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, *** 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, *** 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.

 

[IronHog]

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.

The problem is no work ethic, drugs, and welfare.



Why go sweat in the sun when you can sell a few dime bags and work the system?

 

[Arsavoie]

If you just need day labors then you can go to many places here in Texas. Like iron lion labor, or countless other day labor places where they will even drive them to the job site and pick them up. The OP just want to B...h about some thing just like allot of others here that want to ask what should I do about my neighbor or my neighbor is doing this. Just grow some balls and figure it out.

 

[RoyJackson]

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

I'm not sure if your jobs are any thing that would require learning from the bottom up...picking up rocks and such doesn't take much more then a strong back.
I think you'll have to pay $10 per hour to get anyone to do that kind of work, and come back the second day.

 

[RDrancher]

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

Well I see our troll is still here and brought a twin to the party.

 

[RDrancher]

I'm not sure if your jobs are any thing that would require learning from the bottom up...picking up rocks and such doesn't take much more then a strong back.
I think you'll have to pay $10 per hour to get anyone to do that kind of work, and come back the second day.

Its how I started Roy, right at the very bottom picking rocks and watering grade, back in the $2.50 and hour days. I watched how the operators worked, asked questions, did my job, didn't b***h and showed up everyday. I proved I was reliable and well, we all know that it DOES pay off.

My step-son is 16 now with better reasons (for him) to get out of bed and get to work. We'LL see how it works out.

 

[two_bit_score]

Well I see our troll is still here and brought a twin to the party.

Been seeing a lot of that lately.

Roy, better get the troll picture ready.


.

 

[logdog]

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.

This is a very good point. I never really thought of it like that.

 

[forgeblast]

I watched how the operators worked, asked questions, did my job, didn't b***h and showed up everyday. I proved I was reliable and well, we all know that it DOES pay off.

I agree, I learned a lot of skills working that job. I learned how to run drainage, a skidsteer, set paverstones, mortar, grade, buy stone and topsoil using the right terms to not get ripped off, also learned who the good topsoil guys were. I also learned it was not a job I wanted to do for years. At the same time I asked questions and figured out how to help the boss. For that he kept me on part time and gave me hours when he could.
I still remember my first day, he pulled out the landscape bar and said I needed to run drainage from one side of the house to the other and under the porch. Then said ill be back. I hated that bar by the end of the day. It was all rock and clay I was digging through. But the next day I showed up early and just kept plugging away at it.
Works work, if it wasnt it would be called vacation. then again I work around the house on vacation days

 

[Taylortractornut]

Its a bad situation here to. I used have 2 Mexican guys that were legal here. One did his terms on his work card and went home. The other got an extension and is still here. Great workers and he can speak good English and run a crew. He used to come out alone to help dad or I and we always paid him more like that. Now he only works in threes. At 10 bucks an hour I cant have the extras working as alot of our jobs require on labor and one operator. I alo pay by skill set to the more you learn the more I can pay. I had a teenager here that showed up every few days wanting to work.


I hired him and he started out wanting 12.50 an hour. I tried him at that price he claimed to have carpenter experience. He couldnt read a tape running a hammer he barely tapped the nails. He complained about picking up trash, I tried to teach him to run the skid steer or tractor but every time i looked up eiter was stopped and he was either on the phone or texting. I got rid of him actuall gave him a choice do better and put the phone up or start out at area labor wage of 7.50. I provide the way to and from work. breakfast and lunch and dinner if needed and all the gear and ppe.

When I was 15 I had a regualr day job laboring for alot less. I also dont ask them to do anything I wouldnt do but the main reason I want a laborer is to do the menial jobs that take time away from the more importan jobs I have to do.

My best worker is a friends 16 ear old son. He wants to learn and doesnt care what he does and does his best at everything. I still have to show him what to do some times and explain why I want it done that way. But he is willing to learn and wants to learn. The first few times I worked him I had to pay his dad as he wouldnt take money. He said I showed him how to weld and he didnt want to take money.

He is growing up on a cow and hay farm. He and his sister both have had jobs since they were old enough to get out of the house in the form of farm chores.