Is anyone else having problems finding good help? We're trying to fill a few spots in our shop, and it's an absolute nightmare. On a side note anyone in the Columbus, MS area looking for a job? Message me. Mechanic, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, Operator skills are a plus.

Good luck finding someone who will show up 3-4 days a week and don’t bother looking for a license or to pass a drug test.

Not many people want to work these days.

Been our problem for the better part of a decade. I hired a guy 2 months ago as a maintenance man. 23 years old. He had a young family and was working on the road. He wanted home. He made it a month and just quit coming. I called and got no answer. Shortly he texted me that he wouldn’t be back. I replied OK. Been like this for a long time.

We used to pay 18/hr for the top tier warehouse worker. We are currently paying 22/hr for the B team. It’s brutal.

Try to hire “Good” industrial techs. I’ve had an ad out for 5 years straight. I’ve hired 10 and 2 stayed. With overtime these guys are knocking down 140k a year.
I have 4 getting ready to retire and no one to close to filling their shoes. It’s going to get rough

I see and hear about it EVERY, SINGLE, DAY. The whole concept of showing up and working just 8 hours a day is a lost concept. This younger generation though seems to have plenty of money for vapes, tobacco, piercings, tattoos, etc…. I’m not telling them how to spend their money but I honestly don’t see how they survive buying all of that stuff while only working maybe three days a week.

Try finding Machinists, not just someone who can stand there and load parts. Most of the young guys either don't want to work at all, or aren't interested in learning. That leaves most shops with a bunch of old farts like me that will be retiring in a few years and nobody to take the reins after we're gone.

I have had the same issue. One kid was hot and heavy to be a home inspector. Didn't listen to a word I said. Started his education strong and it fell away to nothing.


I have a master electrician wanting to be a home inspector. I thought I could fast track him but there is a breakdown between him and the technology we use. He's not progressed after almost two years. This year is his last opportunity or I'm letting it go.


I've got another that is supposed to be taking the coursework, posts his online game stats. I responded asking how the training is going. Touche..

I use both of the last two for part time, but it means I take on extra load to educate, train and pay them. It wears on me at my age and I'm having to re-evaluate all of it. May be time to just stick with 3 full time inspectors and use the others as fill in help as needed. Sucks, but I'm done babysitting people who have no drive. My health matters more.

I lost count of the guys I hired that never even showed up.

Try hire someone work in logging business or drive a truck . Our shop needs at least 4 people right now .good work habits are a thing of the past for young folks . None wants make money . Time off work to play video games more important than money . They will tell u that . Most cannot pass a drug screen

I went inside a MacDonlds yesterday morning in Madison to grab a cup of coffee. The lady that I assume was the manager was telling another lady ordering she only had two working. She and I started having a conversation about modern day times and the workforce or lack of. She said the young kids were the only ones she could get to come in and work. She said the adult employees were the worst with their call in excuses.

I'm a Electrical Contractor I've been here for 44 years bought it about 20 years ago, I have a 1- man that's 68,3 that are 63 and 2 that are 62 years old out of 12 men I'm really in trouble and there is nobody that wants to work.

This has been construction for awhile. Any young kid fresh out of high school with a decent work ethic can start at 20 dollars an hour. And if you find that driven one that wants to progress further you better take care of him, or you won’t have him long. I do like this for the ones coming up in having leverage to draw a decent wage. They would have had a melt down starting off in a post Jimmy Carter economy. And I’m afraid history is going to repeat in a post Joe Biden economy.

I think UPS just showed us that over paying people for subpar work is going to have to come to an end. They just layed off 12,000 people.

One year we hired 80+, but never had more than 20 here. When I want to add 3, I bring in 10. This will be the end of manufacturing in this country.

On the flip side because of all of this... The pay is too good. I have had a couple get hired away and quite frankly at a rate I couldn't pay. Good for them. I want people who deserve it to be successful. The Sliver Lining is simply I think WE pay well already so I've had at least some success replacing them.

Probably another topic for another thread but if you are in a licensed trade you can make more money than getting a white collar job. I'm paying 25-30 year olds who actually work on something other than paper... more than the 25 year olds that went to college.

That's where we're at. I'm pretty shocked by this since I worked and paid for college. I couldn't hold my job without a college degree but I'm looking at kids in high school that are hard workers and I'm thinking... do they really need to go to College and work for a big company ("The Man") or work for themselves. Not sure at this point.

Ain’t no better in the farming world either. We can’t even find anyone to just drive a cab tractor and feed cows part time for $15 cash a hour. Just to drive a cab tractor in the pasture and feed 30-40 rolls of hay per week.

Yeah I think the days of paying people $15 an hour are over. We can’t find any good help either.