What's the unemployment rate in your state.

[madmac]

Found this a little interesting to look at. You can scroll across the map and it will show unemployment for your state. It's not a pretty picture and I feel bad for those out of work. *

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27913794

[Watonga_Jim]

Cool link, even if it's a little depressing right now. Clicking the play button in the upper left corner animates the changes since 09/07 for added fun. 8)

[farmmilkmama]

Neat link. I'll be sure to pass it along...I wonder why Michigan is so high?

[gregabob]

Neat link. I'll be sure to pass it along...I wonder why Michigan is so high?
auto industry in the dumper......

[walls0stone]

this is kinda BS... Last week a report spoke of how many people in the Construction industry were laid of.. well LOOK OUT SIDE! *DUH (slap forhead and make stupid face) *IT"S WINTER! every Christmas I've seen this report that many constructin workers are laid off.

NO KIDDING. When was the last time you saw a highway built when it was to cold to pitch asphault. That is why so many men join the business..like teachers, they like winter off and work like Hell in summer. *and who starts building a house in winter? *I know.. let's put in a new lawn in winter DUH! * And with all the men who are not working, you can bet they are plowing snow for cash..or just sitting at home chilling out beside the computer, hang'n with the wife and kid's they don't see all summer... coaching sports or painting the den. *Now come April some moron will give his Holy ness the credit for the road projects that start up..or whatever. In truth, it was the SUN that put them back to work.
2.5% of the men laid off are in the trades. just wait till winter ends and you'll see a change.

And did anyone stop to think about all the teck that's going in the tank.. Know why? we don't need it.. who needs a TV when you have TV on the net? *FREE TV! who needs subscription radio when you can get it on line? *Why buy books or get a library card when you can get that stuff on line or on an I-phone.. why shop retail when you can go on line and get the Christmas Gifts that didn't fit for 1/2 price. *
Why get the paper when you can read it on line. Why get a job outside the house whe more and more people work from home on line...and if you don't leave the house but once a week, why stop at the Dinner.

Part of the Bad news in the world is not what we think it is. *

[farmmilkmama]

A lot of construction people don't work winter, but some do. For those who do (people like us who can side and roof in the winter if we have to) you expect to be SLOWER in the winter, not flat out dead.

There isn't any interior work to be done. This would also normally keep us busy through the winter. There isn't any to be found.

The only reason we had work (roofing/siding) summer of 08 was because of a storm late 07 with work that spilled over into the following year. When the storm damage work was over, we were done. If that late 07 storm wouldn't have come through, I think 08 would have been bad for us too.

Its different this year from any other year I've been around. We went broke covering people's butts on their projects that were at first supposed to be covered by insurance, and suddenly when the work was done, insurance companies weren't paying, or were taking MONTHS to pay out. Its different this year from any other year because even if work is slow in the winter, you expect it to pick up in the spring. And let's get real, it ain't gonna happen. That's the difference.

[rantinraven]

I don't know about other parts of MO but the majority of people laid off here worked for one of 5 plants in West Plains all owned by DRS. DRS made military equipment and went to skeleton crews right before the elections. Cut completely down from 3 shifts. Then after the elections work stopped. They knew the contracts they had wouldn't be renewed and they couldn't afford to keep the lights on. Most people I know are turning to online work or an occasional side job. People here are doing things they know employed people need! Roads plowed, cutting wood, cleaning chimneys, plumbing work from all the pipes that have busted. None of these guys are licensed they are just getting the job done whatever it may be. Plumbing I think would be a good trade right now. My brother has a joke about that. He says you only need to know 3 things to be a plumber. Which side is the cold water side, which side is the hot water side, and poop won't run up hill. He also says that anyone entering the trade should stop biting their finger nails. I know hes making light of the situation but sometimes you need to have something to laugh about. I know people are struggling right now but the great thing about that is that we all have the ability to adapt. Raven

[Dawgus]

Well I can tell ya that construction is WAY down all over Ohio. We have enough to keep somewhat busy till March, but after that is questionable. Job bids aren't coming in, and when they do, contractors are cutting throats just to get the work. My boss has bid a few with ZERO profit just to keep us busy and paid. A few weeks ago he cut one down to no profit margin, and the GC called back asking if we could meet another cut of 3 grand. He said NO, but it shows that some people are taking a job at a loss just to have something. Our boss has already warned us several times that a layoff is highly possible.

