Where are all the employees ?

[BCP]

Unions , epa, osha , regulations and taxes are serving those jobs up on a silver platter to foreigners

None of those are as bad as the crooked politicians who have been fucking us forever.

Trump's economic and immigration policies resulted in low unemployment and wages outpacing inflation for the first time in 30? years. Now we have the "professional" politicians back in charge so we are back to "normal" AKA floating around the shitter.

 

[308pirate]

The thing that anyone who can work from home needs to realize, is that someone overseas can do the same job, and will do it for pennies on the $$.

LOL..........Like @NikH said, some of us can't be replaced with phone help in India.

 

[308pirate]

Allowing companies to farm shit out to shithole countries is just one of the many things killing this country.

I've been in the manufacturing industry for 26 years but I bet someone in construction could teach me why mfg jobs have moved out of here.

 

[myronman3]

i can’t speak for anyone else…..but with the way the world is going, i decided to take some time off and enjoy myself a little before it all heads down the shitter. i expect persecution and things to get really ugly before too long.

 

[Jgunner]

I see a lot of people(companies) who want to pay shit for high end work, to get rich themselves. Problem is they pay shit wages to shit workers and wonder why its shit. Often i hear “oh my, you are exactly what i need” but they never really want to pay until their ass is in trouble.

 

[BullGear]

I can tell you that I retired early due to employer shenanigans. And I’m not alone.

I saw the writing on the wall many years ago. Almost 6 years ago when I turned 55, I retired. They took a great company to work for and made it into a living hell. They installed gps tracking in all but the boss's vehicles, installed both dash and in the cab cameras. My territory was from Washington DC to Wilmington Delaware but if you stopped for anything more than gas, they would call you up on the carpet. With 2 infractions, you were looking at 10-30 days of unpaid leave.

If you worked unscheduled overtime, you still could not stop to pick up a meal or snack. But the bosses could stilll take their trucks home with them.

I don't know how much worse it can get but those who still work there are miserable.

 

[RUTGERS95]

stop unemployment and tell parents to parent

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Who is John Galt?

I'd imagine "Galts Gulch" is starting to look pretty good to the Baby Boomers who built the Mightiest Country in the World.... At any time I expect to see rail road tracks removed and relocated to the main lines.....
__________

Union Pacific is the rail industry's first to import long rail from Japan to its custom facility at the Port of Stockton, California, setting a new standard for rail reliability.

Long Rail Is a Game Changer

A dream more than a decade in the making is now reality. Union Pacific is the rail industry's first to import long rail from Japan to its custom facility at the Port of Stockton, California, setting a new standard for rail reliability.

www.up.com

 

[jbuck88]

I see both sides. I've been without work, Alaskan commercial fisherman, since 03/2020. I've saved enough to not need to work however my wife has been working the whole time.

For me to get a hourly job it would mean considerably higher monthly expenses. So say I go out and make 50k a year. I'm going to spend well over half my pay in increased childcare and food. So I decided to buy a sport boat and spend the last 2 years fishing, hunting, shooting, camping etc with my 3 boys.

I was recent approached about a job so I applied in October. Went thru the salary negotiation and accepted the position Nov 1st and still haven't started. It's been one thing after another, huge corporations, but I'm ready to say fuck it. I don't need to work and my kids are getting to experience a ton more then they would otherwise. So I am on the fence. I can pick up a few odd jobs here and there and stay home, or get another 8-5.

I have been fortunate enough that we can survive just fine on a single income.

 

[gigamortis]

I'm a multi-craft industrial maintenance technician. The new safety guy at my last job mandated that everyone must tuck in their shirt tails in the name of safety. I told him that was basically admitting that the machine guarding throughout the plant must really suck, then. He couldn't understand the logic I was presenting to him. I took all my remaining vacation and didn't go back. My remaining co-worker friends have told me it has gotten twice as bad since I left.

I decided to just stay semi-retired until .gov decides to stop this virus scamdemic crap. Headhunters flood my inbox every week. I tell them I'm ready to work for an employer that isn't requiring a vax or mask. They never reply back after that. Fine with me - I'm not going to work for anyone sympathetic to the covid narrative. I've had the original and delta variants and beat them without the fake vaccines, so I'm not playing along with their intimidation and scare tactics. They can starve for talent as far as I'm concerned.

