Do you think things are getting better(long)

**Lora88** · 10-12-2011, 06:49 AM

Yesterday I was at the Dr and he was telling me that he feels things are getting better. I laughed and thought maybe for you but not for me . My dh who is in construction has been working regular days not ot at all Now the summer is over things will start to slow down and hopefully we will not have to go shorter days like we did last year I am gratefull he is working but it is getting harder and harder to stretch the money with inflation. We took abig hit fiancially this month when we found out our garage was not structurally sound our chimney was crumbling from the inside we had to have the roof completely redone the garage roof and walls corrected and the chimney taken down and rebuilt can your say 14,000.00 ouch that hurt. Thank God we had the money but it took a big bite out of what was our savings it took me years to accumulate that money gone in one week. But I think the thing that has me the most discouraged is that I am finding it so hard to get a job I know part of it is my age part is the economy but I have never seen it so tough out there I go for interviews if I get called and there are so many people waiting to be interviewed for a single job. I am trying to keep my chin up but as a fellow job hunter said to me Honey for us that ship has sailed . How are you guys doing?

**nodmicks** · 10-12-2011, 07:31 AM

First , I am so sorry about your chimney! Ouch! I hope things look up soon!

I don't think they are getting better here yet. Our area has the highest % ever of kids on free lunch. I see more food stamp cards swiped than debit cards in the grocery. If you want a minimum wage job it is a 26-30 miles away. There used always be ads in that area for $12+. The want ads are skinny! Speaking of the minimum wage service jobs. It used to be all kids working. Nope, now lots of adults and sadly senior citizens.

However the prices of everything and property taxes continue to rise just like everything is $$$$$. I have heard many fears from senior clients.

Dh's job is fine so far~ thankfully. However us girls in the salon have noticed a big change in the last 1.5 years. Clients are really stretching their services out. What used to be a color every 4 weeks is now every 8-10 or maybe they quit coloring in the salon. We also see clients stretching a bit longer between cuts. I have never seen this much of this in all the years I have been in the biz (22). I'm just grateful they are stretching services instead of going to a cheaper salon!

**Darlene** · 10-12-2011, 07:38 AM

That's alot in a short amount of time and no fun that it went towards something you can't have fun with.
Jobs are harder to get and looks like you/we have to get more creative to land them. Maybe volunteering someplace and showing them I have something to offer and letting everyone I know that I am looking and willing to work any hours., not just the day shift I'd prefer.
As many of you know with the flood alot here is in limbo and it's a weird feeling but an exciting one too. Things will fall into place and things will get better because I believe they will and that I am going to keep thinking positive and do what I can to make it so.

**valerian** · 10-12-2011, 08:43 AM

No, it's not getting better...just getting worse. I'm sick of it!

**Starlight9803** · 10-12-2011, 08:58 AM

still getting worse here too. DH's job is pretty secure, but they are slowing down (he is a truck driver) and with the rising prices, it makes it so much harder to stretch our money to cover everything

**pollypurebred39** · 10-12-2011, 09:52 AM

I want so much to say things are getting better. I want to be that ray of hope that says, just wait, it's booming here, but I can't. DH lost his construction job over 4 years ago. He's had 2 jobs since then. 1 for a few weeks, 1 for a few months. That's it, construction out here is DOA. But so is everything but minimum wage service jobs. One real job my DH applied for had 1000 applicants! We've never seen anything like it.

**Sophiasmama** · 10-12-2011, 10:00 AM

Here around my town it is hoping a bit more than this time lastyear...Just thankful we kept things small and didn't keep up with the Jones a few years back...I have seen many people driving older velicles...compared to the leased luxury cars they were driving a couple years ago.

**nodmicks** · 10-12-2011, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

I want so much to say things are getting better. I want to be that ray of hope that says, just wait, it's booming here, but I can't. DH lost his construction job over 4 years ago. He's had 2 jobs since then. 1 for a few weeks, 1 for a few months. That's it, construction out here is DOA. But so is everything but minimum wage service jobs. One real job my DH applied for had 1000 applicants! We've never seen anything like it.

oh my gosh 1000!!!!!!!!! HUGS!

