OT: Good Economy and Jobs?

A

arty

Joined
Oct 18, 2003
Messages
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Hi folks - I keep hearing and reading about how great the economy is doing and how well everything is going. I wonder how other people feel about this???

I have a secure job, but raises have not been so great lately.
My daughter has a job and she likes it. Some of my friends are not doing as well as they would like, and many have seen a drop in family income.

How are you doing and how are your family members doing in this economy? Are these "good times?"

How is business, Uncle Bill?

I'd like to know what other folks think about this.
 
The company I worked for for 25 years has been down-sizing ("right-sizing" etc.) since 1975. Sooooooooo, I work for them on a contract basis and make 3x/hr. what they paid me as an employee, though less in total/yr. Overall, looks like the movement to a "world economy" will make it tougher and tougher on those whose work can been done for much less by workers outside the U.S.
 
The place where I work is doing ok. Though if you listen to some folks, we're downsizing, and laying off people. :p
 
The recession pretty much chewed me up. In my new job, the next 2-3 months might be a touch slow. After that, it should be off to the races again, concerning overtime. Now, I just have to figure out how to pick up my hourly compensation to make the effort worthwhile.
 
I work for the state. When Clinton was in the economy was good and we got several good raises and an upgrade in equiptment that made our job a lot easier. Since the war and the tax cuts less federal money is making it's way to the states so no raises. Luckily the raises brought us up to where we aren't hurting. On the other hand prior to Clinton there was a ten year period where all we got was a $600 raise.
We don't get a cost of living at all. Also paid off my house and we have a gas well and free natural gas so I'm set to weather some bad times.

On the other hand I have been surprised at the number of people in their 50's who had really good jobs that they had worked at for a long period that have gotten laid off recently. A lot of the call centers around here are laying off because of all these menu driven phone service things. Also a lot of people losing really high paying computer and engineering jobs cause they are moving to India and the net enables them to e mail their stuff back to the US.
 
I also work for the state, and raises have not been good for the past 2 years. I also have recently heard of people getting laid off from jobs that they worked at for 25 years, and friends who are computer people going from full-time to part-time - or no time.

I wondered how many other people were hearing the same things from friends.
 
Found out recently that the employees in my company may be looking at pay cuts ranging from 5-15% in 2004. Unfortunately, most other companies in our service industry aren't doing much better, so switching jobs is not really an option.

Still, can't complain too much. No one is going to get laid off (though there is a hiring freeze), and when I see how many other hard-working, talented people are having trouble finding work, it's hard to feel sorry for myself. Things will pick up eventually.

Of course, none of this is going to have any effect on my khuk buying habits...:D
 
Being retired doesn't get a person off the hook either. The new meds help has done no one any good. Now they take more out for medicare. The cost of living sounded pretty good this year until you see the premiums for medicare. After it was all over we have close to twenty dollars more a month and the property taxas went up $200.00 this year. I don't know any one that goes to the grocery store and doesn't spend more money every week. My wife and I would already be in the poor house if I hadn't retired from the Marine Corp and I don't know how long that is going to help us the way every thing is taxed.:mad:
 
A friend said to me it is a tough life. That was about 20 years ago. My parents grew up in the depression. My grandparents lost their savings and income property, and then of course there was me. We had no TV till I was 8 or 9. We had no car till I was 10 or 11.

I got out of the USN in '72 no job for over a year. Tried going back to finish college but 2 children needed food.

Howdy-Dowdy Carter almost bankrupt me and many other small bussinessmen with high interest rates.

Just when my company was on it's feet doing good in the 90's my wife divorces me and takes the bussiness, buildings and "stuff".

I moved to Florida to start over.

As time passes nothing seems to change except getting old and more tired. I'm getting by like I always have, just rich in other things than monetary. The economy is no better or worse from my point of view.;)
 
The Euro is quite strong, and despite the Italian politics, people are only complaining that when the Italian lira was about 1,900 to one $ U.S., many people just doubled the prices of everything since many Italians had a diffcult time doing the conversion during the initial months of the application of the Euro.
 
I think we need to do something about healthcare big time. I have insurance but it has gone up. I'm healthy so no problem there. On the other hand it may not be great but old people have medicare. People under a certain income level have medicaid. But a lot of middle class people can't afford it.

Recently we had a supermarket strike. A bunch of Krogers workers went out over healthcare.I was amazed at the number of people who were pissed at the workers. They were saying things like " What are they whining about! Most retail workers don't have insurance!"

This really made me understand how selfish and deluded most people are, and how corporate control of the media has shifted peoples views. I said " Well don't you understand that the company isn't losing money? They just want to roll back the benefits so they can make more money? Don't you realize that if the company doesn't pay them health care benefits that the taxpayers have to provide it?" But of course they don't realize they are paying for it, they all just got a tax cut. Meanwhile the deficit climbs and eventually they may be paying for it with their jobs...
 
I work for the state as well, no raises at all prior 4 years, got a total of 6% this year. Problem with my job (Parole Officer) is that there is no career ladder or merit raises. Person who comes in off the street makes the same in a year as the lead officer who's been there 25 years thats training him/her.

High turnover in my office (20% this year:eek: )and thats with a great boss and nice work envoronment. Folks moving on to Federal or private industry jobs for higher pay. Oddly insurance industry is taking many of our best folks...
 
The States are hurting right now.

Job growth is a 'lagging indicator' of economic up swings. In short, we'll be the last to know.

But frankly, even in the boom years of the 90's I saw most people in the rual West struggling.

1. The middle class is still shrinking
2. The Government keeps getting bigger.

munk
 
When I got out of the military in 1968 I went back to college and became a "Student".

After I milked that for all I could, I became "Unemployed" and enjoyed the many benefits of that position.

A few more years passed and I became "Self Employed". That category used to carry a little more status, but now days it's just about the same as "Unemployed".

More time passed and I became "Retired" and became a member of a respected minority.
But the difference in all these categories was just the word I used to answer the question "What do you do?"

Ever since 1968, regardless of which mob of corporate gangsters were in control of the country, I have done what I want, when I want, using whatever skills I have learned along the way.

By now I have lived long enough to be "officially" retired and the Government actually sends me a Social Security check for $377.00 a month.

Life is good.

(It also helps that my wife has a secure government job, makes $70K a year, has a good retirement program, and medical and dental benifits that cover us both.)
 
Originally posted by Pappy
Being retired doesn't get a person off the hook either.
Click to expand...

I'm with Pappy. Being on a fixed income with the cost of prescriptions along with other medical is the pits. Barbie and me were able to set a little back in a 401K or we would really be hurting.
In a couple or so years a later model car new to us is gonna have to come out of the principal and that's gonna hurt, but we're in the same boat as everyone else so there's no use crying about it.
Actually Barbie and I count ourselves as being really fortunate in that we have enough to eat, make the house payment and necessary utilities, afford the internet and cable TV even if there isn't anything left over most months.
More importantly we have good kids that haven't returned home, great friends and are well loved and respected in our community.
Not much more to ask for imo.:D
 
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