Surprise! Blue collar jobs are coming back

[HughMoran]

By Chris Isidore, senior writer September 27, 2010: 1:22 PM ET


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As the labor market continues to struggle, one surprising bright spot stands out amid the list of battered industries -- factory jobs.

Manufacturing employment began its decline long before the recession, losing jobs every year since 1998. But since the start of this year, there's been a 1.6% gain in manufacturing jobs -- about twice the pace of growth in other private sector jobs.

Even if manufacturing hiring stays flat the rest of this year, the industry is poised to post its biggest percentage gain in jobs since 1994.

...

About 26% of manufacturing companies surveyed by ISM reported adding staff, compared to only 5% cutting workers. Only 13% of service sector employers said they were adding workers, while 18% are still cutting jobs. And the ISM index for manufacturing employment stands at a 35-year high.

...

"Manufacturing is very robust for us right now," said Donna Carroll, vice president with Adecco. "Skilled machinists and machine operators in some places are getting tougher to come by."

...

http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/27/news/economy/manufacturing_job_rebound/index.htm?hpt=T2
_____________________________________________________________________________________

I know we've been busy and hiring our factory - it's good to see it's not just our little company. :thumbsup:

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Net recommendation: 0 votes (Your vote: +1) Guess some DUers hate blue collar jobs.

:(

[TheWraith]

4. Plenty of people here who hate good news. nt

[PBS Poll-435]

5. Usual suspects that apparently received an 'Imunnity Card'

Rec, Unrec, spread idiotic talking points. Doesn't matter.


:(

[HughBeaumont]

11. Parent was a blue collar.

Sad that he's a grizzled Reagan Dem Right Winger (voted for Kerry though, go figure), but still. He got out while the getting was good. Those after him will likely be working until they're dead. The higher-ups ruined the plants and shifted the risk/loss.

[Drunken Irishman]

14. Did he vote McCain?

My father worked blue collar jobs my entire childhood. Never voted Republican, though.

[HughBeaumont]

32. Sat out 2008.

Fine by me. One less vote for McClown/Alaskatrollop.

[Drunken Irishman]

40. Yup. Hope he sits out in 2012!

[MajorChode]

39. I suspect some hate any good news about the economy

[Sherman A1]

74. There are those that seem to find stories about

labor rather uninteresting. Stories about the working class are boring to many it would appear.

[babylonsister]

2. Wow! More good news. Since 1994? Rec'd!

[Mimosa]

3. Thank goodness for jobs in this economy. n/t

[Spazito]

6. Excellent news! This fact certainly stands out as well...

"Even if manufacturing hiring stays flat the rest of this year, the industry is poised to post its biggest percentage gain in jobs since 1994."

Biggest gain in SIXTEEN years, that says a lot, imo.

Recommended.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. That is awesome!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. blue collar workers under the bus in 3... 2...

[thereismore]

9. sounds good - hope it lasts. nt

[DCBob]

10. This has to be good news..

even to the most diehard gloom and doomer.

[HughBeaumont]

12. REC'D!!

Can't bitch about that. Blue Collar work NEEDS to proliferate again in this country.

[Crazy Dave]

13. As long as they're American manufacturing jobs

All that's needed is for a company's headquarters to be based here in America so that they can use their increase in manufacturing and jobs added for these stats but they won't and never say where because it's more than likely overseas.

And as far as the jobs we have here, they also won't say that the jobs that used to pay $18 an hour are now paying $8.

[HughMoran]

15. Our tiny little company pays $10/hr for non-skilled, $15/hr for low-skill manufacturing jobs

Do you have any facts to back up your assertions?

[Crazy Dave]

22. I guess because that's what your company pays then so does all of them

Everywhere around you hear of wages being cut. In my region $8 is the average you see advertised for warehouse and manufacturing positions that paid almost double that three years ago. I'm considered a skilled worker and my wages along with my peers has dropped by $10k less a year than what I made back in '98. My health insurance was also about $100 less per month back then too.

Even entry level UAW workers for Ford now make 50% less now than they did 10 years ago too.

[HughMoran]

26. Well, we're trading anecdotal stories

I thought what we paid was quite minimal, but I'm in the Northeast where the cost of living is higher. I took a pay cut to work in a small local company and I know others have done similar - it's not all roses yet, but I think a lot of people are happy to see any improvement in this sector.

[Crazy Dave]

42. Sadly...

I know at least four people who have admitted they would do anything or work for less than minimum wage if they could get it since they've been out of work for two years plus. Even more sad, last year I met two assholes that are doing just that very thing to people down on their luck. Giving them something like a $200 a week "salary" and making them work 40 plus hours.

