quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

We might all have to get used to a totally different standard of living, and sitting there all gleeful with your cushy job doesn't work either, because it is coming to you.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MzMia

Well, well, well.
Our global economic system appears like it will get worse
before it gets better.
In the USA, the unemployment rate is rising with no end in sight.
I often wonder where all the thousands that are being laid off are going to work?

Sounds like we will have to extend and then extend some more "unemployment benefits".
It appears that many Americans understand that we are certainly sliding into a Depression.
Poll: Almost 6 of 10 Americans see depression as likely - Oct. 6, 2008

My theory has always been that the government won't come out and "say it", because they
don't want to start a panic.
When I turn on the news I usually hear stories like this:  More businesses are closing, more businesses
are struggling to stay open, thousands and thousands are losing their jobs daily, the housing market
continues to crumble, many homeowners are upside down on their mortgages, we are currently waiting
to hear if we will bail out the auto industry, we have already given 700 billion to the banks and they are
still slow to loan money, Wall Street continues the roller coaster ride, I heard this morning it probably won't go
below 7000, I am thinking maybe 6000 if we are lucky, school systems are cutting programs, states are cutting programs, and on and on and on. { Feel free to ad anything I forgot to mention}
 
On the UP side I bought gas for $1.99 a gallon yesterday, but I wonder how much that well help people those have no job, no car and no home these days?

Is there any end in sight?
Many state that we have not even hit rock bottom yet.
I am thinking it is going to take at least 2-3 years before we notice a significant improvement.
If we are not heading for a Depression, I don't know what to call it.

Anyway, buddy can anyone here spare a few jobs?
Is today's economic crisis another Great Depression? - USATODAY.com

quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

All too often the poor and weak would rather spend more time pissing and whining about how bad they've got it, than doing something constructive to improve their situation..

If I was a betting woman at the track, I wouldn't back a sickly, weak, mount either. I am placing my money on the strong proven winners.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MzMia

Well, well, well.
Our global economic system appears like it will get worse
before it gets better.

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250

Well, the saying, "doing the jobs that Americans don't want to do" is no longer valid I think.
I read an article in Agora Financial about a guy who was layed off from his job and now drives around in his pickup looking for yard clean-up jobs, gutter cleaning jobs etc in differant neighborhoods and supports himself in that way.
As I type this I have two local guys putting in a hardwood floor for me in my condo;  kitchen, dinning area, and front hall for $600 for the labor, I paid for all materials of course.
About 2 days work, so about $150 a day each. CASH of course and it looks great! Really dresses up the place! They have all their own tools, table saws, mitre saws, etc.
The materials cost me about $1,600 so the total was about $2,200, Lowes wanted $2,900 for everything so I saved about $700!
And, I pay a local lady $100 every three months or so to come in and go right through the place and give it a thourough cleaning, takes her about 5 to 6 hours, cash of course. And she's a hard worker and does a great job! Other people in the neighborhood use her too. I make her lunch and actually have to tell her to stop! lol
She says that some days she does two houses.
So, you *can* find Americans to do just about *any* kind of work in this economy! It's the politicians with their wealthy friends who make fortunes off of cheap, illegal labor who try to tell us otherwise who are *full of shit!*
What they *don't* say is that "you can't find Americans to work for third world wages."
You can't even exist in this country working for $10 an hour anymore.
In the Northeast and California $15 an hour is at "subsistance" level.
So I really don't think that a working person making $30 an hour is "overpaid."
Ever notice that the people who say they are are the ones makinghundreds of thousands or millions a year?
So, President Obama had better not be trying any kind of "amnesty" or a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal aliens!
He won't have any support for it.
Especially in this economy!

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyHibiscus
Think about the other side a little, okay?  Not all of us are living in wretched excess.

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyHibiscus

We CANNOT move from SE Michigan, our homes are unsaleable. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: TNstepsout

I've known a lot of people who have lost jobs or been laid off recently. It really is that bad. One friend, and his wife, both worked for the same company. They were laid off (they worked for a title company) about 6 months ago and when I last spoke to him both are still looking for work. She took a contract job for about 3 months, but it has ended. Another friend was just laid off about 3 weeks ago (telecommunications). I talk to people almost every day that have been laid off and are asking for extensions or payment plans for their bills. One woman lost her job at MCI when they filed bankruptcy and has not gotten a job since.  Even my daughters company, a retail store, has cut staff so much that many nights they have only two employees in the whole store, and it's a BIG store.

I have been on the committee to plan our company's holiday party and we were discussing our plans with a local hotel. We told them our budget was very small this year. They said they understood, at least we still get a party. Many company's are canceling them altogether. They have a contract with UPS to house all of their trainees while they go through 6 weeks of training. A few weeks before we met with them, UPS had called and canceled their entire 2009 schedule! This was back in August too before the bottom really fell out.  The DJ we hired (at a big discount) said his company which is much larger than ours, has cancelled their holiday party completely. With all the "extras" being canceled by businesses and individuals, how long will it be before there are more layoffs?

Three builders we work with have filed for Bankruptcy, two of them were pretty small, but one was a fairly large builder in the area. We have also lost a couple of Title companies. One of them had all of their records and checks seized by the state. I'm seeing more personal bankruptcies than every before. I'm adding about one new one a week, when I used to have maybe a half dozen on the books altogether.

Yes, it is that bad. Especially when you consider that we are in the early stages. Mia is right, this is, and probably will be, the worst economic times that any of us will face in our lifetimes (hopefully) because it is so widespread over so many industries, and because those industries have such a huge impact on the economy and because it has now spread to the global market.  There is just no place to turn for good news right now as every market is effected.

Running around panicking or being depressed will not help, but neither will ignoring the reality.  It's bad and it's going to get worse and those who prepare will survive it best. That's all.

quote:

ORIGINAL: tweedydaddy

Does anything good ever happen in your dreams?

quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250

Well, the saying, "doing the jobs that Americans don't want to do" is no longer valid I think.
I read an article in Agora Financial about a guy who was layed off from his job and now drives around in his pickup looking for yard clean-up jobs, gutter cleaning jobs etc in differant neighborhoods and supports himself in that way.
As I type this I have two local guys putting in a hardwood floor for me in my condo;  kitchen, dinning area, and front hall for $600 for the labor, I paid for all materials of course.
About 2 days work, so about $150 a day each. CASH of course and it looks great! Really dresses up the place! They have all their own tools, table saws, mitre saws, etc.
The materials cost me about $1,600 so the total was about $2,200, Lowes wanted $2,900 for everything so I saved about $700!
And, I pay a local lady $100 every three months or so to come in and go right through the place and give it a thourough cleaning, takes her about 5 to 6 hours, cash of course. And she's a hard worker and does a great job! Other people in the neighborhood use her too. I make her lunch and actually have to tell her to stop! lol
She says that some days she does two houses.
So, you *can* find Americans to do just about *any* kind of work in this economy! It's the politicians with their wealthy friends who make fortunes off of cheap, illegal labor who try to tell us otherwise who are *full of shit!*
What they *don't* say is that "you can't find Americans to work for third world wages."
You can't even exist in this country working for $10 an hour anymore.
In the Northeast and California $15 an hour is at "subsistance" level.
So I really don't think that a working person making $30 an hour is "overpaid."
Ever notice that the people who say they are are the ones makinghundreds of thousands or millions a year?
So, President Obama had better not be trying any kind of "amnesty" or a "pathway to citizenship" for illegal aliens!
He won't have any support for it.
Especially in this economy!

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyHibiscus
I really envy you who are set for the rest of your lives,

quote:

Set for life...   Jesus H. Christ....