In just twelve months time we have a new president, an Olympian who celebrated a little too hard, a stock market that went to nearly half and then back to 75% causing near heart failure for many, and an unemployment rate that has over doubled for the construction industry.
And it's not looking that good for improvement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that construction lost another 76,000 jobs in July compared to averages of 73,000 for each of the three previous months. Chief economist for the Associated General Contractors, Ken Simonson said, "I don't see any good news for construction in these figures".
I'll say.
Simonson believes that by the end of 2009, there will be enough single-family home building and home improvement work to produce an upturn in that segment. But he then adds, "I don't have much hope for nonresidential construction."
I think the glass isn't even half empty, its dry as a bone.
So what do we do? Sit here with our proverbial thumbs up our proverbial rear ends? Perhaps for now. But very soon we must start innovating and actually getting people to work again, and that starts with owners proposing projects that banks are willing to finance. What do we have to do to get this going?
I'm hoping its just an overall aversion to risk due to economic fears and uncertainly and when things look like they have steadily improved for more than just a month or two, the "powers that be" will become less conservative.
But what if they don't?
Posts
Hope as I may that the residential market in Boise will creep back to life, as a Project Manager I am trying to reinvent myself for another industry. Here's the $64,000 question - what industry hasn't been affected by this economy or flooded with others, like myself, who can't afford to sit back and wait? Any ideas?
ReplyDeletegreat posting John. I share your pain. NYC metro area is starving. we need lending back for all the proposed projects that have gotten shelved!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what to do, but I'm not really willing to go around kissing a bunch of butt to everybody in town just so they can tell me that they're not hiring now.
I suppose you could look overseas for work, but I'm not sure that it is much better over there. You could also try to start your own business...
Thank you John,
ReplyDeleteI think I have to agree that starting one's own business is probably the way to go! As much as I would say that I "need" the consistency of a paycheck and benefits I believe that we live in an ever changing world. I am not one to sit back and wait for the silver spoon to feed me and I do have kids that expect to be fed, so the wheels are spinning to try and figure this out! I have said a couple of times that isn't it times like these that some of the next generation of great ideas and companies are born?
Indeed, we must move toward a different lifestyle and progress back to a simpler way of living...but with technology.
ReplyDeleteWe as a society have become so complacent in our future development opportunities relying on the same old ways instead of initiating really innovative ways of living.
Am I the only one that can see that if we continue down this path, that we will continue to end up where we are now again in the future...that is if we can even build again on the our old ways of progress (building industry).
Are we incapable of imagining a better future, a better way to exist and live life on this planet? Are we so stuck in our thinking that we actually ACCEPT our current stress level due to the way our economic system works...that we cannot even imagine something better for ourselves? [now that is bad programming]
Have we become so accustomed to stress (which kills us) "as the cost of doing business"...in the way we structure our life on this earth that we simply follow suit?
Progress is great if it makes us better people, healthier people, more compassionate people. Progress does not work, if it separates us, causes illness, and keeps us from having the basic necessities at hand.
I do not feel as though we have made much progress in creating a lifestyle (economy) of enjoyment and contentment and health. We need to reevaluate how we wish to create our economy to provide a better and healthier way of life, now and in the future.
My vision of the American Dream is: being able to eat healthy food and being able to grow it in my own yard should I choose, being able to live in a structure that is unique (my own style) that is simple and not lavish, being able to receive health care when I need it, and being able to travel to see this beautiful earth system.
My American Dream is having the right of choice.
Until we as a society realize that "less is more" truly, then we will be in a rat-race and on that spinning wheel...in that cage...forever!!! Who needs more of this stress?
Let us learn! Let us change! Let us decide to move toward a healthier/simpler lifestyle. We have the capacity to create a different economic value system.
I think we are at that place now in making a choice...do we buy into the old ways which keeps us stressed and the margins between the rich and poor ever broadening, or, do we create a better way of living.
We cannot continue to be sheep being lead to slaughter. Right now our economic model is showing the negative side...and we need to learn from this, not blame people for their bad decisions which we all have made too.
I believe our economic model is obsolete and needs a new and improved structure that allows people to have a viable choice to live within their means. Right now, our economic model sustains itself by people buying products that they really do not need, or replacing items that should not be breaking! In this system, there is no end. One never can be finished buying...to live. And, salaries go down while prices go up...for more superfluous stuff.
Let's change this model.
A) - Stop broadcasting negative cynicism across the planet, it is visible and will effect your employment efforts.
ReplyDeleteB) - Target your highest ability and advertise/network it intelligently.
Literate whiners, no matter how eloquent, wont be recruited.