topic Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9% in Community Chat

Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

JBKO — Wed, 09 May 2018 20:45:53 GMT

Hi everyone. Do you notice the difference? I graduated in 2008 and let me tell you, it helped me understand how people felt during the Great Depression.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

Hippiified — Wed, 09 May 2018 20:49:08 GMT

That was a terrible time. It has been improving every year since.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

Ibby114 — Wed, 09 May 2018 20:59:22 GMT

'Underemployment' is a factor many don't consider when talking about 'unemployment' numbers improving. How many people are taking minimum wage jobs because they were downsized &/or outsourced? It skews the unemployment numbers dramatically.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

Mz iMac — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:00:09 GMT

@Hippiified wrote:
That was a terrible time. It has been improving every year since.

That depends on the State.

In New Jersey the rate dropped 1%. Currently N.J. unemployment rate = 5.0%

If I am not mistaken, the 3.9% rate the OP posted does not take into consideration the thousands of folks who STOPPED looking, benefits expired and/or who cannot find employment.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

millieshops — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:19:21 GMT

@Ibby114So true! And another problem I'm reading about is that lots of good jobs are not being filled because there aren't applicants with the skill set for the openings.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

151949 — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:29:44 GMT

I too have been reading Mike Rowe's blog on FB - millions of jobs are unfilled because they require specific training , not college educations. All the trades are involved. If I had a kid who did not want to go to college these days I'd say Glory Halleauh and send him to trade school.HVAC - plumbers - electrians - welders - steam fitters - carpenters - appliance repair are all desparately looking to hire. And so are many others. Kids who go to community college or trade schools are looking at a bright future. Not all kids want to be a "professional". Nothing wrong with working with your hands, getting great union benefits. Nothing wrong with girls going into these professions either.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

AuntG — Thu, 10 May 2018 00:35:13 GMT

Landscaping jobs are hard to fill in my area. It's hard work and our 72 year old neighbor still gets called back to his job each year. He works long hours and sometimes says he is ready to retire but they can't get and retain workers.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

shoekitty — Thu, 10 May 2018 00:53:29 GMT

The trades are dwindling out! Try to hire an accomplished painter or carpenter!!! And landscaping, omg. Our yard man used to own a nursery, and had a carnation farm until the US started to import all our cut flowers from south america. He now has an exclusive list of clients who he does their yards. He does the whole garden, not just mow lawn. But he is mid 60's. Idk what we will do when he retires.

i cant even find an abatement team to remove an old furnace and duct that contains asbestos newer workers dont know what they are doing. Then they go out of business the following year

ETA

used to be kids trained under a master, then they were a journeyman for a while. They learned the trade inside and out. I live near Silicon Valley and it is hard to get anyone anymore. Forget it if you have a small job. There is a handyman in town. But here too he is hard to hire, and at about 100@hour it adds up. He is competative...but made me think. Someone would have a good paying job for life if they learned that trade well. But young kids dont want to do that kind of work. They want a corner office by time they are 30! Lol

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

ccassaday — Thu, 10 May 2018 02:12:36 GMT

When our HVAC guy came to put in our AC he said he had 200 AC to put in. So much good money in a trade.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

RealtyGal2 — Thu, 10 May 2018 06:41:38 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@Ibby114So true! And another problem I'm reading about is that lots of good jobs are not being filled because there aren't applicants with the skill set for the openings.

I would bet that there are plenty of applicants, but they are over 60 and being discriminated against because of their age. I have had this happen multiple times during my job search. These younger employers want everyone to look and think like they do. They don't know enough about the jobs they are hiring for or the real world to understand that life experience and job experience are both valuable assets. It's a waste of valuable resources. I finally found a job with someone over 60 who worked with me 15 years ago and was thrilled when he found out I was available.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

CelticCrafter — Thu, 10 May 2018 10:05:07 GMT

@shoekitty wrote:
The trades are dwindling out! Try to hire an accomplished painter or carpenter!!! And landscaping, omg. Our yard man used to own a nursery, and had a carnation farm until the US started to import all our cut flowers from south america. He now has an exclusive list of clients who he does their yards. He does the whole garden, not just mow lawn. But he is mid 60's. Idk what we will do when he retires.

i cant even find an abatement team to remove an old furnace and duct that contains asbestos newer workers dont know what they are doing. Then they go out of business the following year

ETA
used to be kids trained under a master, then they were a journeyman for a while. They learned the trade inside and out. I live near Silicon Valley and it is hard to get anyone anymore. Forget it if you have a small job. There is a handyman in town. But here too he is hard to hire, and at about 100@hour it adds up. He is competative...but made me think. Someone would have a good paying job for life if they learned that trade well. But young kids dont want to do that kind of work. They want a corner office by time they are 30! Lol

It's not that the trades are dwindling, it's about the lack of pride in their job, work ethics and the notion that since they are fresh out of school they know it all and know more.

Case in point, last year a neighbor was having issues with their central air, it took 4 tries on 4 different days to get it fixed and that wasn't until they sent the supervisor with the mechanic, now called service techs. How could I tell he was a supervisor, he was in a little car - not a work van and was an older man.

Ever notice, the younger ones all wear blue latex gloves because they don't want to get their hands dirty.

My husband was 42 years in the HVAC business, dealt with it every day. When he was a mechanic the only time I ever saw him with hands that didn't have ground in dirt, grease and oil was after being on vacation for 2 weeks.

The neighbor could have asked my husband to look at the system and fix it for him but that's another story for another time.

Re: Unemployment Rate Hits 3.9%

CalminHeart — Thu, 10 May 2018 11:31:59 GMT

A lot of things that led up to the great depression are currently being repeated by our leaders. And we came close in 2007 when everything tanked. It's a scary thought that we'll have to go through another time like either of those.

Millions of people are underemployed too. They were downsized, laid off over the last 11 years and were never able to find a job that utilized their knowledge and expertise. Businesses consider them "over" qualified for many positions so won't hire them. Others have tried over and over and over to find jobs in their fields and haven't been successful. I'm retired and work parttime and see people with Masters degrees and above who have so much background/knowledge and are working for $8-10 an hour now. They're willing to work anywhere for any amount of money to get by or to help their families get by.

We also have to remember that the unemployment rate is just the reportable data. There are countless people who are still underemployed or unemployed that aren't in that data.