WARNING!! incoming rant. I warned you!
Are you interested in learning a great trade? Are you interested in making a good living? Are you interested in living where others go to vacation?
If you answered yes, then I have a deal for you!!
If I could hire a good employee, I would hire him tomorrow… It’s an odd thing that 44.8% of the population in North Itasca don’t have jobs!
“In Itasca County, MN, the labor force participation rate for the population aged 16 and older is approximately 55.2%, according to 2020-2024 U.S. Census Bureau data. This implies that roughly 44.8% of the population aged 16+ is not in the civilian labor force (not working and not looking for work).
Census.gov +1”
I personally have more than 3 full time jobs.
I turn down work alot… because I just can’t do more work. I’m getting older, I am slowing down, my knee is messed up from years of hard labor and I discovered the 36” pipe wrench is a lot heavier now.
Nobody is interested in working for me… ARE YOU KIDDING?? NOBODY WANTS TO WORK PERIOD!! The HVAC-R industry is screaming for new workers, but there are none, and when you do find one, they struggle with… working.
A great man once said “Most folks miss opportunities because they usually are dressed in cover-alls” (or something like that.) But the reality is much more than a generation that won’t work.
REGARDLESS of what I pay, they just don’t work.
And now the new laws on “safe and sick time” (1:30 hrs is paid time off), family leave time off (20 weeks off out of 52 weeks) And then fees If I pay a guy $100 for working, I also pay about $40 MORE to the government… on top of his pay… then he still needs to pay his taxes and fees… Did you know I need to pay the government a huge portion of money just to work for myself? I pay the first $16 dollars of every $100, TO WORK FOR MYSELF! Then I start to pay my taxes and fees… the bottom line is if you bill for $1,000,000.00 in gross sales, you actually only earn about $60,000.00.
A little one man HVAC shop, it’s no wonder I can’t find anyone that wants to work.
I can get $1200.00 each month if I decide to not work…Plus money for smokes.
The last three guys I’ve hired either don’t show up, show up and sit around on the phone or just stand there looking at me while I do the work…
Over my lifetime in the trades, I’ve had hundreds of techs work under my supervision. Some techs showed up in flip flops and shorts to work in a large boiler room. Some techs have thrown their tool bag over the edge of a roof because I “told them” rather than “asking them” to remove the hood from an exhaust fan at Famous Dave BBQ on South Robert street … .
I helped run a business that grew from just the owner and myself to over 10 guys. I worked for the largest non-union shop in the Minneapolis St.Paul area. I’ve built 200 ton refrigerated Corn coolers. Replaced and repaired boilers of 500 HP. I have Maintained my Chief boilers licences for over 20 years. I got my refrigerant handling licence before they had a registration program…
I have been a maintenance tech, an install tech and the lead troubleshooter.
I’ve been the tech that quotes and runs large repair and replacement jobs.
I’ve seen the Stubborn, the Cocky and the Humble.
I’ve worked with the Dangerous, the Overly safe, and the Clueless.
I’ve managed the Introvert, the Extrovert and the Backstabber.
I’ve Hired, Fired and Trained.
Worked for the man, worked with the man and been the man
I have seen it all!! So why am I telling you this? Something has changed! I mean dramatically changed.
I’m writing this out of frustration for you, my customers… I wish I could hire a guy that wants to work, learn a trade and carry on the long traditions we had in our industry of learning on the job.
A quick Google search reveals these disturbing facts
The trades are the way to go as a young guy starting out… it’s harder to find anyone to fill the ever increasing hole in labor and prices are reflecting this even more. Only a few short years ago I could replace a furnace for under $4000.00, now it’s closer to $7000.00… but soon that same furnace will cost $12,000.00 because the market will demand it… Imagine a bidding war at -40 degrees to have a furnace replaced. How much would you be willing to pay when your furnace dies at -30 degrees? Because the highest bidder gets the furnace when there are 4 furnaces to replace and the tech can only do one furnace…
In closing, it’s an excellent time to be in the trades as a young guy, starting out… want to make $1,000,000.00 in three years after starting up? Well, that’s actually an easy goal in HVAC, even up here in the middle of nowhere. (just remember, that’s $1,000,000.00 gross, after the government takes its cut you will have $60,000.00)
But don’t worry, at least your employees will get time off that is paid.
So bottom line, I don’t blame the younger generations, I blame the older generations, they built this mess, and my generation is just surviving the mess, the younger generations are living in this mess and the Gov keeps taking more and getting bigger…
I grew a great opportunity to pass this trade on to the next guy that wants to do well in life, turns out, they all moved west.
I try to stay out of this topic for the most part but today? Well, its a mess.
Good thing I know Jesus, How is your relationship with Jesus?
God Bless, C.
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