And I was talking to a friend yesterday who owns his own plumbing company. Not only has he struggled with the lack of work but he can't bid on anything that will cover his overhead anymore due to others like mention above, in the tens of thousands in all different trades, running their businesses by cheating people out of fair pay and/or hiring illegal workers.

[HughMoran]

47. As I stated

"it's not all roses yet, but I think a lot of people are happy to see any improvement in this sector. "

[dmallind]

21. False - ISM surveys separate domestic and off shore production. NT

[Crazy Dave]

24. That's good to know but is the economy really going to get any better...

...if 20,000 workers (random number) who once made $20 an hour are now being replaced by 10,000 workers who only make $12 an hour or less?

Would love to know if any of the experts are paying any attention to those details.

[dmallind]

49. Not this survey I'm afraid

Pay rates are not hard to find but are usually too aggregate to be that useful. Typical mfg wages have been across the board going up but very very slowly - like 1-2% annually. That however doesn't mean everybody is moving up or even staying the same.

[NobleCynic]

71. Well the theory goes after unemployment falls...

wages should rise. But that assumes no collusion among employers. Kinda like the silicon valley collusion case the courts are just wrapping up... Free market my ass.

[Scurrilous]

16. K & R

:thumbsup:

[madville]

17. Any gain is welcome but we will never recover from the net losses

We lost 32 percent or 5.5 million manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2009. A 1.6% gain now is around 160,000 jobs and that's great but it's kind of like losing $5500 at the casino over the last week but winning $160 today and going around bragging about your big win.

Another thing that has always bothered me about these kinds of numbers. Say I have a company with 100 employees and I have to layoff 30% of the workforce, 30 employees. Now I have 70 employees but to get back to my numbers I now have to increase my workforce 42% or 30 employees to get back to 100 total workers. Kind of deceiving, you lose 30% but have to now gain 42% to get back where you were.

[HughMoran]

19. honestly

[Lost4words]

44. circle D dems, stop whining!

[HughMoran]

45. Hello!

Hope your day it going well!

:hi:

[Lost4words]

51. with no job or income no days go well,

:hi:

[HughMoran]

52. Well, here's to hoping that this is the beginning of a trend

We're losing people to other companies and have trouble finding good people - but unemployment is only 5.7% in my state for some reason. This is a very uneven recession and thus this board that has people posting from all over the country has a wide variety of perspectives.

[laughingliberal]

61. Unemployment is 14% in my state, 18% in my county.

We're also famous for high cost of living and low wages. We're #1 in unemployment, #1 in foreclosures, and #1 in negative equity in our homes. Things aren't really looking very bright, here.

[HughMoran]

65. Yes, the contrast between your state and mine is startling.

Perhaps Nevada should be looking to invest in new industries.

[laughingliberal]

66. Nevada has no money to invest in anything

We're one of the 7 states teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and we were listed as 49th in a list of states businesses would like to operate.

The reasons? An unskilled and uneducated work force and crappy schools.

This is RW policies of the past coming home to roost. The decision not to tax business and union busting years ago created a double whammy. There are no taxes collected from business to fund education and low paid workers do not spend enough to bring in the kind of sales tax revenue we would need. No income tax means the wealthy do not pay. Property taxes were helping but the dropping home values have taken care of that. We truly teeter on the brink of 3rd world status, now.

[druidity33]

27. thank you for the reality check.

It's good to hear good news, but it's also good to examine it in perspective...

cheers.

:)

[Fire1]

36. True. n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. K&R for good news!

:kick:

[treestar]

20. Terrific!

:kick:

[Cha]

23. Slowly slowly coming back but

Coming Back! Thanks Hugh~

[HughMoran]

28. Better than the alternative!

[Lost4words]

53. I dont know what I will do with all this change,

we haven't moved back to the left, we have moved the center way right. Opposition Party, I dont think so. many think this is OK as long as the corruption has a little light blue circle D in front of it. Injustice is ok when its Our injustice!

:puke:

phony wars, corporate laws, HCR giveaway, its sickening, I understood getting screwed by pukes, but the once Proud Democratic Party now taken over by DLC is too much to swallow. To all those who support the dilution of democratic party values and call yourself new democrats, as if there were something wrong with the democratic party of the past, F OFF!

:banghead:

[HughMoran]

55. Well, at least you can post all the angry vents you want and people will read them!

That's a plus! :thumbsup:

[Lost4words]

57. if you arent angry, your missing something,..have a nice day at work

[HughMoran]

59. Enjoy your day as well!

:hi:

[Hello_Kitty]

25. We need to produce as much as we can locally. Reduces the use of fuel to transport.

Lotta fossil fuel is burned to ship cheap crap made by slave labor.

