Winners right here.

What I meant is that I am paying 25+ an hour for my workers and so far it has not been to difficult to find help. Just a small crew, one full time guy and occasional part time, part time is usually paid over 25 an hour. And yes I have raised my prices.

BTW, the left's policies and their anti-police rhetoric is causing the spike in crime and violence. Then they blame guns to gain support to take our guns away and eventually our 2nd Amendment Rights!

Talked to a the truck driver while he was doing a delv for me.
His company is hiring truck drivers.
Requirements
NO CDL is needed they will train you and help you get your CDL all the while paying you $20/hr while you train.
Also they pay a $10,000 signing bonus.
They are down approx 40% from where they were just a couple of months ago.
Gotta pass a drug test tho.

He tells me they get very few takers.

There are tons of jobs out there but it seems that if they involve any sort of real work young kids don't apply.
Work ethic is much poorer than years past.

That comes out to just over 100K/ yr!!! I'm assuming this is low skilled or semi-skilled work at best. A job any 1/2 way competent person should be able to do.

I think there is a sizable chunk of unemployed workers out there that are happy just getting by. If Uncle Sam gives them enough to cover food and shelter they are more than happy to stay unemployed.
They would rather just get by and not have to work than work and get ahead.

I think some of these companies trained the younger job force a bit to be what it is now. Wasn't to many years back when lots were hiring two part time people to do the job of one full time employee. They could save money because typically part timers got no insurance or benefits that it cost the company for full time staff.
When I was a young man people tried to find job where they had career and could make a living. I seem to recall not to many years back hearing some employers where even helping their employees, get a second part time job..
Both of my my kids are working for same company. Both have been there for over 15 years now.. But the company now has them pay capped for some time. Their right in a spot where they won't give their employee's a raise, yet can't find workers starting at almost what they pay so called career staff...
They even restructure their jobs call them something different so can keep their pay the same.. Just a bunch BS to not give even cost living raise..
My son is ready to bail and go to one of the places now begging for people.. But he has a home and mortgage can't just take a total pay hit to switch jobs..

Seems we all forget too that a lot of jobs that used to take 5 guys. Now just need one machine operator can't hire 5 dumb grunts..
I do know I see sign every where and some with starting pay higher than I was making when I retired 6 years ago.
Is for sure different world.
I think the employers own some of the problem too not just all lazy people..

Mac

Good call.

I almost feel guilty being retired when so many jobs out there I could do for good money, but I like the retired life. If I make a $100 dollars selling scrap or doing an ADC call I feel like I am rolling in cash that week. I still don't have my deer food plot planted, been too busy, plus I had a track come off the dozer in the marsh, that has turned into way too much work.

Been retired here for 10 years.Dont feel guilty whatsoever.In fact I would feel guilty taking salaried work away from a younger person who needs it at that point in their life.
Since then I do the work I want to do, when I want to do it,for me.Some of that work makes money and some costs money but provides equity or maintains/improves investments.

What is good about this is the amount of overtime available.

The company I work at there are 5 Machinist age 63 to 67. We could all retire tomorrow. The only thing 4 of us are working for is insurance. there is roughly 130 yrs of experience running CNC machines. They cant hire any any machinist. When the last baby boomers retire, there will be a ton of jobs out there and no bubby to take them.

I don't have a horse in this race, but 15 bucks an hour doesn't buy anything these days. If you're just out of school living with mom and dad still, it'll work. That's about it.

In 58 years I never made $15 unless I was working overtime. Now that's about minimum wage.

Saw Jen Psaki on TV yesterday. When asked about how long the administration was going to keep extending benefits to people who weren't working, she said as long as there are people who were financially hurting, the benefits would keep coming. This after a number of governors were saying they were planning to end the free money.

Is Billings plagued with undesirables?.......with the rez being right there close?

I must be on the other end of this worker shortage. I've seen more applications and general interest in healthcare jobs in the last 4 months than what typically saw in the last decade. Normally handful of candidates for an opening and you'd pray that just one might have just a little experience. Now 20-25 is pretty common with lots of experience. Covid was pretty rough on bottom line of lots of hospitals, clinics, etc and looks like people are actively seeking positions

We had many firms in our area use armed guards to escort out employees during massive layoff events. The children of those workers witnessed those events and they won't kiss the ring of administrations that treated their parent like that. Loyalty is a door that swings both ways. WI is at 3.9% UE which is well below the national average and almost where it was pre COVID so the help wanted ads and signs are not much different then two years ago. What has changed is the real publication of hourly pay. Most historical ads stated pay dependent upon skill etc., now more toss out a number and that number is much larger than 2, 3 or 5 years ago. Another issue is we have many smaller manufacturing firms that are not at full staff, some due to labor shortages and quite a bit due to not getting supplies as needed to produce their products. We have a lot of food processing firms near us and many are dairy related and they have plenty of milk to be fully operational.

Bryce

Yep you got it , and lots of crime imo

I just planted 3 acres of blueberries last fall, have plants coming in for another acre this fall and have another 1 acre already in full production. It takes 5-8 workers per acre to pick blueberries. To say that I'm concerned about labor shortages would be an understatement.

Back in the day when we had a porous border it was easy to meet your labor needs....in the meantime we have people of all ages milling around in homeless camps begging for stuff. This country is in deep trouble.

Can we make a deal with Mexico and trade about 5 million people? We'll give them 5 of our homeless for every one of theirs currently at the border looking for a better life up north.

I applaud them for being willing to have to drive hours for a job when those facilities close.

Kudos.