My neighbors had a problem with their house siding. Some of it had rotted and needed to be replaced. They couldn’t find a contractor to do the work. They did it themselves even though they are senior citizens. Thank goodness they knew what to do and had the tools and time to do it. I noticed that they also took out a balcony staircase while they were at it. Perhaps it was a consideration to benefit their home security by reducing egress. I haven’t had a chance to ask them.
All the U.S. outsourcing and hiring of imported labor through Visa tricks has reduced the pay that American laborers get compensated. The pace of Mergers and Acquisitions has never let up and under the Federal Reserve’s easy money policies it is expected to continue at a steady rate. The rate of M&A erodes the job market and puts people in the U.S. out of a job pretty often. The unavailability of good jobs for college graduates has also put a dent in the pay that people who want to work can collect for doing work. And now, with people staying at home more under covid restrictions, there’s a shortage of workers who can do needed repair work in the home environment.
My neighbor and I live in Spokane which is pretty far from South Carolina. A friend of ours in South Carolina who does construction contracting told us that there’s a shortage of labor for repairs there too. Panicky people have been trying desperately to hire help him to get needed repairs or remodeling accomplished. There aren’t enough people trained in that to do the work that is needed right now. What a surprising development–construction labor shortages in this economy of 2020.
Most of the on-line complaints that I’ve heard about worker shortages have been complaints in technical fields. But when I check the Bureau of Labor Statistics for growth in computer related jobs, I see modest ups and downs routinely of about 1%. The demand for repair work must be in excess of that, I would think.
I wonder if many people will have to fix their own leaky faucets, or repair their own siding, or remodel their kitchen with DIY. How many skills do we Americans need to learn with the price of wages and labor falling in an economy that is primed for inflation?
What will you learn how to do so that you can take care of your house, your clothes, your cooking, yourself?
As our economy has become hollowed out with cheap money at low interest rates, and as money printing has harmed the actual power of currency, as people have lost trust in organizations and institutions that have become more and more desperate for money in a system where money can do less all the time, the complexity of our economy and the number of professions that are supported by money exchanges is in decline.
This is something to notice and plan for. Now instead of specializing, we all need to learn how to do whatever needs doing for ourselves by ourselves. Skill building will only help you.
If you want to learn our historical path to the place of now, if you want to learn how politics in the U.S. became as corrupt as it is, now, if you want to learn about politics and economics and how they affect your opportunities, buy a copy of Political Catsup with Economy Fries, available at Amazon.com.