Good Help is Hard to Find

[A Guy In Town]

I have a hundred projects to do around this house.  It is so frustrating to see our society place more value on MONEY, than on EXPERIENCE.  

When I was young, and into my teen years, I often hung around various shops ... cabinet shops, welding shops, bicycle shops ... I was a "shop rat" which meant I would just hang out there, and help out when I could.  Beyond emptying trash cans and sweeping floors, I would occasionally get involved in a project the shop was doing, maybe building a spiral staircase, or maybe making a custom bicycle, or rebuilding a V8 engine, etc.  I NEVER thought about getting PAID for my work there.  I always felt that I was gaining knowledge and experience, and that was enough!

Today, I look for some young man to come to mow my lawn, and he stands there staring a his phone ... "I don't work for less than $60.00 per hour!"  I tell them, "Show me what you can DO, and then we will talk about money."  Young people today think that just because they have a PULSE, they are worth a dollar per minute if you want them to actually DO ANYTHING.  Offer these youts $10.00 per hour and they laugh at you!

The work ethic in America is DEAD.

I sure would like to meet someone who is LOCAL to me, who will come here to help me with these projects, and be happy with a modest hourly or daily pay.  I have easily a hundred different projects to do here but I cannot afford to hand someone $60.00 per hour, so they can stare at their phones!

Joe

 

[Chet]

Joe, this is the second post that I have seen with you going on in a negative way about the youth in this country.  No generation has the perfect work force, every age bracket  has their problem people.  I have four grand kids that I would stack up against almost anybody as far as work habits and commitment to a task.

On 2/5/2024 at 6:56 AM, A Guy In Town said:

Offer these youts $10.00 per hour and they laugh at you!

This isn't even minimum wage in most states and even in states like the one you live in it is just over minimum.  If people are going to work hard they should be getting a living wage.

Please try to remember in the future, this forum was set up for productive and fun discussions, most of the time connected to woodworking.  Most here do working as a hobby and as a way to escape life's challenges.  This is were we come to get away from the negatives.

[A Guy In Town]

I generally offer $20.00 per hour after I see that someone is actually interested in working.  I had a young couple come here and spend two days pulling huge weeds from my property.  It was hot, and they were hard workers.  I paid them $1,500.00 for two days of work, about double what they requested.  I told them that is what I would want, to do that work in that heat.  It is just difficult to hand out money that was EARNED at the rate of $8.00 per hour, and give it to someone at five times the rate I was paid for my "hard work."

 

Joe

[wtnhighlander]

I must agree with @Chet, this forum isn't the place to run down any individual or class of people. As long as work has existed, there are some who over-value themselves, and others who under-value the job. Best we can do is meet somewhere in the middle.

[Coop]

The one part of Joe’s-rant that I agree with is the damn phone/electronics. For some, it’s almost like their main source of oxygen. 

[gee-dub]

I have been lucky during a recent effort.  These guys show up on time, ready to go to work, and work solid till lunch, and then solid till quitting time.  What a concept!?!  They are all 30-something or older with the exception of one of the guy's son.  It warms my heart to see him learning from a crew who want to get some work done.

[chashint]

Howdy Joe,

If the contractor can get $60/per hr to perform lawn maintenance, why would they lower the rate to $20/hr and if you can hire a different contractor to do it for $20/hr, why would you pay $60/hr? If neither party can accomplish their goal, then both will have to compromise on the hourly rate.  Seems like the free market is working as it should.