o/t unemployed or out of work?

just wondering how many of you guy's are not working,I haven't had a real job for 2 years,I am a construction worker, self employed so no unemployment, and it's tough to find even a small job,took a temp job for a while and that ended,haven't had a call from the temp service for a month,still got my little farm thing going but it just doesn't quite cut it.sorry for rambling on.

I know what you mean about slow or no work. Dad has been in business for himself for nearly 25 years and I"ve been working for myself while basically working strictly for him and drawing a salary, for nearly 12 of those years. In that time we"ve had only one slowdown and that was back in "90 and then things actually just slowed down, but they didn"t stop. Until the first of "09 we always had at least 3 to 4 weeks, sometimes more, backlog of work. Things finally tapered off for us during the summer and about 4 months ago they came to a screeching halt. I"ve done one "company" job in all of those months. The rest of the time I"ve spent doing stuff strictly on my own and fixing up and selling things I"ve collected over the years and doing small jobs where I can just to keep the bills paid. In other words I"m making a living but dang sure ain"t making any money......

The bad thing is I"ve got a 175IH loader sitting in the yard that needs work, two 410 Ditch Witch machines that both need engines, a 255 Ditch Witch that needs a motor and all of the other parts we"ve robbed off of it to keep others going, just in side jobs. Then for the company there"s a 320BL CAT excavator that needs work on the electrical control/computer of the main machine, and then an engine, gearbox, and hammer built for the rock drill attachment that it carries, then there"s the NW crane in Chapel Hill that we"ve got the undercarriage and master clutch out of, a motor grader that needs work for the same guy, etc, etc, etc. Basically between my "side" jobs and "company" work Dad and I both have alot to do but the problem is that our customers don"t have the money to pay to have the work done, most because they are still waiting to get paid. The guy with the CAT 320BL is still waiting to get paid for jobs he did back in August and Sept of last year. They were all "government" jobs that should have been funded and paid right away but didn"t. Heck if Dad and I had all the money owed to us for past work on hand we"d be nearly $100,000 ahead, the problem is we can"t get blood from the turnips that can"t get blood from the other turnips...etc, etc,....... You get the picture.

Thanksfully I"m starting to see things slowly turning around and some of these customers starting to get new jobs to fund repairs needed now and so they"ll start breaking stuff so they"ll need future repairs....now if they can just get paid so we can get paid............

I guess all we can do is hang in there and hope things will get better again.

Brother lost his pattern maker job a year ago October after 19 years with the same employer. Still has not found another job.

We just did our taxes for 2009. During the year, it didn't seem that we were doing as bad as we did in 2008. Now I realize that is because fuel prices aren't eating us alive. 2009 was not as stressful as 2008, but we made quite a bit less money.

Christopher

Wife has her job, but last year & now this year, 1st half of the year is on lack of work 3/5 of the time. We wonder how long that will last, assume there will be cutbacks.....

Farming has been good the past 2 years, I think the next 2 are going to be challenging in the dirt.

--->Paul

I was out of work first 2 months of 09, then worked 2 different jobs, now was off the last 3 months of 09. Still unemployed, with little prospects. Maybe my 09 taxes will help my college freshmen get a better grant for school! Greg

It's been 8 months now for me .. like you said there isn't work out there ... been doing a little driving and helping with a wrecker service .... maybe once or twice a week then nothing for a week or so ...
What I hate is ALL ins. is going UP .... and you really don't want to be with-out it ...
Got things I can do at home ... but it ALL takes $$$$ ... and it's getting mighty slime..
<>
SORRY for ranting ...
Mark

Well come march I will have been with out a job for a year.Use to work for Cummins here in town.They decided to close up the plant in this town which they had been here since the summer of 1979..Yep all 180 of us gone just like that.Had 15 years with them. So since then have done odd jobs ..Worked for the WisDNR for wildland firefighter,Engine operater for 10 weeks.Then worked for the city public works department for another 10 weeks. Now truely unemployed. Lucky the wife still has her job. You all take care and may this be a new year!

Ya, and if they would stop sending YOUR jobs overseas You guys could have a job. They keep talking about the unemployment rate, but they caused it by sending so many jobs away. Sorry for the rant, but the stupidity and greed really $iss's me off. My wife needed to get new glasses today, she said they start at $250 to $350 and are made in china. What a rip off, you know damm well they made them for 46cents a pair. Start bringing manufacturing back to America and put our people, you guys back to work. That will stimulate our econmony. Id rather buy a US built product than a oversea product even if it costs more, at least Id be supporting you guys.