We're doing a church job that is paid for by 100% donation, and may be off of it in 2 weeks even though we're only about 75% finished. The project may have to close simply because people aren't donating as much as a year ago when it first broke ground.

After 13 years in this trade, I have lots of friends in it. I know one that is commuting to NY, one that is in Ky, and 3 more that are layed off. Even a large local company that also fabricates pipe is laying off some fab shop employees...no work=no need for fabbed pipe. That means welders, laborers, picker, truck drivers, all watching the same threat along with us fitters. This is getting uglier by the day with no end in sight.

[farmmilkmama]

DAwgus, you mentioned truck drivers. Last night on the local news they were talking about trucking being THE THING to go into because it just a smokin' hot biz right now. I laughed outloud and thought of emailing them. Most the truckers I know are barely haulin' or looking for new work. There's nothing to haul. Where does the news get their information? ???

[walls0stone]

"construction" includes way more than carpenters.
WAY MORE. How many operators, oilers, mantaince staff, office workers, drivers and so on do you think it takes to build a highway? Then other types of labor.

Not to be-little some places, but this is not as bad as they want to make it out to be. I mean some companies are making a style out of this. Others will only improve their home in times as these. Why pay you full price when they can toss you over a barrel and use the gloom-doom to get you to take less money and do more.

I'm getting calls for stone now, no change. The phone will ring like normal when the Dooms-dayers stop crying and tell us happy days are here again.

Churches do way better in times like these.
Remember, some are profiting from the pain.

[gump]

I guess my state is about par. Geez, poor Michigan.

Also, I imagine this is the unemployment number that only captures those people that are actively seeking employment. Usually these stats leave out those gave up - probably a lot of people in their mid-late 50s that experience difficulty in finding work at that age.

[walls0stone]

your post makes me wonder...how many people who are just laid off are actualy saying, "dang Glad I don't need to go to work!" I mean if your 50, no kids what not, and you have some unemployment come'n in ... extended unemplyment I may add... then why try to get back to work for a wile? If you are not drive'n every day and you don't eat out once a day..or you can were your PJ's till noon every day and read a book....why get a job? Sure put on a mask so that you can make the other folks in town feel like you are worried. we live in an age of stylish Gilt. but who is realy looking?

I dissagree on the 50 year old statement. Many of my friends in business stopped hire'n young folks a long time ago. The old school way of working just proved better than some snot nosed 20 something who can't come in to work on time and spends an hour every day on Facebook.

I also heard a report that some companies are down sizeing becouse they have wanted to for a wile, but But freared lawsuits or bad PR. I know my wife's boss let 30 people go, he didn't care for personaly.

What a better time to down size without standing out? What a better time to fire the Gay fella in the office you don't like, or your son's X Girlfriend... or anyone you wish you'd never hired.

you won't stand out.

[1lifetolive]

Keep in mind the unemployment rate does not factor in those who have exhausted their claim and still are looking for work.

Here's a link that *updates daily, what company's are laying off and how many.
http://www.layoffdaily.com/

[gump]

your post makes me wonder...how many people who are just laid off are actualy saying, "dang Glad I don't need to go to *work!" *I mean if your 50, no kids what not, and you have some unemployment come'n in ... extended unemplyment I may add... then why try to get back to work for a wile? If you are not drive'n every day and you don't eat out once a day..or you can were your PJ's till noon every day and read a book....why get a job? *Sure put on a mask so that you can make the other folks in town feel like you are worried. we live in an age of stylish Gilt. *but who is realy looking?

