Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 213 Location: Chaska, MN
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
I am (or was) a landscaper in the Minneapolis suburbs. I usually get a few months off from December to the end of March because it's too damn cold to work. Well this year the snow is long gone and I've only worked 3 days so far. The whole industry is dead. Landscaping = Luxury = No Work for me.
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
biofuel13 wrote:
I am (or was) a landscaper in the Minneapolis suburbs. I usually get a few months off from December to the end of March because it's too damn cold to work. Well this year the snow is long gone and I've only worked 3 days so far. The whole industry is dead. Landscaping = Luxury = No Work for me.
Sorry to hear your situation biofuel13, I know of a couple landscaping companies in my area that are facing tough times. Business was great during the housing boom with new yards and building galore but now their businesses are stuck with maintenance jobs and very little new work coming in. On top of that fuel costs.
What I wonder is how many of the job loses in this industry are for true americans or if they're limited to migrant workers?
Joined: Jun 18, 2004 Posts: 715 Location: Western North Carolina
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:04 am Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
I've read this here:
"A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, and a depression is when you lose yours".
My neighbor worked 21 years at the company I work for. She was laid off last time they went through hard times, which was in 05. In this area, the recession began in earnest back in 05. Much of the industry that was located here, including textiles and furniture, has moved out of the country leaving many skilled people working in retail (talk about a shitty job), and has increased the competition for the few remaining 'good' jobs. Our work force is highly trained, dedicated, and efficient. Yet we still cannot compete with Asian molders. Ahh, the wonders of free-trade and globalism!!!
BRILLIANT!!!
A further discussion with a veteran manager at my company last night let me in on a few other insights. He said that we were not able to pass on our real cost increases. The only thing we've passed on to the customer is material price. Even then, we've lost business from a major customer this month due to that. Well that and they're going bankrupt themselves because they cannot pay us increased prices, nor can they charge their customers more.
He said that (and I think he's 100% correct) that most companies as of yet, are not passing on their cost increases. I agreed and said, "who's going to pay $6000 for a Husqvarna riding lawnmower?". Which is probably close to what is would cost if everybody in the production chain raised their prices to reflect real costs. Which is about double what they sell for right now.
The real effects of the oil price increase we've seen in the last 12 months are starting to percolate through the system finally. I think the pain is going to increase greatly at the retail level. Thankfully I don't need to buy much in the way of non-consumables. I bought most of that stuff when my money was still worth something.... Thank you PO.com!
At least my debt is at a minimum compared to 4 years ago! All that's left is my wifes student loan and my mortgage.
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
Just got news that a customer of mine is closing their Colorado office, the company is called KPFF. They’re consulting engineers, only about 10 people in the Colorado office but the stress fractures are beginning to appearing everywhere, in front of my own eyes.
Edit: I should be more clear and state this will impact my business, only slightly but this along with the landscaping companies I've mentioned throughout this thread. Things are adding up, thank goodness I have a couple renewable energy companies!
McClatchy Co., owner of the Miami Herald and 29 other daily newspapers, will cut about 1,400 jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce, to save $70 million annually after a record drop in industrywide advertising sales.
The reductions are part of a plan to cut costs as much as $100 million in the next four quarters, Sacramento-based McClatchy said today in a statement. The Miami Herald plans to eliminate 250 positions, or 17 percent of its staff, and the Charlotte Observer will cut 123 positions, or 11 percent, the newspapers reported.
Ouch! for news paper companies... tough with the internet and all, then you add in the reccession and nobody wants to advertise through them.
Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 213 Location: Chaska, MN
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
threadbear wrote:
biofuel13 wrote:
It's a miracle!! After being an unemployed landscaper for 4 months I finally got another job! And it pays twice the money to boot!!
Sorry to gloat....but it's been a rough few months..looks like we won't lose our house after all.
Congratulations! I'm happy for you. What a tremendous load off your shoulders! Is the new job in any way recession proof?
Well it's recession resistant but not depression proof. Lawyers have mandatory education classes they must complete in order to be able to practice. I will be helping to provide the education to the lawyers. The way I see it lawyers are like cockroaches, they will be the last to go. So I thought it would be a good area to work in.
With falling revenue from sales and income taxes, and property-tax declines looming, states, cities and towns have already laid off tens of thousands of government employees. Many expect more job cuts ahead as public officials struggle to balance their budgets.
This is scary stuff when you think about Fire and Police forces. Many city budgets were dependant on growth which everyone knows isn't sustainable. What were these people thinking?
Quote:
At the same time, many local governments are also grappling with much higher expenses due to rising fuel prices.
Quote:
The city of Vallejo, Calif. filed for bankruptcy last month due to a ballooning budget deficit from soaring employee costs and declining tax revenue. Labor contracts with the city's unions were part of the problem but the city's plunging real estate market also was a factor.
Home values in Vallejo are down 24% year-over-year and 91% of homeowners who bought in the past two years have mortgages larger than their home's value, according to real estate site Zillow.com.
While Vallejo's housing problems are an extreme, they are not unique to that San Francisco suburb. Experts say the hit to property taxes that lays ahead for many cities could make this local government budget crisis the worst in nearly 30 years.
That's more bad news for an overall economy already fighting enough headwinds.
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
The railroads are hiring lots of people right now. AND they also have a lot of ppl on furlough. Its funny as hell if you are in the loop. Seems backwards but they see that their workforce is aging and will lose half of their men in thenext five years to retirement so getting ready.
If you need a job, can pass a drug screen and dont mind being gone from home, on call 24-7, 365 days a year, no overtime but good health care, go check it out
The conditions are horrible and they fire ppl for anything they can find so you have to be mentally tough to work there.
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 3969 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Let the layoffs begin
joelcolorado wrote:
The railroads are hiring lots of people right now. AND they also have a lot of ppl on furlough. Its funny as hell if you are in the loop. Seems backwards but they see that their workforce is aging and will lose half of their men in thenext five years to retirement so getting ready.
If you need a job, can pass a drug screen and dont mind being gone from home, on call 24-7, 365 days a year, no overtime but good health care, go check it out
The conditions are horrible and they fire ppl for anything they can find so you have to be mentally tough to work there.
Of course they get overtime and lot's of it too. The Nephew just hired on the CP as a Conductor.
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I'm happy for you. What a tremendous load off your shoulders! Is the new job in any way recession proof?
