Its the Economy Stupid

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

This Wall Street Journal article seems to confirm what the Democrats have said all along. Its the economy stupid!

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004936

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

there are still three things I worry a lot about:

largest national deficit ever

largest personal debts ever

offshoring due to a populace that is ill-equipped for career changes and technical advances.

Yes, the job numbers were encouraging. And inflation is low. As for my personal wealth? I'm afraid I'm not as optomistic since most of it is tied up in my house that is somewhat artifcially high due to an insane market (hope I'm wrong).

dtw · 04-12-2004, 07:51 AM

I have a finger on the pulse of a few decision makers in various industries due to my profession. I can say that all the major companies I am familiar with that are moving operations offshore, are doing so for tax and operating cost reasons ONLY.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I guess it depends on your industry. In sci/tech it is a combination of a lack of qualified workers and lower costs found offshore. The thing is, if the US worker can be smarter/better than the offshore, then at least some of the jobs will stay here. Some companies will always go bottom line, but the innovators want the best, period.

My fear concerns education (or the lack thereof) rather than a jab at the workers. I don't see the system getting better

BlueSkyJaunte · 04-12-2004, 08:18 AM

Nostatic is right...we're still having a b!tch of a time finding qualified American tech workers. It's not that freaking hard a job, people. I mean, I'm doing it...

Every American kid wants to be a manager. They think it's their God-given right to be a "leader". Yeah, good luck with your U of A MBA. Are you gonna be a manager....in Bangalore?

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Every American kid wants to be a manager. They think it's their God-given right to be a "leader". Yeah, good luck with your U of A MBA. Are you gonna be a manager....in Bangalore?

what's ironic is that I'm in a management position, but don't have an MBA (and have never taken a biz course in my life), but rather an advanced tech degree. I was able to do a career change because I knew how to solve problems and had the interest/ability to keep learning. I see plenty of MBAs running around that might know how to "manage", but they don't know how to actually *do* anything. Do first, manage second. I see the same sort of issue in my wife's profession. There are attorneys involved in patent litigation and prosecution that don't have the slightest idea what is involved in the technology they're arguing. How effective do you think they are going to be?

BlueSkyJaunte · 04-12-2004, 08:49 AM

I'm headed in the same direction (unfortunately--I'd rather stay where I am and just get paid more...but in my competitive environment I have to continue to "expand my sphere of influence" to demonstrate why I deserve the raise instead of Joe Spreadsheet Monkey next door), taking on more managment tasks but continuing to handle large and small technical tasks.

I'm lucky that my direct boss followed the same route. I'd never have any respect for someone who couldn't handle my workload and yet insists that s/he's somehow qualified to judge my work.

dd74 · 04-12-2004, 11:20 AM

When I was in undergrad, I took technical writing. Great subject! One truly needed to study the subject to write a convincing sentence about it. This class demonstrated how appropriate prose could make anything - even a VCR - appear more than it was.

Anyone need a freelance tech writer, America-based, with the hankering to make poetry out of a percussion hammer?

BlueSkyJaunte · 04-12-2004, 12:07 PM

Sorry, DD, we don't have the budget to provide documentation.

That's what I tell my customers, anyway.

vdavie · 04-12-2004, 07:26 PM

I own a staffing company, we find candidates for companies and jobs for candidates. I will tell you that finding a qualified person is VERY HARD. Companies pay us big money to find them good people. We also place contract workers in the same field. I would say 25% of the people we offer a contract job to say no. Now, these people are not working and they don't want to. Maybe, if we didnt make it so easy for people to collect my tax dollars, they would go to work.

ok, I feel better now.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

It is amazing that the Kerry campaign ahd to totally revise the long esteemed "Misery Index" that was used so effectively against Bush Sr., because, by it's formula...the economy is better than that of any recent president's (when full term is measured).

Vince, what type positions do you place?

vdavie · 04-12-2004, 07:48 PM

accounting and finance folks. from support to cfo's.

mudman · 04-12-2004, 07:54 PM

Has anyone noticed how lazy Americans are? Not just at work, and yes there are many exceptions to this statement, but just plain lazy. I have 'friends' that have half of a degree their parents paid for, an appartment, a new leased car, jet-skis, dirt bikes, oh yeah, BIG SCREEN TVS! All on credit cards and the biweekly check from a dead end job that they put no effort towards. Wtf? I am 25, own a house (owned two for a while), and have been nurturing a business for 4-5 years. When I go out on a sales call to meet with a prospective client I can usually tell within 10 minutes of being at their house whether or not I want to work for them. The check list includes: greeting at front door, dress of homeowner, demeanor of homeowner, cleanliness of house, and correct use of the English language. My wife usually asks "how did it go?" when I get home after a meeting and I found myself summing up the losers by stating "they were lazy bastards, I don't want to work with them".