I dissagree on the 50 year old statement. Many of my friends in business stopped hire'n young folks a long time ago. *The old school way of working just proved better than some snot nosed 20 something who can't come in to work on time and spends an hour every day on Facebook.

I also heard a report that some companies are down sizeing becouse they have wanted to for a wile, but But freared lawsuits or bad PR. *I know my wife's boss let 30 people go, he didn't care for personaly.

What a better time to down size without standing out? *What a better time to fire the Gay fella in the office you don't like, or your son's X Girlfriend... or anyone you wish you'd never hired.

you won't stand out.

You may speak from your personal experience but it really misses my point. The people in that age group often become targets - A) 55-60 yr old employees are expensive to a company B) companies can find someone to do the job for less and C) 55-60 yr olds can have trouble finding work that is equal to what is likely a peak in earnings thus they decide to no longer look after a period of time.

Most younger people would be looking and would be captured in the unemployment number. They likely have fewer financial assets to fall back on and kids to feed.

[DavidOH]

Yup, same numbers being reported here. 7.8% for the state, 7.2% for the county that I live in, and 7.25 National average.

Still hearing about possible unpaid days off for us in the auto industry.

[CarolAnn]

We're fortunate here in Wisconsin. The December unemployment rate for the state was 5.8%. Janesville, that just had a SUV plant close is highest at over 7%. Madison is 4.2% - and that's where I work.

My company is actually looking to expand, and have hired some young engineers fresh out of school to train up into the jobs that we do. (Utility Substation and Transmission line studies and design.)

There's a lot of talk about funding being focused at "infrastructure" - that would mean shoring up the aging electric transmssion lines, building cleaner power plants, making the grid safer and more efficient. (That's our business.) - It also will mean replacing big bridges like the one that collapsed last year in Minnesota - hopefully before they fall down like that one did.

Now if we could just WATCH those folks doing all the planning and building and keep them accountable to do a good job and not waste money!
For example, Sun Prairie, a small town near Madison "needs" a school swimming pool that will "only" cost a bit over $4 million. HUH?! That ought to be some big, fancy swimming hole!!! :P If I lived there, I'd be raising the roof over that boondoggle! Madison just got done with some bus shelters (look like open-ended greenhouses) - for $57,000 EACH! No wiring, no plumbing - just steel and plastic. SOMEBODY's got their sticky fingers in THAT cookie jar! >:(

There's plenty that needs to be done anyway, if we could just DO THE JOB and not have so many crooks stealing the big money off the top there would be plenty of new jobs to go around!

[gump]

A report called the Liscio Report estimated the true unemployment rate - that includes the government's number + the part-timers who can't find FT work & the people that stopped looking for FT work - to be 13.5%.

Probably much more in line with the true situation......

[walls0stone]

Sorry Gump I dissagree,

Older people are far more valuable. Yes they cost more..but unlike some stupid 3rd hand car that you pay cash for and it's paid for... experenced, quality help is worth the money.

But still, I recently saw proff that many people in my area are working under the table after a large lay off. local company used this bad time to get rid of some folks they were tired of. Under the Cloke of... "sorry times are hard" they fired the people they had personal problems with. But many of those same people are doing things for cash at regular jobs. 6 of them are plowing snow for cash and a $2.00 a minute, and atleast of the women are waiting tables and making more in tips (based on the gifts God Gave em I'm guessing) than they did before at the day job.

I think the numbers are way off and come spring, we'll all be told that the chosen one is to credit with the good news.

[Katrina-Sisu]

I think GA is around 8% now. When we were home tons of stores were closing and more panhandlers, etc.

Kat

[leera]

I haven't looked at the link,but alst I knew Michigan was the highest in the nation......and getting higher......

It's a trickle down effect from the failing auto industry......

I feel extremely lucky that I am still working 40 hours.........

[gump]

Sorry Gump I dissagree,

Older people are far more valuable. Yes they cost more..but unlike some stupid 3rd hand car that you pay cash for and it's paid for... *experenced, quality help is worth the money.

