Full Version: Is the economy really that great?
It's hard for me to gauge how the economy really is, being in Michigan, but it doesn't feel that great here.
There are a lot of statistics being thrown out and if you watch the average cable news media, you'd swear there was an economic boom going on. You see that skinny bald guy on CNBC claiming every person's happiness is correlated to how high the stock market goes. And then there's that Cow-guy who's constantly hitting whammy buttons.
But to average people, like me, I think the economy feels horrible. Since 2001 my income has dropped to 20% of what it was then. I hear unemployment is rock bottom, but why can't I get a courtesy callback when I submit a resume...much less a simple rejection.
The job market seems very tight for supposedly having so few unemployed.
And what about wages? Right now inflation is over 2% annually which is way-outpacing salary increases.
Then there's health care. Employers are increasing the burden on the workers and even eliminating it all together.
Then there's gas prices. What employer is paying their employees to compensate for THEIR increase cost in getting to work? Heck, they're not even increasing wages to account for inflation!
Here in Detroit they have want ads in the ONLY major Sunday newspaper here that are 1/4 page ads for $7-8/hr jobs.
In one ad, it shows highly-coveted Home Depot jobs. Why are they highly-coveted? Because they pay well for a service job. But why are they asking for workers when it's pretty apparent they don't have to advertise?
Well I think I figured it out when the last two times I walked into Home Depot and the cashier refused to ring up a portion of my order and one let me walk out of the store without paying at all. Geez Louise, these workers don't seem happy. Maybe Home Depot is trying to take advantage of a HORRIBLE job market and squeeze the workers? Maybe ?
That's great that the market is doing so well, maybe it's because WalMart and Home Depot are now paying the same poverty-level wages, that always helps the bottom line and the stock price.
That's great that we have such productivity and growth, too bad we can't afford to buy anything regardless.
My question:
What do you think the average person really thinks about the economy?
There are a lot of statistics being thrown out and if you watch the average cable news media, you'd swear there was an economic boom going on. You see that skinny bald guy on CNBC claiming every person's happiness is correlated to how high the stock market goes. And then there's that Cow-guy who's constantly hitting whammy buttons.
But to average people, like me, I think the economy feels horrible. Since 2001 my income has dropped to 20% of what it was then. I hear unemployment is rock bottom, but why can't I get a courtesy callback when I submit a resume...much less a simple rejection.
The job market seems very tight for supposedly having so few unemployed.
And what about wages? Right now inflation is over 2% annually which is way-outpacing salary increases.
Then there's health care. Employers are increasing the burden on the workers and even eliminating it all together.
Then there's gas prices. What employer is paying their employees to compensate for THEIR increase cost in getting to work? Heck, they're not even increasing wages to account for inflation!
Here in Detroit they have want ads in the ONLY major Sunday newspaper here that are 1/4 page ads for $7-8/hr jobs.
In one ad, it shows highly-coveted Home Depot jobs. Why are they highly-coveted? Because they pay well for a service job. But why are they asking for workers when it's pretty apparent they don't have to advertise?
Well I think I figured it out when the last two times I walked into Home Depot and the cashier refused to ring up a portion of my order and one let me walk out of the store without paying at all. Geez Louise, these workers don't seem happy. Maybe Home Depot is trying to take advantage of a HORRIBLE job market and squeeze the workers? Maybe ?
That's great that the market is doing so well, maybe it's because WalMart and Home Depot are now paying the same poverty-level wages, that always helps the bottom line and the stock price.
That's great that we have such productivity and growth, too bad we can't afford to buy anything regardless.
My question:
What do you think the average person really thinks about the economy?
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