Not sure if this is the reality folks here are seeing:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — There’s no doubt the bottom has fallen out of the home-building market in the last year. But if you’re trying to find an out-of-work carpenter or skilled craftsman today, you’d think the nation was still in the middle of a building boom.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/31/news/economy/jobs_construction_outlook/index.htm?cnn=yes
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. –Benjamin Franklin
Replies
Many of those subcontractors, such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers or concrete and wallboard contractors, can move easily from residential work to working on government buildings, nursing homes or hospital expansions that Hanson's firm is now building.
"A concrete block doesn't know if it's a wall of a house, or the wall of a shopping center," he said. "The same people are going to lay the block."
Yeah, right. A bunch of hooey from someone who doesn't know what he's talking about. Sure, residential tract work and hospital work is identical - only except the codes are different, the materials and methods are different, the contractors are different, and the labor networks are completely different.
"...an open mind is a powerful thing. The ability to listen to others is invaluable."
Jim Blodgett
The one thing that made sense to me in the article was the observation that millions of off the books workers, employed during the boom, are now not employed, but that since they weren't accounted for then, the numbers of employed now, don't look skewed down very much.
In my little tiny remote backwater, the only time we see Spanish-speaking labor is if a commercial GC is doing a hotel or bigbox. Otherwise we see none.
But from my days past, traveling all over the USA with ThermaTru salesmen, I recall seeing huge numbers of Spanish-speakers in all the major markets. Vegas, Phoenix, Florida, the production-built tracts all over the west coast, Texas, Chicagoland, all over the Carolinas, NJ, and even a little up in New England.
They're a major presence here in So. Cal. also. The more I think about it, the more I think the article was skewed to mislead or distort, rather than just out of pure ignorance. Still a buch of hooey, 'tho! =)"...an open mind is a powerful thing. The ability to listen to others is invaluable."
Jim Blodgett
In this "information age", I have learned to not believe any "expert" opinions in the media. Put two experts in a room and they will have totally different opinions, unless their paycheck is coming from the same source.
Every day I hear things that seem intuitively possible, yet not in accordance with my own knowledge and experience, and not even in accordance with the previous day's expert.
Day after day, I hear how good the economy is doing. Then I look at rising prices for essentials and government services. I look at how long houses are standing empty and how new lots are waiting months for development (maybe not such a bad thing).
In my town I see shiny police cars and fire engines and facilities and then I look at the homes and cars of the working folks. It's easy to see where it is going.
Ah, but those shiny police cars were bought with anti-terrorism money. This was money that "the people" WANTED to spend (so they thought) to ensure "homeland security", and the pols were only too happy to oblige.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I have CNN Money bookmarked on my work Computer.
I took a quick look at that today and almost fell out of my chair.
I have more than a few friends with not a damn thing to do right now.
"I have more than a few friends with not a damn thing to do right now. "
Could ya send 'em up to western Canada please? Still badly short of carps here, projects are being passed up because of lack of labour, others are idling and running behind schedule for the same reason.Lignum est bonum.
You need people . .
in Western Canada huh. Hmm
Whats your extradition treaty with the US look like these days?
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
You do realise there's a difference between extradition treaties and employment treaties?.....Lignum est bonum.
zing
u win. good comeback. :-)Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
The problem with national reports on the construction biz, like CNN, is that that they don't realize it really depends on where you are. Like real estate.
Expert since 10 am.
Yeah, and they never get more than 50 miles from the East Coast.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
To CNN, the only things that matter are the things that happen in NY, Hollywood, or Atlanta. The rest of the world is unimportant.
CNN found that Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman in America. Women admire her because she's strong and successful. Men admire her because she allows her husband to cheat and get away with It. [Jay Leno]
Yeah, so, your point is ;-)Though don't go comparing Atlanta to NYC.
I wasn't comparing them - Atlanta is where their HQ is.
A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences. [Proverbs 27:12]
That's right, I forgot.
Toni
Your email sucks. Shoot me an email, so I can reply.Glamorous
No it doesn't, it keeps the riff raff away.