But still, I recently saw proff that many people in my area are working under the table after a large lay off. *local company used this bad time to get rid of some folks they were tired of. *Under the Cloke of... "sorry times are hard" they fired the people they had personal problems with. But many of those same people are doing things for cash at regular jobs. 6 *of them are plowing snow for cash and a $2.00 a minute, and atleast *of the women are waiting tables and making more in tips (based on the gifts God Gave em I'm guessing) than they did before at the day job. *

I think the numbers are way off and come spring, we'll all be told that the chosen one is to credit with the good news.

Hey we are all allowed to have opinions :). I agree, an experienced and talented older employee is worth the money. However, there just aren't typically many superstars out there in a pool of employees.

[crafty2002]

I know for a fact the numbers are higher now than I have ever seen them and a lot higher than they are saying they are.
This isn't a winter thing wallsOstone. I was a construction worker all my life and I know how to belt up for jobs to keep winter work. I have many friends still working construction and I have never seen it this bad.
The cream of the crop don't have any work.
The reason there isn't any construction work is because all the companies are going over seas and there isn't enough people with jobs to have anything done on their hames and the ones that do are holding whatever they have left.
There was alot of two job families that I know that are scrapeing by on one or the others pay checks.
Either the husband or wife doesn't have a job now.
I am disabled and yes, I will take a small electrical job as long as they know it's at my pace. I give them a fair price and luckey if I get 5 bucks an hour out of it, and yes, they are all under the table, but I would need to do so if the gubbernuts hadn't cheated me out of what they took from my checks before I became disabled. The closest I can come is if all the money I paid in on SS had been paid 6% intrest compounded yearly, mind you, (Not daily or mounthly, but annualy) I would have about 3/4 million dollars in the bank today.
I just finished fixing a ladies plumbing that froze and burst for free. She doesn't have the money to pay anything but she needed the water.
Let me refrase that. I went over there and helped and showed her 15 and 17 year old sons how to do it. I did enough that I am still hurting from it, and that was last week. Both the boys are trying to find a job but they aren't there.
We are going down the tube in a heart beat and people still have their eyes closed.
Yea, that family ain't got nothing because they are lazy.
No, that family is an inch from living in the street becase they can't find any work. Just hold on, It's coming your way too. This is going to make the depression look simple to fix.
Dennis

[walls0stone]

Crafty, they don't pour asphault or build bridges, or dig gas lines or do any real construction in this weather. You have no idea how hard ice cold is on real Iron. I'm NOT talking building houses..I'm talking union, highway and highsteel jobs. you can't lay block with confidence. sure you can add that stupid anti freeze but that's a risk I'd never take and who want's to work harder, have higher overhead and less daylight?? wait till spring Most men I know look forward to winter break. Friend of mine hauled his men back 2 weeks early to rebuild equipment, should have heard the profanity. They look at winter lay off like a teacher looks at Summer break. Glad carpenters can put on a coat..but 90% of major building projects slowdown in 1/3rd of the nation. and Obama wants to count them up as much as he can so he can take credit for those jobs staring up in spring for his big ra ra

Now I run a new radio station. Eye opening. all good news is at the bottom of the stack every morning.. the most dramatic, evil and twisted stuff is at the top. Give Us Dirty laundry No it's not high times, but it's not the gloom and evil we think it is..and half the people on this sight should be cream'n over the exasugated bad news. I mean to hear some of you talk you;d think you were wishing and hope'n to see the whole country fall to bits so you can show off all the cool boy scout knots you know and finnaly use all those canned goods.

let them scare you into thinking it's the end of days and you'll fall right into the hands of the Spin.