I have noticed it is either min wage service or stuff like veterinarians, dentists, nurse practitioner. So low end or high end. Not much in between where I think the majority of the work force likely falls.

**frugalfoster** · 10-12-2011, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by nodmicks

Clients are really stretching their services out. What used to be a color every 4 weeks is now every 8-10 or maybe they quit coloring in the salon. We also see clients stretching a bit longer between cuts. I have never seen this much of this in all the years I have been in the biz (22). I'm just grateful they are stretching services instead of going to a cheaper salon!

We saw this, also, in my salon. But I think that most of mine are now coming on a regular basis again. I'm back to being booked out for several weeks. There is definitely a security in that!

**nodmicks** · 10-12-2011, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfoster

We saw this, also, in my salon. But I think that most of mine are now coming on a regular basis again. I'm back to being booked out for several weeks. There is definitely a security in that!

Yes there is! We seem to hit 6-8 weeks of can't keep up~ then two weeks of quiet. Overall though I expect all of us will see our income down at least $1000 for the year when the W2's come out. I'm just glad people are not going to the chain running coupons or the new place running $7 haircut! I'll take stretching it out a bit over losing clients.

**Contrary Housewife** · 10-12-2011, 10:26 AM

I think it depends on what line of work you are in and how willing you are to change careers. I know that for DH the last 2 places he has worked and at his current job they cannot find enough people to fill open positions. Like wise, I have friends out of state who are sending out emails every month with job openings they cannot fill.

A friend lost his management job a few years back and could not find anything, so he switched to a computer training/ teaching job and now has more people asking for him than ever. He travels all over the world doing corporate training.

I have other friends who have been out of work 3-4 years now, picking up part time odd jobs now and then who have yet to face the reality that their chosen career field is dead. I toss them job leads now and then, and DH has offered to give them a foot in the door at his company doing different work, but they won't take it.

**Menifeemom** · 10-12-2011, 10:40 AM

My husband has noticed the change a lot recently. He manages the back shop of an autobody facility and now he is just as likely to have middle aged applicants as teenagers when he posts a detailers position opening. Years ago no one but teenagers would apply to wash the cars. He has said though that jobs like this don't have to be deadends and can be the foot in the door for better things. The older detailer he has now he is training after hours to prep him for an estimating position that will be opening up soon. That will put that man right back into the income range he is use to being in and all because he was willing to do anything that came his way.

**low-1** · 10-12-2011, 10:48 AM

I can't speak for the rest of Canada, but here in Northern Manitoba, there are many more jobs than there are people to fill them. Fort Mac in AB is the same. There is work out there, very VERY well paying work at that, that has a hard time attracting applicants, mostly because it's out of the "comfort zone" of a lot of people.

In our company specifically (an electrical utility), we are currently building one powerhouse, we have an environmental review almost completed on another, with another on the books to follow that. Plus 2 converter stations and a 1000 km transmission line. Thousands and thousands of man-hours required, yearly income including OT is pushing 200K in a lot of instances. But, a lot of those positions are in camp, in very remote areas, with a in-out schedule of typically 21 days in, 7 days out. I know they've had to push back projects because they can't get people to work. These are everything from unskilled general labourer positions to skilled trades (carpentry, electrical, mechanical, civil, painters, etc).

**brennasmom** · 10-12-2011, 10:52 AM

Not sure about jobs wise... but housing wise things are in the dump. We have 2 empty houses right next to us. One is currently a short sale and I think the other is going into foreclosure. We would like to sell and move but I don't think it's feasible in the current market...

**pollypurebred39** · 10-12-2011, 10:53 AM

My DH is more than willing to change careers. In fact he's has probably 100+ interviews in the last 4 years. He has had great interviews, but then is told that they'd love to hire him but they know as soon as his field opens up he'll leave them high and dry. He's been told countless times that he's way overqualified for the position he's applying for. They are not willing to take that risk.