[Rochester]

29. Good to know. I'm blue collar!

I'll take a little bit of good news where I can get it.

[Number23]

30. rec'd!

[JerseygirlCT]

31. Good to read! nt

[USArmyParatrooper]

33. Rec! More good news is always welcome.

The ship turned around a long time ago. We just need it to pick up more steam.

[spanone]

34. posted earlier and shit upon...k&r

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9209228

[HughMoran]

35. weird

why would 4 hours make such a difference?

[spanone]

50. don't know, but i'm pleasantly surprised

[laughingliberal]

63. Well, 4 hours ago, it was 5AM where I live. nt

[inna]

37. absolutely AWESOME if true.

[POAS]

38. Not a surprise to this retired UAW worker.

I saw it coming late last year before I retired.

Overtime was way up and orders began a steady increase as auto companies and others began to ramp up their suppliers in anticipation of increased production.

[bobburgster]

41. Amazing how I missed that on the news.

I know such good news would be trumpeted by all!

:sarcasm:

[dotymed]

43. What would improve this news

would be that these jobs pay a living wage and are Unionized so that the employees actually have a say and some respect on the job site.
Even better, worker owned co-ops....but that would be Socialist.
This is great news. First we need employment but not a return to the status quo.
I know, I'm a whiner...

[Harry Monroe]

46. Good news

I've always been blue collar, Union, and damned proud of it!!

[scentopine]

48. Whoo Hooo - FIrst Oil Spill is Gone, Now Economy is Fixed ! Makes me forget

about the layoffs and out sourcing to India and tax breaks for millionaires and outrageous health care costs and a bloody never ending war.

Mission Accomplished.

Or not.

Well at least in this poster's sanguine world its all rainbows and ponies.

Not so much for the rest of us who see the carnage bad policy and bad government is causing every day in terms of lost jobs, stressed families, kids struggling - all the side effects that occur when a government is focused exclusively on helping the rich and punishing the poor.

God save us from the centrists and other right wingers who have transformed both parties into two options for democracy: bad and worse.

[SidDithers]

54. ...

Sid

[laughingliberal]

64. +1 nt

[Smashcut]

68. +1

[Lance_Boyle]

56. Good news is good news.

I sincerely hope they aren't just talking about burger "manufacturing."

[HughMoran]

58. FYI

"
...

Gains so far have been concentrated in four industries -- automotive, fabricated metals, primary metals and machinery -- said Dave Huether, chief economist for the National Association of Manufacturers.

He's forecasting that the recovery of demand will spread to other goods next year, with a corresponding improvement in hiring.

"Let's say we're up 160,000 manufacturing jobs this year. I think we'll have increases well more than double that for each of the next few years. We probably won't get back to pre-recession employment, but we'll get close.""

[uncommon]

60. Adecco is a temp agency/staffing firm, so no benefits or unions for these factory workers I guess.

Unless I am missing something.

Still job growth is a good thing.

[w8liftinglady]

62. my only caveat-at least for my area-wages/benefits have been cut....

I would like to see more union presence in my area.It will take a drastic effort to accomplish...

[Scurrilous]

67. Kick

:kick:

[aikoaiko]

69. How about some Styx to celebrate the good news.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlVaC1DWrOs

Tommy Shaw can still belt this one out.

[bvar22]

70. The "Free Trade" Democrats & Republicans were right!

The American Worker can WILL compete with 3rd World Slave Labor......
as soon as he/she gets hungry enough!

$10-$15/hr with no benefits for a "manufacturing" job.
This is PROOF that it was those Communist Unions that were causing ALL the trouble!
Get wages and benefits low enough, and JOBS will come back to America
Woo-Hoo & Happy Day for the Ownership Class!!!
:party:

[Crazy Dave]

72. And with no benefits

OK well maybe a mandatory 401k to keep helping Wall St.

[w8liftinglady]

75. oh-you mean like MY area-recent ad

Position: Secretary
Company Name:
Salary:
Information: SECRETARY Needed for small Construction office. Must be proficient in Excel & Quickbook. Accounting knowledge beneficial, self starter with good communication skills needed, 401K but no health benefits. Email resume to [e-mail]

[JDPriestly]

73. The first ray of sunshine for a long, long time.

It is a small improvement. Now if we can just keep this going.

Do read the Rolling Stone interview with Obama. He is planning an initiative on energy for the next two years. That should encourage hiring in the manufacturing sector.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395?RS_show_page=0

The loss or alternatively gain in jobs is directly related the cost and availability of energy to fuel factories and other workplaces. Having a source of clean energy can reduce the cost of upgrading or building manufacturing plants in a number of industries. I think the statement on energy plans is on page 5. Not sure about that. But read the whole article.