3483 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Fast food eateries are already decreasing the need for as many employees on hand as they’ve had in the past. Grocery stores, too.

There comes a point where demanding or expecting McDonalds to pay $17.50 for an entry level worker results in a loss of positions, loss in hours and an introduction of automation. Do we really think a BigMac can’t be put together by a machine? Do we really think the automated ordering kiosks are there for aesthetic reasons or because the restaurants are getting too busy for staff to handle?

Some folks choose minimum wage work. They’re not forced into it, and especially not in this market where employees who can pay well above minimum wage are.

[Mike K.]

From the Wall Street Journal vis MSN: http://www.msn.com/e...ggNb9&ocid=iehp

Fewer homes are being built in the US and housing prices are rising as young people turn away from construction jobs. The decline has averaged 30% in 48 states among workers aged 24 and under as compared to 2005.

The lack of housing construction, which is at a 60-year low, is forcing home prices to outpace incomes. Sound familiar to our situation?

Anyways, it’s a good read.

[lanforod]

Linky no worky.

 

I'm not sure that analysis is all that useful on a macro scale like the entire US anyways. It makes sense on a per city or region level more. Some areas will never or rarely increase their real estate values more than inflation.

[tjv]

^^my first observation is that article is US based and of course they have had a large focus on anti immigration since Trump came to office.  A good percentage of US construction workers are illegal immigrants

 

secondly, I would agree that most kids these are focusing on post secondary education, heck I am one of them.  With parents having more and more spare funds, post secondary education is becoming more available.  Although I will say post secondary education is very expensive in the US compared to Canada.  A lot of the state universities are $20-25k US per year

 

My main observation having working in management in construction is when the great recession hit salaries plunged as there was huge pressure on prices.  Since material prices couldn't change, wages dropped big time.  When people saw the wages being offered people were less likely to be in construction.  Even today I see ads for demolition labourers and formwork stripping at $13-15/hr.  Now anyone who knows how physically exhausting work like that is plus being out in the hot sun or rain, etc and they are paying about the same wage that someone could work in a air conditioned store, etc.  Who would want to go into construction

 

The reality is if you want someone to work hard physically for you, you have to pay a good wage

 

Lastly, with shortages of labour, rising material prices and rising land costs homes are going to continue to get more expensive, not cheaper which continues a vicious cycle and the only way to earn more money is to get more education typically

[Mike K.]

Fixed!

The data is from 2005 to 2016, so any policies introduced by the current administration would not have taken effect.

[jonny]

Would it be 14% unemployed if 86% are employed?

 

Somebody needs to brush up on Econ 100 and the definition of the unemployment rate!

 

You're not considered unemployed if you're not actively seeking employment. 

[tjv]

Fixed!

The data is from 2005 to 2016, so any policies introduced by the current administration would not have taken effect.

ah ok, scratch the Trump comment then

[Mike K.]

The reality is if you want someone to work hard physically for you, you have to pay a good wage

 

 

 

And that also depends heavily on who's paying the company that's paying the wage and how their payment terms are set. It's not a problem to pay a labourer $20/hour if a client is paying indirectly for that higher wage.

[tjv]

^in construction that is a pretty standard starting wage generally speaking and of course that all gets passed on to the homeowner if its residential construction or the consumer if its business related

[Redd42]

Yimby's in San Fran pushing for more multiple unit buildings in neighbourhoods of mostly single family houses.

 

https://www.npr.org/...ing-development

[Nparker]

Yimby's in San Fran pushing for more multiple unit buildings in neighbourhoods of mostly single family houses...

Someone needs to alert the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association (FGCA)

[tjv]

We are definitely going to start seeing that in Victoria over the next while, but then again there will be huge push back in the neighborhoods

 

On the flip side I see a lot of neighborhoods with illegal suites and wall to wall cars in the evenings with barely a place for visitors to park already.  To me if you have a basement suite then you have automatically voted yes to multi unit buildings since you own one yourself

[Casual Kev]

Yimby's in San Fran pushing for more multiple unit buildings in neighbourhoods of mostly single family houses.

 

https://www.npr.org/...ing-development

 

I hope more people like that mobilize in the States. NIMBYs are even more entrenched and arguably vile down there because of racial undertones and race-to-the-bottom among jurisdictions. 

Edited by Casual Kev, 02 August 2018 - 05:31 PM.

[Jackerbie]

 

 

 

 

MORE:

 

https://www.vicnews....ours-concerned/

 

 

 

90 units.  Central Saanich has 17,000 people and about 7,000 dwelling units. How are cars and numbers going to "overwhelm" the community?  This is a 1% increase.  

 

 

This was approved this week. FWIW, the area that will be "overwhelmed" with vehicles includes two of the major arterial roads through the peninsula, Wallace and East Saanich Road. Neither one is exactly a quiet local street...

 

[Mike K.]

50 are market rentals in a five-storey building, 40 are affordable rentals in a four-storey building.

[Citified.ca]

73-unit affordable housing dev in Langford accepting tenant applications ahead of November move-ins

https://victoria.cit...ember-move-ins/

[spanky123]

 

73-unit affordable housing dev in Langford accepting tenant applications ahead of November move-ins

https://victoria.cit...ember-move-ins/

 

 

So how does Pacifica decide who gets the affordable units? If we are to believe the advocates, there must be 5-10 people applying for every vacancy.

[Victoria Watcher]

a points system and their existing waiting list.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 September 2018 - 10:51 AM.

[tjv]

^good question, it will be interesting to know.  I would really hope they investigate people who really are in need.  I am not into providing affordable homes as a taxpayer if they have have money for new flat screen TV's, a newer car, money for smokes, pot/drugs, barbeques, etc, etc

[spanky123]

a points system and their existing waiting list.

 

Seems to me like a system that could potentially be open to abuse.