Over the past 20 years of USA manufacturing places I've worked in, internal red tape and ridiculous safety regulations have made trades work absolutely miserable. The subject of safety has become a self perpetuating industry all unto itself. Its just like academia - its full of useless people that couldn't succeed in a real world job. This and other onerous regulations will just run our manufacturing base back offshore.

 

[powell]

They tend to keep and promote the shitbags. With all the hurt feelings it is nearly impossible to fire anyone for incompetence so they promote them to keep them and everyone else safe. Then unfortunately there is never enough pay to keep the good employees from looking for better wages / conditions. Sad that you threaten to leave and all the sudden they offer the raises you should have been getting all along. Day late and many dollars short. Companies want loyalty but sure as hell don’t want to give it.

 

[akmike47]

I don’t want to be on unemployment I apply and never hear anything, or don’t bother applying because it wouldn’t even cover just rent, fuel ,and food for the month how would I pay all my other bills and I don’t live crazy? I don’t eat meals just to save money. Hear the same shit from guys I know with degrees.

Let’s not forget how shitty a lot of companies have become to work for, the turn over rate is insane at a lot of these places and I honestly don’t think it’s always all the employees fault. They bitch about they can’t get people to work but wont pay overtime, and if they do your hours get cut next week. We had 3 people for months and were supposed to have 10 they weren’t even interviewing anyone, but bitched because numbers were down constantly.

I’d love to go back to working 100+ hours a week making good money but I physically can’t so I have to take whatever bullshit job I find that barely keeps me from being homeless.

Sometimes shit goes bad for people, just because I had to go on unemployment doesn’t make me an asshole, I’ve been homeless shits no fun.

 

[akmike47]

They tend to keep and promote the shitbags. With all the hurt feelings it is nearly impossible to fire anyone for incompetence so they promote them to keep them and everyone else safe. Then unfortunately there is never enough pay to keep the good employees from looking for better wages / conditions. Sad that you threaten to leave and all the sudden they offer the raises you should have been getting all along. Day late and many dollars short. Companies want loyalty but sure as hell don’t want to give it.

I’ll take a job in something I know nothing about if it means promotions, where are these things at?

My uncle said his chemical plant does this. Pretty sure he could have retired but he keeps working. Don’t blame him.

 

[powell]

Where I’m at they cut the field guys daily OT. Then turn around and wonder why they can’t get guys to willingly give up a full day off to pick up OT to cover because we are short handed.

 

[ma smith]

Man this thread has got a bit of everything...

 

[Jkl86]

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. “You aren’t going to catch many fish that way,” said the businessman. “You should be working rather than lying on the beach!”

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”

“Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!” was the businessman’s answer.

“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman, still smiling.

The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!”

“And then what will my reward be?” asked the fisherman again.

The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. “You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!” he said.

“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the fisherman.

The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!”

Once again the fisherman asked, “And then what will my reward be?”

The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”

 

[TurboTrout]

The thing that anyone who can work from home needs to realize, is that someone overseas can do the same job, and will do it for pennies on the $$.

Yeah, except no.

Because it’s still boiling by down to who’s behind the equipment, in this case a computer, and overseas they are still the same third world indiot who hasn’t had a original idea in their life time.

 

[UKDslayer]

Who is John Galt?

Speaking of..Atlas Shrugged is on YT the three parts free w/ads...

 

[TurboTrout]

This

And AI will replace a lot of people who thought themselves as indispensable

Coded by the cheapest Indian labor? Sorry, but when your 50k self serve machine fucks up my order, I’ll go to the next shop, or maybe I’ll just make my own lunch.

Thing is lots of people are like me, if I’m going out I want to sit down, have someone take my order vs installing some shitty software aka “app” that has who knows how many security holes, I want my drink topped off when it’s low etc, installing spyware and having to go to the counter or walk to a machine every time I want something, I might as well cook for myself, Ill make it better because I’m one of odd ones who actually gives a fuck, and I’ll make it for less money.

 

[gigamortis]

One thing that I have found to be true in a lot of workplaces is that management will not pay anyone under their control more than they make themselves. When they can't find any suckers to work for their below market wages, they end up bidding the work out at 3x-4x what they were willing to pay an in-house employee. Stupidity should cost and it often does!