[crafty2002]

They work high way jobs right around the year here in Va. and N.C. every year.
And oh yes I do know how I-beams get ice on them. 400 feet in the air 15* weather, with the wind blowing 15 MPH and if we didn't show for work it was the road.
Many a day we world wrap an area up with plastic and build a heater using # 9 tie wire with the ceramic rings they used to preheat pipe before welding, and hook the welder to it and it would get cherry red. Put a piece of plat metal across it and set there and play cards all day long.
What I am talking about is men that have worked in construction all there lives that know how to lay inside jobs back for the winter. Pretty easy to do because everyone does it. All the small contractors around here does any way.
You write the contract high enough that you can drop it 2-3 grand if they will settle with you, say completely finish the outside and save the inside for winter.
Give them a date you will be back to finishe the room addition or whatever and start another one and do the same thing. And very seldom will people turn down saving a few grand for 3 or 4 months waiting.
And that's the time of year when you can hire all the help you need to complete those jobs.
It worked like clock work. The last year I contracted I had a single bed room w/bath, a single bedroom w/bath and a huge W/In closet, and a double bedroom w/ bath over a basement and we started about November on the inside if I remember right.
5 of my best friends worked for me years ago. They all hired on as helpers and learned the trades I know and that is several. All of them has a contractors licence now. None of them has any work this winter.
They are picking up piece meal jobs as they can find them fixing broken things people has to have fixed.
Gary and Mark teamed together to remodel an old ladies bath room the church is paying for because she fell through the floor it was rotted so bad.
This is not a normal winter. And it's going to get worse.
I certainly don't want to see it fall to bits but I hate to be the one to break the news to you. It's going to get alot worse before it gets better.
Of course that's JMHO
Dennis

[Dawgus]

I'll be joining the ranks of the unemployed after this Friday. My boss/owner had a discussion with me today, and till things pick up, I'll be layed off starting Monday. We've been working together on getting the inspection & service department up and running, but after a few dozen calls, most companies aren't even spending THAT money unless a fire marshall catches it and insists. Ya know it's rough when fire inspections are put on hold. The superintendant on this hotel job I'm on offered me a part-time job working at his 100 acre farm about 30 minutes away, so at least I'll have something beyond the $265 a week I can get from unemployment benefits...that's not even half of my normal salary :-/

[1lifetolive]

Does the graph in madmacks link work for anyone else?

[Country_Dreamer]

I am in Michigan and have been laid-off work since last September from a part-time job. I have years of experience with some college but no degree, just turned 60 and have had to apply for the EUC because there is NO employment here, part-time or otherwise. The only ads you see in the local papers are scams. This is the longest I have ever been without work of some sort and no I am not sitting at home in my pajama's until noon. I have friends that are going to the food banks because there isn't any other way to feed her kids and she is beyond desperate.
If you haven't lived here, you have no idea what rough shape we really are in!

[Unemployed_trader]

Country Dreamer keep an eye on your pension investment because at this point of life you must keep an eye on your investment and take advantage of any thing the market does.(You know how hard it is to find a job when you reach 50) One smart investor is http://www.philsgang.com (Phil's Gang) or you can type his name on the search engines and you will find him. He teaches what the stock market is about and how to take advantage of it.

[harvester]

the link is a 2 year old. the current unemployment for montana is now 6%.

[Funmommy]

Well the link says CT is 6-8%
I had seen another site (don't remember which one) a while back and it said we were at 8-10% at that time. It's all on how you read the numbers IMO.

My household has gotten pretty bad here.
I've been layed off since just after Christmas last year.
Ok ...

I may not be looking REALLY hard for another job but I do have my reasons.

1.) The knowledge that my boss is hiring me back as soon as business picks up again.

2.) I have little kids and daycare KILLS me. At my previous job I was able to bring them to work with me.

3.) I'm unable to do physical jobs for any extended period of time due to physical issues.

However .....

My Husband has just had his hours cut back to 32 hours a week.
He has been at this job for about 15-20 years, worked about 52 hours a week and has never been layed off.... he's now collecting partial unemployment. :'(

If he looses his job we are soooo screwed .... he carries the medical.

I had just been talking to him earlier a few months ago about storing food and stuff but now I don't see how we can do it until the garden starts producing. I'm also building a chicken coop out of pallets but that doesn't help pay the mortgage or other bills.

Wish I had been smarter sooner :'(