Vern, have your brother e-mail me, I might have some small pattern jobs he could bid on.

35 to 40 years ago i told a bunch of my work buddies ? that when they started buying cars made by the fellers that brought us pearl harbor this was going to happen got hee hawed out of the lunch room i rest my case the american cosumer can stop this!!

I drive a truck hauling Masonry products. I have been averaging 30 hrs a week, till last week. I was down to 20 hrs.
With the housing market down, there isn't much masonry work being done.

10 months, Drill Here, Drill NOW, Drill Often.
But the Barnett Shale is basically shut down, and it seems no one wants to hire a 57 year old with 32 years of experience with ONE company.

How's that hope and change thingy working out fot YOU?

My father retired from GE, his last few years there, GE was hiring guys from India with 2 year degrees??? They were getting paid way less then the guys like my dad, but GE loves them....How can a guy like you with 32 years experience NOT be an asset to a company?? But a guy from India is???

The same is being done by dentists. They are sending to china for porceline teeth. I specified an american made tooth and asked to see the paperwork from the denture company. There are a few american companies still making eye glass. I think that lensecrafter still make them on scene.

That will also solve the health care problem. If people have jobes again, they will have health insurance again. Simple. Just wish our goverment could see it that way

Last year I was unemployed for a total of 5 weeks here &amp; there, but nothing longer than 2 weeks at a time. We also took a 20% pay cut on the 23rd of January last year. Sometime around March or so they gave me and a couple other guys who produce some money back, and then I think it was June or July we got up to 10% pay cuts. Sometime maybe in September or October we made it up to a 5% pay cut.

Last week was my first week back working at 100% pay. It's been rough, but it would have been worse on unemployment. As of late, our shop is swamped up into June, and other than next week which will be at 40 hours, it looks like we'll be on 45's thru then as well.

The biggest obstacle right now for our shop is getting in stock on time. We use a lot of tool steel which all of our suppliers seem to be running out of because they ran down their inventory with the economy the way it is. Only shop I know of in the Fox Valley that's busy and hireing right now

Donovan from Wisconsin

Underground contract miner with a lot of years experience. The last 20 or so as a field supervisor. Love the work. Been out of work for 10 months, lots of prospects on the horizon but nothing has panned out. Foreign companies are buying our mines and shutting them down to eliminate the competion. Enviornmentalists and tree huggers are keeping a lot of high paying jobs from being created which pay a lot of taxes How come our government doesn't seem t are??

Took a lay-off two weeks ago. It had been seven weeks with no check. I would have quit, but was afraid I wouldn't be able to collect unemployment. I contacted my state rep to let him know the system needs to be changed in that scenario. His office got back to me within hours; turns out I could have quit and still drawn. I learned a valuable lesson.

My old employer was supposed to meet with someone who would finacially back his remaining projects. He sent his son instead and he argued with the guy the whole time. Backer finally told him to take his files and wished him the best. It's only a matter of time until he shuts down. He never had any interest in the business except for the money he could take out of it. Even if I can't collect my back wages--he has virtually no assets--it'll be the best money I've ever spent.

Larry in Michigan

We are still living ,and praying for a better day,so after all everythings in good shape.BY LUKE THE DRIFTER.SONG EVERYTHINGS OK.

Yeah petex, I can relate to what you are saying about those foreign cars. Back then people thought that I was racist when I mentioned buying all of that foreign stuff. Those vehicles were brought over here with a lot of subsidies and big pay-offs so that they could get their meat hooks in. I have given in to what is happening and I think that it is too late now to change it around. we are going to lose out in the end and they are going to tell us what to do.

I retired, a bit earlier than I wanted. I'd like to find a job, but it is very slow out there. And @55 years of age, it isn't easy. My dad told me that our society has very little use for an old man. Looks like he is right.

Our company has been using rotating layoffs. I am off every 4th week. They fire four salary positions over a year ago and then let the 6 lowest seniority people go about 5 months ago. Last Feb. we lost the 3% employer match to our 401k plan.

But a machine tool company needed to move some inventory and so they made a deal to the owner that he could not pass up. Now we have about 6 people who are exempt form the layoffs. The owner is to have been offered a discount and tax benefits that will be a savings of about $200,000 on this machine.
Steve

Seems like things are getting a little worse every week.Things wont get any better until the price of fuel comes down.

