Where are all the laborers?

[crashz]

He runs a small earthworks company. He's not Boss Hog.

Frankly $10-$15/hr is not much money, but the jobs are not very difficult. Pulling hoses and picking rocks can be done by anyone in realitively decent health. Labor rates are and should be based upon skill level needed for the position. If he needed someone to perform electrical, plumbing, heating or heart surgery the pay would need to be reflective of the skills required.

That being said, I'd open up the field a little to include guys with more skills. This may allow you to run independent crews (even if it just the two of you) or offer additional services.

 

[IronHog]

Finding any consistent help has been a problem for me ever since I moved here to Texas. I had a list of twenty or more guys that I could call to work at the drop of a hat, but I don't have those contacts here. I won't pick up illegals off the corner and even though I don't need someone every day of the week, most days I do. For the most part I operate my tractor and other equipment, and even though I don't "need" a hand all of the time, my wife would just as soon I had someone with me from a safety standpoint.

I've put up a few flyers and put the word out locally, but mostly get professional type guys that are temporarily out of a job. They're not guys that are going to spend a lot of time picking rocks and sticks out of compacted fill or running a water hose.

So in this time of high unemployment...where are the guys that want to work and learn from the bottom up? Very frustrating.

It is a problem everywhere.....


I don't log because I don't want to hire a crew..... who am I going to find to run a 100K feller buncher or skidder? How bout a log truck driver?


Brother in law has the same issues as you and is looking at going part time in his very successful sprinkler install/maintain business and getting a day job...... can't get good help anymore.

 

[forgeblast]

I want to pay people to do jobs that they can do, to free me to do jobs I want to do myself.
This would have applied to me when I was working landscaping. I raked and hauled stone, cut pavers, etc everything was done to 1. free up our boss who was paying us, and 2 to keep the skidsteer moving. When the skidsteer was running I think he was charging 40 an hour (at that time) and we were getting 10 an hour.

Transferring initiative is a real trick.
Meaning good luck finding someone who sees a problem and fixes it. Most need to be micromanaged. When I was working sales (dept store) working with the new guy was always fun, they had no clue.

Everything takes time.
Herding people without initiative takes too much time.
Back to micromanaging, its draining telling a person over and over again to work, most times its easier to do it yourself.

 

[yandeereguy]

Don't assume just because it's a white, black, hispanic, asian or whomever how they work.. What do you want?? somebody thats gonna bust there *** working like your ****ing slave for 10 bucks an hour??

Wanted cheap reliable whippng post

 

[SPYDERLK]

I want to pay people to do jobs that they can do, to free me to do jobs I want to do myself.
This would have applied to me when I was working landscaping. I raked and hauled stone, cut pavers, etc everything was done to 1. free up our boss who was paying us, and 2 to keep the skidsteer moving. When the skidsteer was running I think he was charging 40 an hour (at that time) and we were getting 10 an hour.

Transferring initiative is a real trick.
Meaning good luck finding someone who sees a problem and fixes it. Most need to be micromanaged. When I was working sales (dept store) working with the new guy was always fun, they had no clue.

Everything takes time.
Herding people without initiative takes too much time.
Back to micromanaging, its draining telling a person over and over again to work, most times its easier to do it yourself.

Would sure like to hire someone like you. You have a perfect understanding of the situation and therefore are bound to be a valuable worker yourself.
larry

 

[RoyJackson]

Then, my question is...what is a reasonable hourly rate for the work the OP is describing?

Remember, wage rates can vary quite a bit by region, so don't be nitpicking if you're in New York and responding to a Georgia poster's response.

 

[yandeereguy]

also in a job thats going NO where, NO chance for a raise NO benefits, ECT.. **** once you get rid of them No unemployment either... Not hard to figure why no one will stick around unless there illegal..

so go ahead take advantage of a mans troubles to line your pocket..

 

[Dustier]

With the true unemployment level closer to 20% - 24% it's perplexing to appreciate scarcity of labor - anywhere?

 

[newbury]

Frankly $10-$15/hr is not much money,

Wage rates for unskilled labor in Denton County, Texas are about that. Median income 2009 $48K Denton, Texas (TX) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders Remember minimum wage is $7.25/hr.

It doesn't read like the OP or Larry (Spyderlk) are trying to get workers for career jobs with retirement plans, rather they need someone looking for day labor on a fairly steady basis.

When I worked day labor as a roofer I didn't have gas, wife, or kids. It was food and housing. Virtually all of us were "passing" thru, and we got minimum wage plus a tad if we worked hard.

However we were not brought up by parents that let us sit on our keesters and play video games all day while being promised high paying jobs.

The problem lies in our educational system and the parents. With "no child left behind" and all the children above average, and parents not working the kids it takes 6 weeks of boot camp to get a lot of kids in shape to work. Too many kids set on their keester watching tv shows where everyone gets what they want while barely working.

also in a job thats going NO where, NO chance for a raise NO benefits, ECT.. **** once you get rid of them No unemployment either... Not hard to figure why no one will stick around unless there illegal..

so go ahead take advantage of a mans troubles to line your pocket..

Didn't see the OP stating no benefits ECT.. or no unemployment.

And that may be another part of the problem. If he wants to hire someone legally it might interfere with their unemployment benefits.

 

[300UGUY]

Wage rates for unskilled labor in Denton County, Texas are about that. Median income 2009 $48K Denton, Texas (TX) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders Remember minimum wage is $7.25/hr.

It doesn't read like the OP or Larry (Spyderlk) are trying to get workers for career jobs with retirement plans, rather they need someone looking for day labor on a fairly steady basis.

When I worked day labor as a roofer I didn't have gas, wife, or kids. It was food and housing. Virtually all of us were "passing" thru, and we got minimum wage plus a tad if we worked hard.

However we were not brought up by parents that let us sit on our keesters and play video games all day while being promised high paying jobs.

The problem lies in our educational system and the parents. With "no child left behind" and all the children above average, and parents not working the kids it takes 6 weeks of boot camp to get a lot of kids in shape to work. Too many kids set on their keester watching tv shows where everyone gets what they want while barely working.



Didn't see the OP stating no benefits ECT.. or no unemployment.

And that may be another part of the problem. If he wants to hire someone legally it might interfere with their unemployment benefits.

Might part of the problem be demographics? A lot of us are boomers, the largest generation ever. We didn't have as many kids as our parents and grandparents, so there are fewer young folks availible to do the grunt work. Another thing is location - I'd hire somebody occasionally, but there are no young folks close by. I have some younger relatives that I might hire, but they all live 50 or more miles away, it wouldn't be worth it for them to come out here for $10 per hour. The gas alone would eat it up. No easy answers.