Another finding of mine over the years is that management will not hire anyone smarter or more qualified than they are. Most managers and supervisors are more about self preservation than actually getting the job done.

 

[TurboTrout]

One thing that I have found to be true in a lot of workplaces is that management will not pay anyone under their control more than they make themselves. When they can't find any suckers to work for their below market wages, they end up bidding the work out at 3x-4x what they were willing to pay an in-house employee. Stupidity should cost and it often does!

Another finding of mine over the years is that management will not hire anyone smarter or more qualified than they are. Most managers and supervisors are more about self preservation than actually getting the job done.

Sounds like government, which is basically shitty management anyways

 

[tt123]

It's the same all over. We've got exactly the same issues here in Europe.

One explanation that I've heard is that a lot of people have gone into the 'covid industry' and are working as testers etc. Better money than a lot of entry level/shop floor work.

 

[alamo5000]

Any industry you talk to can’t find employees.

Where are they all ? Welfare ? .gov “jobs”. Moms basement ?

I am always skeptical of these claims. In my view it's either that they are in an extremely technical field and there are not enough nuclear fusion specialists running around.

Or the second one is that the company has utterly crap management. In the US employees have been dehumanized in many ways and over a long period of time. Even the very nature of APPLYING for a job in most instances is dehumanizing. I cannot simply write a resume detailing my experience. I have to figure out how to game the system by writing something that can trigger keywords in a Boolean search.

If you treat people as a commodity those people will have zero interest in dealing with you. I can give two shits if 'this is the world we live in'. I've spoken to numerous recruiters or the same and the minute they direct me to a website to 'fill out a resume' I throw their shit in the garbage can.

 

[DocRDS]

Coded by the cheapest Indian labor? Sorry, but when your 50k self serve machine fucks up my order, I’ll go to the next shop, or maybe I’ll just make my own lunch.

Thing is lots of people are like me, if I’m going out I want to sit down, have someone take my order vs installing some shitty software aka “app” that has who knows how many security holes, I want my drink topped off when it’s low etc, installing spyware and having to go to the counter or walk to a machine every time I want something, I might as well cook for myself, Ill make it better because I’m one of odd ones who actually gives a fuck, and I’ll make it for less money.

Pro tip: It isn't coded by Indians and it costs less than the workers it replaces.

There's an old Unix admin joke: "Begone or I shall replace you with a shell script"

For the cost of 1 worker, I could do automate the efforts of over 100 (Real world example of a call center--I outsourced the outsourcing....). Imagine if I used my powers for good....

Why pay a bunch of lazy people to take your order at MacDonalds, when my server has better accuracy and costs less, and never is late......

 

[Steel+Killer]

I hear that. Full time employed as a carpenter, been in the trade a long time. Never stopped working throughout this mess.

Yet, can't catch a fucking raise, and 80% of the crews around here can't get any help......

Sounds like a great time for you to start your own business…..

 

[308pirate]

Coded by the cheapest Indian labor? Sorry, but when your 50k self serve machine fucks up my order, I’ll go to the next shop, or maybe I’ll just make my own lunch.

Thing is lots of people are like me, if I’m going out I want to sit down, have someone take my order vs installing some shitty software aka “app” that has who knows how many security holes, I want my drink topped off when it’s low etc, installing spyware and having to go to the counter or walk to a machine every time I want something, I might as well cook for myself, Ill make it better because I’m one of odd ones who actually gives a fuck, and I’ll make it for less money.

I wasn't talking about no-skill hourly labor.

 

[vinniedelpino]

This

And AI will replace a lot of people who thought themselves as indispensable

And then the machines put us in a near perfect simulation of the world as we know it and farm us for energy.... if they haven't already.

 

[SouthFLShootin]

I'm a building contractor. I have ZERO employees. I sub out everything to a select group of tradesmen that I keep busy on a regular basis. My wife on the other hand has a small restaurant where she employs 12-15 people. She has almost zero turn over there. The staff will generally make $25/hr+. These are mostly younger adults/teens with little to no higher education. Most have been there over a year. Her store never shut down during covid, never had staffing issues and this year will be her biggest year in sales/profit yet. No vaccines or masks required. She also gives out bonuses, takes them out for company outings and really does a good job with making them feel wanted and respected.

