Yet another sign of economic recovery

**annymoll** · 03-20-2012, 11:27 PM

Plenty of jobs here.Most people are employed. Home remodels and handiwork are booming. We had to call three different men to come to do a restoration project. They all said bathroom and kitchen redos have been booming all winter.

**227melissa** · 03-21-2012, 10:02 AM

I too am extremely worried about our national debt, I guess that's why I have 3 cabinets fill to the brim with can foods and bought a little silver when it was cheaper. Not a prepper, but keep an eye out just in case. People can only comment on their local economy and right now the state of Alabama's unemployment is 7.8 percent and only getting better.

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-30-2012, 07:07 AM

What a diiference a week can make?
50 more best buy stores closing
Pepsi laying off over 5800 worldwide.
I think people can comment on more than their local economy.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-30-2012, 09:41 AM

I also just saw a news feature on the mining boom at Elko, Nevada, which in turn has fired a housing boom in that area, putting construction crews to work. Of course when gold prices fall, the boom will go bust, but that's how it is with mining. It's the same way here.

There have been more news stories on our local news about new businesses opening, too.

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-30-2012, 11:23 AM

well those other jobs are permanetly gone-pepsi/Best Buy

And the housing boom is temporary. Don't you think a lot of those houses will remain empty after the mining boom. The only thing to do there is mine.When the gold runs old or the price stabalizes people will be forced to leave.
You keep sighting temporary happening as signs the economy is improving. I don't understand.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-30-2012, 12:00 PM

Most of the jobs I've mentioned in our area are not temporary, but are either expansions of existing businesses or new businesses that are not intended to be temporary. Of course, there is no predicting the future for businesses that intend to be permanent but I can't imagine they plan to go into business just to shut down. In reality, I suppose no business can ever be considered permanent.

All construction jobs are temporary, if that's what you mean. So I guess that means an uptick in construction must be a negative, not a positive.

Really, all mining jobs are also temporary because eventually whatever resource is being mined will run out, whether it takes ten years or a thousand to extract it all.

I don't follow what you're saying. So in your view, nothing positive is happening anywhere?

**Russ** · 03-30-2012, 12:26 PM

2008-2009 my commute was pretty awesome. I drive the same route as I did then and I can guarantee you that traffic is a lot heavier.

It's a 2 lane highway for 80% of my route and back then you actually had room to pass. Now, there is no point in passing the occasional slow poke because it is a solid stream of cars.

That's my VERY non-scientific assessment of the economy.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-30-2012, 12:55 PM

My husband's commute hasn't changed any for the past fifteen years, but then again, if we encounter two deer and a wolf on the way into town, that's heavy traffic.

**Russ** · 03-30-2012, 12:58 PM

Ok, now you're just rubbing it in.

**pollypurebred39** · 03-30-2012, 01:10 PM

It's weird, because I heard of national layoffs and then in the next breath, the news caster was talking about the huge lenders convention the big and little banks out this way were holding. They were begging people to come out and to pitch them their business ideas and apply for loans. There are rumblings happening here.

The mall parking lot is packed, and it hasn't been. The restaurant parking lots are packed. The upper end leisure district in the town over is jam packed with shoppers and those seeking entertainment. The empty stores are filling with new businesses over at the "town" built just for shopping/entertainment where the expensive grocery store is. I've not seen any businesses folding locally, and they were dropping like flies for awhile.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-30-2012, 01:34 PM

Gee, Russ, I didn't even mention the million-dollar lake view or anything!

That all sounds positive too, Polly.

**Lucas** · 03-30-2012, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

I think I pretty much covered that scenario, the living on far less here is this post. But I guess you are suggesting it will get worse for us (this country) then it is now. Well, we already live that now. LOL! Any worse and we'd be homeless. I think I'm good Lucus. If it all hits the fan, then it hits the fan. Right now I'm just going to watch as my DH's job sector continues to rebound and expectantly wait for God to bless us with a job in his sector once again. It's good for me to remember this verse, You will be in moments of despair, but you will not be destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:6-10) And Lucus, we are willing to take less and live on less than we did before, so if that's a recovery, I'm okay with that too. I'm not going to spend my days worrying about the storm... I'm just going to adjust my sails.

"The only thing I foresee in the recovery process is that there will be a reduction in wages that will remain, even as job openings increase. Employers have learned that we will work like dogs for low wages. So I still see that being out there in a recovered future. But I also see that the living wage jobs are making a come back (and as expected the wages are lower, but livable). I think, no I know we personally are willing to make that trade off to see a recovery."

I appreciate your discussion. That shows my point though. If everyone gets a job and is making less money but things cost more due to inflation is that really an improvement? Our wages are going down but the cost of living is going up. That indicates that things are getting worse. The more the government meddles with it the worse it gets. They keep printing money and now there is no way it could all be paid back. The only solution is print more money or default both of which will cause more of a downturn or crash.

What Im saying is that its going to get a lot worse before it gets any better again.

**pollypurebred39** · 03-30-2012, 06:47 PM

I guess worse is a relative term. I'll take worse if it means my DH gets back to work at his regular job, even at a reduced wage & benefit. Sure beats living like we've been living. I'm betting a lot of families like ours would take a pay cut to get back to work. It's all relative Lucas, it's all relative.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-30-2012, 07:25 PM

Companies compete not just for customers, but for employees too. Smart employers know it costs money to train skilled workers, and they want to retain those people. If they don't pay well, those trained employees will be looking for work elsewhere and take their skills with them. So it makes more sense for companies to pay a living wage to maintain their skilled work force, which in turn helps them compete in the marketplace because they're not constantly having to spend money training new employees all the time. So it seems like living-wage jobs will make a comeback, just because it's cost effective for businesses.

Another new business was announced on the news tonight. They're turning old grain silos on the bay in Duluth into a hotel with some unique amenities. This is a multi-million dollar project that will employ a lot of people for the construction and remodeling, then employ more people to staff the facility when it opens. Some of the project will be paid with grant money for economic development, but I'm sure there are investors involved too.