensive cryptocurrency stash....

You hit the nail on the head....

 

[Dave Hess]

It’s quite an interesting time. I don’t believe the little bit of stimulus money is the difference between someone working and retiring. I think it may have to do with younger people still living with their parents deciding not to work though. OP, good on you for being selective. Find something that works for you and don’t be afraid to ask for more money right out of the gate.

Stimulus money was pretty much peanuts and in no way prompted older people to retire.

Selling their overpriced home and moving to a lower cost of living area I can understand...... sell your $1M house and buy a $450K house in a low tax state.

 

[Imp4]

To copy from my previous post on the other thread....

No one wants to work for poverty wages, no healthcare, a constantly changing schedule, and still need foodstamps to survive.

Need more workers???
Pay more money.
Provide good healthcare.
Set a dependable schedule.

People don't want to work in garbage conditions. What's so hard to realize about that?

If you can't attract workers, maybe your business model is broken.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

The way inflation has shot up the last 11 months -- your $15.00 an hour job that people wanted making minimum wage is still not cutting it. Employers are bending over backwards to get decent employees in the door. Heck my company is offering a 3K bonus at 6 months of full employment and anybody who has started before May 2021 is getting 2k retention bonus payed out at the end of January 2022. Never in my life have I seen sooooo many help wanted signs/ads.

You hit the nail on the head....

Thank you.

I am sure that north of 90% of people on this forum, have money and how to gain wealth pretty well figured out. Me, speaking for myself, I feel like I am 18 again.. just with the body and wisdom of someone that is 52. And I am grateful for abundant life.

I saw a group of New Hires come in, more than half of them 18-24, and most of them 18-21.. they wont make it. One of them, maybe, the one that was a Marine, he may. The rest, they want their 1 month portion of sign on bonus and the day after that, they are likely gone. They may not even give notice. Kids... horsing around in the company gym. There is not anything wrong with being young. The issue is with being stupid.

Couple that with a low COL area and there really is not any limit to what you can do.

 

[PandaBear]

I hope this will be a wake-up call for some companies. Greed is a major factor here, and CEO salaries are just incredibly blown out of proportion. What happened to re-investing into the company and it's assets (including labor)? In the words of comedian Bill Burr "how big does your F'n yacht have to be?"

CEO does what the board tells him or her to do, and usually means increase share prices. Those board members also work for funds that just get a cut of portfolio size regardless of gain or loss down the road.

I don't know, I just buy well managed companies growing into the future instead of dividend paying, and low cost index fund instead of LBO type of management.

 

[PandaBear]

$10.50 to work at Burger King? Pass. I don’t blame them for holding a sign on the street too. Far less work and far more money.

People are sick and tired of being treated like crap and being paid crap with crap benefits. I don’t blame people one bit for leaving.

Many of these part timers are not poor, they just have some time to kill to make a few bucks, so as soon as the pandemic started they have nothing to gain working in at risk jobs for same pay, or it is better for them to stay home watching kids or grandkids, or completely retire for good.

You can call them lazy, but then you will be calling almost all housewives and retiring grand parents lazy too.

 

[PandaBear]

Stimulus money was pretty much peanuts and in no way prompted older people to retire.

Selling their overpriced home and moving to a lower cost of living area I can understand...... sell your $1M house and buy a $450K house in a low tax state.

Not sure what you are thinking, I have 2 on my team retired because they took on the burden of people in mid and lower level quitting all the time because we have been chronically underpaid before the pandemic and now 1/2 of our team is gone, they were fed up doing 2-3 people's job and they already had enough money not to put up with this.

P.S. They make at least 220k a year more like 250-300k, their home worth 1.2M and they probably have like 3-4M in assets, don't need to sell it to move to a rural rundown town to live, they will likely pass down their home to their kids when they are older.

 

[PandaBear]

If you can't attract workers, maybe your business model is broken.

Many business models in the US are broken: franchise, marketing based but no quality of product and service businesses, multi-level marketing, self help guru selling books, real estate investment conferences, etc.

The straw finally broke the camel's back, customers have been entitled for too long when they are just buying a $2 dollar menu item or $1 sweet tea, some of those places will eventually go out of businesses and the dead low in prices places will have to adapt to either self service only or improve quality and price.

Last night I ordered a bowl of beef noodle take out for $18, the place is packed. However, the place selling $9 noodles is empty. Wonder why?