For my construction business, I don't want employees. I have found anyone that is good will eventually quit to start their own business after taking as much knowledge from you as possible and using all your contacts and resources. There's nothing wrong with this, as you can't fault someone for trying to better themselves or their families. Hell, that's what I did too. It's just a PITA to deal with when you have projects planned out and people quitting or leaving.

I'd rather pay a little more and sub jobs to a small group of well trained tradesman that will take responsibility for the job, I wont have to teach and supervise and there is no workers comp, payroll, insurance or other daily doings of having employees. Plus if I have a week or two with no work, I'm not paying guys to sit around and do nothing. I like the size of my business currently, I have no plans to expand it, despite being booked out over a year now. That extra juice just isn't worth the squeeze IMO.

 

[E. Bryant]

I can tell you that I retired early due to employer shenanigans. And I’m not alone.

This. Something like 90% of all the "missing workers" are 55-up. Can't say I blame them; it's a fucked-up job market for everyone, but especially for older workers.

Fix this graph and we'd fix the employee shortage:

"But my business isn't profitable if I have to pay my workers more than they made in 1979!!!" Well then, I'd say maybe there is something wrong with your business, or maybe the economy in general.

Automation would indeed "fix" many of the labor problems - or at least temporarily paper over the shortage; keep in mind we've been automating millions of workers out of the market since the 1970s and apparently haven't yet completely eliminated their need. But that sort of investment would take away from corporate profits and stock buy-backs and all the other various allocations of capital that have taken away from physical capital deployment over the past two decades. You've got an entire generation of businessmen who know very little about how to improve efficiency beyond "let's source more stuff from China", and so it's not like we're going to flip this switch overnight.

 

[308pirate]

Over the past 20 years of USA manufacturing places I've worked in, internal red tape and ridiculous safety regulations have made trades work absolutely miserable. The subject of safety has become a self perpetuating industry all unto itself. Its just like academia - its full of useless people that couldn't succeed in a real world job. This and other onerous regulations will just run our manufacturing base back offshore.

You know, I've been in manufacturing for a little bit longer than you.

In that time I've worked in places that made airplanes (including processes like sheetmetal stamping, pickling, passivating, alodine, and a bunch of other nasty shit), vinyl windows, oil filters, automobile transmissions, and electric motors (including an aluminum foundry for casting SC rotors).

So some mildly dangerous processes. I've also worked in Uncle Sam's nuclear industry and sailed some of his ships halfway around the world. So I've been around shit that will kill you quick.

I'm never impressed by people who bitch about safety rules.

 

[308pirate]

You've got an entire generation of businessmen who know very little about how to improve efficiency beyond "let's source more stuff from China"

They come from here: https://www.hbs.edu/Pages/default.aspx

 

[deersniper]

I'm never impressed by people who bitch about safety rules.

Agree but you don’t think osha has gone overboard ?

 

[308pirate]

Agree but you don’t think osha has gone overboard ?

Hard for me to say because I don't have intimate knowledge of all their bullshit, and I don't know much about industries other than my own.

What I do know is that there are enough employees that are clueless about some of the dangers they face and fuck with things that otherwise keep them from harm because "it makes my job easier". AND enough managers and owners who don't GAF about people getting hurt to justify some level of oversight.

 

[Steel head]

In my case and industry, all the potential employees are too strung out on pills and heroin.

Did someone say pills and heroin?

 

[E. Bryant]

You know, I've been in manufacturing for a little bit longer than you.

In that time I've worked in places that made airplanes (including processes like sheetmetal stamping, pickling, passivating, alodine, and a bunch of other nasty shit), vinyl windows, oil filters, automobile transmissions, and electric motors (including an aluminum foundry for casting SC rotors).

So some mildly dangerous processes. I've also worked in Uncle Sam's nuclear industry. So I've been around shit that will kill you quick.

I'm never impressed by people who bitch about safety rules.

"Ridiculous safety measures" = "I couldn't figure out how to get the light curtains to work properly on the stamping press, and now I'm really pissed that I can't just squish workers randomly"

"The EPA is killing business" = "My plant contaminated the local water supply because we've been leaking various solvents through the floor for the past 50 years and no one noticed, and now it's gonna cost me a lot of money"

And so on.