The company I am with now does mostly govt work building schools. The last two schools they completed, the counties are not releasing the funds for the final draws. That is budgeted money set aside for those projects that they are holding. Lawyers are getting involved, but that doesn't help me now. Put on layoff week before xmas and still waiting. They as a company have plenty of work, but they can't do the work to get paid because they cant make payroll to carry us until the counties release the funds. Its a heck of a mess.

In one school the door supplier (which has been in business for 85 years) can't afford to buy the doors. My company cant float the bill to help them help us, and cant break the contract to go somewhere else. That school alone has enough door work to keep 4 men busy for 4 months. Lawyers there again too.

Its very frustrating that there is $600,000+ sitting in an account somewhere that is not being used because someones not ready to write the check. Wheres the stimulus money at there? didn't the counties get money to prevent this sort of thing?

At the bid openings they go to they have 50-60 companies competing where they used to have 6. So many companies are bidding out of their field and doing so poorly that it's either bid to lose money or bid to lose the job. One company came up $1,000,000 BELOW the average bid numbers. 30 companies with numbers within 200,000 of one another and then that clown cant read the specs and gets the job. You can't compete with that. That company will go out of business on the job guaranteed, but they got the job. They tell me that this company had 120 men there before I got there. Now there are 2 foremen and 4 carpenters, one of which is me. I feel fortunate that they seem to think they need me and want me around, but come one now. You do over $10 million in work a year and can't keep 6 guys busy?

Things are bad in Maryland, as I suspect it is everywhere else. I emailed a guy on craigslist that was looking for siding help for 50 a day. Never got a phone call. Walmart greeters make that much. Oh well I guess Change is coming! Hope it hasn't already got here cause if thats the case I'll keep my guns and my freedom and they can keep the change. Rant over.

I have been blessed and still have full time job and one part-time job. Though the part-time could go by the wayside at any moment. I see alot of guys on here like me that work as much as they can all the time. Its still not easy to keep anymoney and I have a pretty sharp pencil. The farm is breaking even and thats about it. On a side note my wife got a bright idea just to quit her nursing job ($40,000) a year and not even tell me she was thinking of doing it. Needless to say things at the house are not good.

I have been blessed and still have full time job and one part-time job. Though the part-time could go by the wayside at any moment. I see alot of guys on here like me that work as much as they can all the time. Its still not easy to keep anymoney and I have a pretty sharp pencil. The farm is breaking even and thats about it. On a side note my wife got a bright idea just to quit her nursing job ($40,000) a year and not even tell me she was thinking of doing it. Needless to say things at the house are not good.

I have been blessed and still have full time job and one part-time job. Though the part-time could go by the wayside at any moment. I see alot of guys on here like me that work as much as they can all the time. Its still not easy to keep anymoney and I have a pretty sharp pencil. The farm is breaking even and thats about it. On a side note my wife got a bright idea just to quit her nursing job ($40,000) a year and not even tell me she was thinking of doing it. Needless to say things at the house are not good.

Let's do the math...$50 a day, times 5 days a week, is $250 a week BEFORE taxes...allowing for holidays [unpaid], that's $12,500 a year BEFORE taxes...which is BELOW the federal poverty guidelines.

Now, let's say I have a $500 a month house payment...$500 times 12 months is $6,000...or almost HALF your PRE-tax income. [I'm using the term "house payment" because around here, you can't rent anything decent for under $500 a month]. Then add groceries, utilities, and TAXES...and wonder again why someone won't go to work for you for $50 a day.

Five years ago, I was telling my son he was foolish to go to work for less than $100 a day [gross income]...and prices certainly haven't come DOWN since then. Do the math...and you'll see that $50 a day just doesn't compute.

A year and a half ago I left my job to continue my college education. Completed degree in August and job hunting now. Hope to have an offer next week. comapny came right out and said they are really interested. Hope to have a paying job again soon.

I bet she is pursueing something that will net $80,000/yr. and not telling you that either.

Well I don't know how I feel on this one. $50 a day is better then nothing a day.

Do the math...if it's an 8-hour day, $50 a day is just over $6 an hour. If it's a 10-hour day, that's $5 an hour. The only jobs that pay less than $5 an hour these days are waiting tables...and at least you are eligible to earn tips there.

I wasn't ASKING for help, I was LOOKING for work- as in he would pay me $50 a day for my labor.

Again. It's better then nothing.