[PSUscaper]

I look at things around my area and just don't know what to say anymore.

Average home cost is 300k, and that is nothing too fancy. Same house my sister has in dallas for 180k is close to 400k here.

Auto insurance is one of the most expensive of the states. With a newer vehicle, you can be close to 2k with no problem.

Health insurance is the same as pretty much anywhere....rediculous. 2, 3, 4......6k a year. Maybe even 12k plus for a family plan.

Cost of living....high. Have to drive everywhere and at 2 plus a gallon, no travel plans are cheap.

Bottom line is, you start adding up a mortage for that 300k house, insurance, house hold bills, car payments, gas, and you are strapped at 42k a year. Now lets say you are a family, have a wife and child at home and the only one making money.....well.......42k is poverty level.

Its scary, and quite frankly, I wonder why anyone would want to work in this industry. Something is just not right. I can't understand how anyone is making ends meet, but they seem to. It boggles my mind.

Do any of you ever sit down and wonder how that employee of yours with the 3 kids and wife at home lives on what you are paying them? Could you be happy with that? Could you live on that?

I just read a quick article in a trade magazine about the shortage of skilled foreman that is developing. Basically, a lot of large companies are feeling a pinch because of all the Migrant workers. They come in for a few years, make their money, and leave. Eventually, as time passes, all we are going to be left with is a bunch of unskilled laborers with NO ONE capable of taking wheel and run the job site.

I agree that immigrant labor may be part of the shortage of skilled foreman/supervisor candidates, but isn't the only reason. Maybe the fact is, no one is paying enough to encourage people to fill these skilled positions. If you want skilled people, you have to pay skilled people wages. This industry is not really doing that. Our wage scale is not what I would call inviting for skilled people.

If we want to attract more qualified people, we need to up the pot here. Really, who wants to work 50-60 hours a week, bust their backs, and walk away with enough money to just pay their bills???

It's not surprising at all that no one can find skilled employees when you look at what we are asking them to do and what to do it for.