There are legitimate gripes about regulatory costs, but the majority come from people who haven't actually looked at the numbers for compliance, and the rest come from people who are pissed about repeatedly stepping on their own dicks.

 

[addertooth]

From my perspective there seems to be two lumps of "open jobs".

1. Those that pay at, or marginally more than minimum wage.

2. Those that require knowledge and skill sets which are the domain of retired, or ready-to-retire Boomers.

At my facility, they have been trying to fill a position for a RF test Engineer for months. But the field of RF has historically been held by guys who were born in the 1960s or before. Most of the younger guys avoided professions that require "too much math".

Some crafts, which require years of dedication to master (like hand engraving) are seeing a similar squeeze. Very few young faces are seen in the hand engraving work pool. For many, training for 3 to 6 years to develop a reputation/following, seems like too much work. But yet, they will gladly go to college for 4 years to get a dysfunctional degree in something "social".

The quality of the candidates is declining as well. I perform interviews for technology jobs. I see amazing grand resumes slip across my desk. When I ask questions within the field they had "intensive training and experience in", it is often met with fear in their eyes. They know they are about to be proven a sham. The knowledge gained in college appears to be on the slide as well. I am seeing more 4-year graduates, which cannot perform tasks which should have been taught in the first couple of years.

The squeeze is not JUST having people apply. It includes a lack of people who can come in and do the job without intensive (basic) training.

 

[E. Bryant]

Agree but you don’t think osha has gone overboard ?

Been in manufacturing for 25 years - not as much grey in my beard than @308pirate , but enough to know a thing or two. Simply put, I cannot recall a single instance of OSHA over-reach. I can, however, recall a few cases in which I looked into some things and discovered regulations that were based upon outdated science or where over-simplification lead to rules that were probably more restrictive than necessary.

Local regulatory entities are a different matter entirely Bunch of fuckin' petty tyrants.

 

[E. Bryant]

From my perspective there seems to be two lumps of "open jobs".

1. Those that pay at, or marginally more than minimum wage.

2. Those that require knowledge and skill sets which are the domain of retired, or ready-to-retire Boomers.

At my facility, they have been trying to fill a position for a RF test Engineer for months. But the field of RF has historically been held by guys who were born in the 1960s or before. Most of the younger guys avoided professions that require "too much math".

This guy speaks the truth

Certain technical fields have long been populated by grey beards - RF, high-voltage, certain low-level programming languages, hydraulics, metallurgy, etc. I mean, most of the guys who knew that shit were already old when I entered the workplace, and that was more than a quarter-century ago. Since there, several other buckets of knowledge have transitioned into this category - PLC programming, metal casting and stamping, C/C++ coding, certain electronics manufacturing methods just to name a few. The list of reasons for this is broad and covers everything from stupid high school guidance counselors to 401(b) visa policy, but the bottom line is that there is a massive skill shortage.

One way to correct the problem is to make these professions more attractive; i.e. pay more money. I believe that mechanism is still the basis for capitalism. But even if we offered $250K salaries to engineers starting the 1st of the year, we wouldn't fix the problem overnight.

 

[JMGlasgow]

There isn't a single mechanic shop where I live that isn't hiring. We get resumes, call people, set up interviews, and they never show up. Not even a phone call cancelling the interview. People don't want to work anymore.

 

[Bigfatcock]

There isn't a single mechanic shop where I live that isn't hiring. We get resumes, call people, set up interviews, and they never show up. Not even a phone call cancelling the interview. People don't want to work anymore.

What’s the pay like?

 

[JMGlasgow]

Here most shops are starting at $30 per hour.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Agree but you don’t think osha has gone overboard ?

I think that depends on where you work. I worked for a large, international, extremely safe energy company that was very safe and scared of osha, lost time, etc. After working there I have seen some other job sites at other companies that just looked like death traps. They treated there employees like shit and always knew in advance when the osha inspector was coming through.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Here most shops are starting at $30 per hour.

I build furniture as a hobby: $40 an hour is usually what I charge for my time. No partial hours. If I flip the light switch on in the shop to even think about the project I’m working on…$40.

No way I’d do mechanical work for $30 an hour.

I do not say that to be insulting.