What ever happened to ambition, gumption, proactivity?

My labor force: sucks. They are offspring of WASPS, and they suck.
My competitors' labor: kicks ass. They all have tans and one translator for the bunch.
I don't care what you do, what your job is, or even how well you do it(well, to a certain point), just TRY to do your best!
Walmart and Nike andXYZ Corp are thriving in the efficiancy that is a global economy. If commerce is to persist within the good ol U S of A, we need to start creating and doing, instead of sitting on our asses whining about bullshcat.
In my little corner (and I do mean little) of the economy, I am the only person/corp/industry to blame for a recession.
-Jeremy

hey, I feel better now too!

vdavie · 04-12-2004, 08:10 PM

There are jobs out there for a lot of people. Four years ago when unemployment was 1.2% in calif, companies would call us for " a warm body" they paid way to much to me for finding that person and way to much to the candidate. The companies have used these last years to weed out the dead wood.When we have a good candidate we have 2-3 companies wanting to hire that person. No company wants to pay me 25-30k to find them a good person, they pay because they cannot find one. Smart, motivated people (not all) can find jobs

350HP930 · 04-12-2004, 08:15 PM

I have also made the transition from technician to manager. Then a recent layoff made me drop back to being a tech.

I am actively seeking a better job than the one I have now at the same time that many people with similar circumstances are beating on my current employer's door.

You can quote the WSJ's opinion page all you want but I would disagree with this guy's opinion of the job market. I had an easier time finding good work during the clinton years than I have during the past couple of bush years.

I also know a lot of other engineers here in the area in multiple fields. Lets just say that I am not the only guy who had to settle for menial work to pay the bills and none of them have great news to report about their job searches despite all the news about a few weeks of upward national statistics.

vdavie · 04-12-2004, 08:27 PM

Do you really think it has anything to do with bush? the market burst, hell, everybody knew it was going to end, Greenspan even said it before it happened. What happened is a natural business cycle. The shipping of jobs is also a natural business cycle. I don't like it anymore than the next guy but with a global price pressure this is what has to happen. back in the 80"s it was the japan who was buying up whole city blocks and people where yelling that they where going to take over the world..didn't happen. One person, ie bush cannot move and economy..now Mr Greenspan, thats another story

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

It is about choice. Yes there are places where the economy is weak. There were many areas that were weak in the Clinton years too. Now some of those are strong. That's why they are "national statistics." You wrere lucky to be in a strong area before...but sometimes those things are cyclical. I wish I could move back to my hometown, but I would have to be a dirt farmer again You have a simple choice...stay where you are and fight it or move elsewhere where there is more opportunity. Lots of us would like to live in CA or FL, but the simple matter is, we have to live where the work is. My job paid almost twice as much here as it would in FL. That is why I am here. There are more jobs for good, experienced aerospace engineers in NM than they can fill. But no beach in sight.

mudman · 04-12-2004, 08:35 PM

Hail to Al!

Never really thought about the cyclical nature of these things and how they really relate to me until now. I stay busy all the time, but I am always working for different clients. I do a lot of work in an area of MI where everyone is an employee of they big three or employee for a tier one supplier. I hadn't worked in that area in two years, and this year I've met with several people from that demographic. Maybe I should start looking at who I won't be working for this year. Any Ideas?
-Jeremy

vdavie · 04-12-2004, 08:48 PM

In calif when it is good it great, when it's bad it's very bad. our unemployment rate is 7% much higher than the rest of the country. The city i live in it's 7.2%. In the "good years" I made more than i do now but that could not have lasted. stock was up, housing was up, pay was up but it was a bubble and it had to pop. I am not saying there is a job for everyone, ie manuf, those jobs are gone forever, but as a country we will be able to compete better. If companies can't make money they will fire people. Ford just came out and said each car that they make now, the health care cost are more than the metal they use to make the car, if that keeps going up they will continue to move jobs overseas and Ford will be forced to cut jobs. You cant sell cars and make a buck with costs like that.

fintstone · fintstone's Garage

adapt or die