Are things improving for anyone else economically?

[BarkingGhostar]

Are things getting better for anyone else? The hardest point for me in this economy was the first 6 months of 2009. Things have been steadily improving for me since then. It seems like all I see in the news is doom and gloom though.

Nope. The new administration has had no direct or indirect (that I know of) bearing on my personal quality of life.

If anything, I now have more financial long-term burden due to the new welfare-ish programs that the current administration has imposed.

 

[olds]

I just received a 13.85% raise.

Sort of. We are no longer on furloughs. I worked most all of them anyway.

 

[mrCide]

Nope. House worth less than half what I paid. Can't sell can't get another loan or refinance. GF can't find a decent job so I gotta cover 90% of the bills. Can't seem to put any money away and everything keeps getting more expensive. Work keeps using economy as an excuse to dick around employees even though it has no reason to.

 

[vshah]

doesn't seem to have affected me. I'm in my first job out of college though.

my company is doing a lot of hiring out of college...my "class" was ~450 ppl worldwide, this year it should be slightly more

 

[rcpratt]

Only just graduated this spring, but everything is looking great for me. Didn't have a ton of job offers, but I got a job in a city that I enjoy with pretty great pay for a recent grad and awesome benefits. Been putting away about $1500/mo for the last few months.

 

[AlienCraft]

Isn't that against the law?

Clarify.
No PAID holidays.

 

[Zebo]

Well I built houses so... Still have three lots losing money every month luckily I got rid of last two homes right before SHTF but still lost almost six figures even so. OTOH I'm doing OK on liquor store I own part of we opened in Dec08. No real track record to conclude better or worse but we are paying the bills... I reasoned in tough times people will just drink out of the bottle than go to bars and it seemed to have panned out.

 

[pontifex]

I just found out last week that my whole dept is being laid off within the next 6 months.

although I may have a chance to get the same job for twice the pay but moving to another state. but I hate this job...

 

[FelixDeCat]

No.

This is the worst economy in 500 years lead by the worst president of this century.

 

[NL5]

No.

This is the worst economy in 500 years lead by the worst president of this century.

He's at least the second best president of this century!

 

[Bateluer]

Work keeps using economy as an excuse to dick around employees even though it has no reason to.

Behavior like that irritates me and makes me not want to give such a company my business. I understand that a company in financial straits might have to reduce pay, layoff employees, etc, to stay in business and prevent every employee from being out of work, but it pisses me off when a healthy, profitable company restricts benefits or lays off people under the pretense of the 'economy'.

 

[Engineer]

I'm in relatively good shape but am not doing better in a year over year basis. The only reason that I am making more money this year (after going down for 5 straight years) is because of my severance pay and landing a job so quickly.

Would be nice if the damn economy (and stock market) started moving forward. I really hate that the market is where it was 11.25 years ago (and my 401k shows it still).

I guess that is what you get when you ship all of the jobs out in the name of "free trade" (bullshit trade is what it is).

 

[Eli]

Things have gotten better for me overall over the last 1.5 years.

No.

This is the worst economy in 500 years lead by the worst president of this century.

I didn't used to think you were much of a nutcase, but I've seen a few whoppers from you lately..

 

[zerocool84]

Nope things have gotten worse. Probably going to quit my current job, get a minimum wage part time job, and go back to school.

 

[jlee]

Well.., I actually got a raise - that was nice.

 

[IronWing]

We get by okay when I don't get any overtime. We do great when I do. This year, I've gotten more overtime than last year (which was lean) but not as much as in 08. Last year's market recovery allowed us to pay off the mortgage via a 401k loan (yeah, I know folks here hate 401k loans but so far the pay off has been ~9% annualized in terms of interest avoided and market losses avoided). We're debt free except for the 401k loan to ourselves and that will be gone in less than five years and likely less than four years if we accelerate repayment.

Our neighborhood has a bunch of foreclosures and we expect that trend to get worse as many of the houses were built toward the end of the bubble.

 

[Bignate603]

We had been on a 10% paycut for 9 months last year, that came back and I was able to get a promotion which came with a 12% pay raise. That being said, our benefits have been slashed. Our 401k matching is 1/2 of what it used to be, the tuition reimbursement is significantly worse, and they shot our health care costs through the roof. My wife got sick this year and with the deductible, out of pocket maximum, and health care premiums I'll be paying more than 10% of my pretax income towards medical expenses this year. When I started there two years ago it would have cost me less than half that for the same medical care. We're supposed to get the 401k back sooner or later but I doubt the medical will ever get any better.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Not just no but, hell no.

 

[zCypher]

Not much changed in Canuckistan for the longest time, but in the past while they actually cut hours for everybody so I guess things aren't all rosy. I used to do up to 60 hours every week whenever I felt like it without needing to ask, now they limit everybody to 36 hours unless otherwise asked and even then, it doesn't exceed 40. Sucks for the pay, but I like finishing early during the summer, so for now it's ok.

I still manage to get by just fine as the cost of living in MTL is quite low compared to some places.

 

[olds]

I just received a 13.85% raise.

Sort of. We are no longer on furloughs. I worked most all of them anyway.

Bwahahaha, I spoke too soon. Now I am on min wage.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/01/2864148/schwarzenegger-orders-minimum.html

 

[gar3555]

Our company cut some benefits in '09 which they have since returned ( 401k matching, tuition re-reimbursement, etc)

I am noticing one disturbing trend in my personal circle of experience. Since the last "downturn" companies ( including mine) who need to expand are leveraging contract labor / 3rd party outsourcing ( who use contracted labor), and not wanting to hire people in permanent positions.

This. We have brought people in on contract, but have not hired anyone new in 2+ years. We have a fairly high turnover anyway b/c of the amount of travel involved.

 

[El Guaraguao]

Not just no but, hell no.

I actually came here to post this. Been unemployed for 2 months and been dishing out resume like its food stamps and still no calls.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

As soon as one of these companies give me a job. Then yes. Otherwise, no.
I did get 7 calls this week from recruiters and employers in response to resumes I spammed out several months ago. All but 1 of those were shitty low-pay contract jobs, outside of my commutable distance... meh...
I'm most looking forward to this lead my friend pointed out to me and I have several awesome references that already work for the company. Starts off at $13, and can be making $18 in less than 6mo. Not in my profession, whatsoever, but it would give me the ability to save up to get a new car and move out/relocate so I can find steady work in my profession, closer to, or in the city.

 

[pontifex]

This. We have brought people in on contract, but have not hired anyone new in 2+ years. We have a fairly high turnover anyway b/c of the amount of travel involved.

Most jobs I've looked at lately are contracts

 

[coloumb]

Nope. I'd say things are just getting worse and worse. Everything seems to cost more, taxes are going up, and the corporations who messed it all up really haven't been hit on their bottom line hard enough IMO.

This is pretty much it.

My recent Federal retirement statement shows that my annual salary last year was at the same amount as it was 4 years ago.

The company I work for dropped 401k matching, profit sharing, and halted all bonuses/raises, changed employee stock purchase [changed from 15% discount to 5% discount and from 2 year look back to 6 months].

Recently the company did restore quarterly profit sharing [10% of yearly salary], 401k matching, bonuses [very limited to specific requirements], employee stock purchase plan [old rules - 15% and 2 year look back of lowest price]. Not holding my breath for raises though - if they do happen, it'll probably be a pitiful 1% or 2% - which isn't enough to keep up with the cost of living [which is about 4% per year].

My 401k is luckily back up slightly - so I don't think I'll be living in a cardboard box when I retire.