 

[myronman3]

amen to the companies treating employees like dogshit. the company i worked for, would squirm and balk about a 1% raise every three years, citing all the costly bidness expenses….blah blah blah. but then you watch the suits pull in their bonuses (23 million for the ceo alone-and that is just one guy) and it becomes evident.

fuck ‘em. i dont need their shit. they needed me far worst than i needed them. i applied for one job….they called me back and seem very excited…..but if they require a mask or shot, i’m out. i also told them i only want to work seasonally. full time career shit aint for me anymore.

reading some of the replies above, for a few minutes there, i thought some of the people worked for the same shit outfit i did. fuckers want to toss you peanuts, and then want the world. then they bitch when they can not find people who will work for the wages they pay.

guys would get hired, come in and see all the shit you had to do, and laugh and walk out. and no, it wasnt an unwillingess to work. it was the lopsided expectations versus compensation. so fuck them, and fuck it. i dont need it, but if i find something that works for me, i’ll work. if not, piss on it.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

If you think even the average bartender was making more money sitting at home, we’ll

Well, you’d be wrong. One very popular local restaurant I frequent that is slammed from open to close (been there on mid week nights when they closed at 10 but are still seating people at 10:30 that had been waiting) and average $20-$30 seafood plates and $10-$20 liquor drinks had a lot of bartenders and staff take leaves of absence when the pandemic started because they did still got paid more to sit at home home and fuck around despite making great money bartending and waiting

 

[Emerson0311]

Yeah, except no.

Because it’s still boiling by down to who’s behind the equipment, in this case a computer, and overseas they are still the same third world indiot who hasn’t had a original idea in their life time.

The reason the third world idiot answers the phone is because companies are too cheap to pay a third world intelligent person. Too many companies try to beat Walmart at their own game. Pay a fraction of NA costs, but a premium compared to overseas wages. Set standards, and do not just race to the bottom. Management teams are almost always about short term solutions and “looks good for now”. It’s the way to success in the make believe world they live in.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I build furniture as a hobby: $40 an hour is usually what I charge for my time. No partial hours. If I flip the light switch on in the shop to even think about the project I’m working on…$40.

No way I’d do mechanical work for $30 an hour.

I do not say that to be insulting.

Do you also complain when repair shops charge $120 (and that is cheap) or more per hour to fix your vehicle or equipment? Every time our labor rate is raised we lose customers, and get complaints about how expensive we are. Yet when their equipment breaks due to lack of maintenance, etc. it's our fault or the machines fault.

My pay is directly related to labor rate.

 

[308pirate]

I build furniture as a hobby: $40 an hour is usually what I charge for my time. No partial hours. If I flip the light switch on in the shop to even think about the project I’m working on…$40.

No way I’d do mechanical work for $30 an hour.

I do not say that to be insulting.

It's a little different if you have overhead to cover vs being a straight up employee.

$30 bucks an hour for an entry level mechanic is not bad, depending on the local cost of living. That's $60K straight time.

 

[308pirate]

Certain technical fields have long been populated by grey beards - RF, high-voltage, certain low-level programming languages, hydraulics, metallurgy, etc. I mean, most of the guys who knew that shit were already old when I entered the workplace, and that was more than a quarter-century ago. Since there, several other buckets of knowledge have transitioned into this category - PLC programming, metal casting and stamping, C/C++ coding, certain electronics manufacturing methods just to name a few. The list of reasons for this is broad and covers everything from stupid high school guidance counselors to 401(b) visa policy, but the bottom line is that there is a massive skill shortage.

I find myself having to teach some of those skills to younger engineers that work for my customers.

What I sometimes see come across my desk in bid packages makes me LOL, then sigh........

 

[Bigfatcock]

Do you also complain when repair shops charge $120 (and that is cheap) or more per hour to fix your vehicle or equipment? Every time our labor rate is raised we lose customers, and get complaints about how expensive we are. Yet when their equipment breaks due to lack of maintenance, etc. it's our fault or the machines fault.

My pay is directly related to labor rate.

I don’t complain at all, because I’d rather pay $120 for skilled work, and not have to work on the vehicle.

I see the mechanics in the back, and there is no fucking way I’d do what they do for $30 an hour. I wouldn’t do it for $50 an hour.

I guess if a shop is getting $120 an hour, I hope the mechanics are making more than $30 an hour.

As I said, I didn’t mean to be insulting, I just found $30 an hour for skilled mechanical work to be low.