Economy Downturn !!!!

gtfpv · 02-04-2009, 04:41 PM

IT seems we are just starting to see the BEGINNING of the economic downturn . companies are now starting to fold and dismiss /or massively reduce its staffing . it is forecasted that wwe will have 10% unemployment in this country by the end of 2009. with no recovery expectation before the end of 2010. the sad part is . only now is the start of the number crunching . i am in an industry that feels the effects immensly which allows me to see what is happening in the world, and the flow on effects are hard to think about , it is mostly out of australia's hands.

i know similar threads have been posted here in the past . this is an update to current situations for people to share what they areexpecting/ or how they will be/ are effected . IT IS NOT POLITICALLY ORIENTATED. ( no finger pointing or blaming)
WHAT IS HAPPENING OUT THERE TO YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS/ FAMILY ????

WITH ME my job for life is now under threat the outcome isnt to bad for me , however i may have to not lease or buy a new vehicle , which directly effects the car industry therefore the economy .

The Monty · 02-04-2009, 04:47 PM

Im fine. I cut meat for 20 odd Woolworths stores, and we have never been busier, BUT, we had a few people leave lately, and we have been told they wont be replaced. We have our workplace divided, half doing pubs and restausants, and our side doing Woolworths. The Food service (pubs) side, is failing bad, the Woolworths meat side, excelent.
My mother is a propigator, making media and a supervisor, and her whole workplace has been put back to 4 days.

**DJM83** · 06-06-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monty

Im fine. I cut meat for 20 odd Woolworths stores, and we have never been busier, BUT, we had a few people leave lately, and we have been told they wont be replaced. We have our workplace divided, half doing pubs and restausants, and our side doing Woolworths. The Food service (pubs) side, is failing bad, the Woolworths meat side, excelent.
My mother is a propigator, making media and a supervisor, and her whole workplace has been put back to 4 days.

Where abouts do you work Josh?

I work in management with Woolworths and business hasnt slowed at all infact our store is trading at around 22% up on last yr and our area group is around 14% up on last year.
My boss put it like this, people see Woolworths as a huge restaurant as alot of people are losing or have already lost their jobs so dining out doesnt happen anymore. 6 mths ago i was going to get out of the company just for a change that wont be happening now, as id hate to be finding work at this point in time.

4Vman · 06-06-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Where abouts do you work Josh?

I work in management with Woolworths and business hasnt slowed at all infact our store is trading at around 22% up on last yr and our area group is around 14% up on last year.
My boss put it like this, people see Woolworths as a huge restaurant as alot of people are losing or have already lost their jobs so dining out doesnt happen anymore. 6 mths ago i was going to get out of the company just for a change that wont be happening now, as id hate to be finding work at this point in time.

Dallas, id say that's because more people are eating at home rather than dinning out. Monty's meat demand swing would be for the same reason..

**DJM83** · 07-06-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Dallas, id say that's because more people are eating at home rather than dinning out. Monty's meat demand swing would be for the same reason..

Norm that 22% sales increase if for my store alone, most stores in my area group area around 13-17%. But yeah that was my point alot of people are skipping on going out for dinner instead chosing to eat at home. IMO working in a place like Woolworths is probably one of best places to work atm re job secturity

onfire · 06-06-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Where abouts do you work Josh?

I work in management with Woolworths and business hasnt slowed at all infact our store is trading at around 22% up on last yr and our area group is around 14% up on last year.
My boss put it like this, people see Woolworths as a huge restaurant as alot of people are losing or have already lost their jobs so dining out doesnt happen anymore. 6 mths ago i was going to get out of the company just for a change that wont be happening now, as id hate to be finding work at this point in time.

Another one in Woolworths, we're up 25% on last year. Sadly in bad times, people also drink.

MO · 06-06-2009, 09:12 PM

I said this was coming about 2 to 3 years ago but I can't find the thread.

ZA-289 · 02-04-2009, 05:02 PM

Yeah i lost my job 6 weeks ago, (automotive) dam hard to find anything decent within an hour from home. Looks like I will have to do some cruddy job or work far away from home just to get some work coz the funds are drying up :(

U TRYD · 02-04-2009, 05:04 PM

I own a concrete truck on the gold coast. We have been slow since December also partly because the weather, but nothing that bad yet we are still ticking over. The good news though is that we are alredy starting to pick back up again and all of the builders/developers that i have been talking to are starting to become alot more confident and alot have work coming up. I am lucky in that where i work we do mostly industrial and comercial work that started before the GFC hit and that has kept us going and should see us through the worst of it. I even considering buying a brand new truck and taking advantige if the 30% depreciation i can claim. It is a once in a lifetime opertunity. From what i have herd and seen on the job it will be over by the end of the year

Road_Warrior · 02-04-2009, 05:24 PM

Public service here, I am unaffected. In fact, in my line of work, business is booming.

However the two FTE's in my section that they had intended to advertise may not go ahead. Being a government department the Treasurer has demanded that we find 3% budget savings and we have done that by axing a couple of online/software related projects, but I do not know what will happen to the FTE's.

Walt Kowalski · 02-04-2009, 05:45 PM

Me: Self funded retriree: Income cut by at least 60% by GFC. Watching pennies. If I don't have to buy it I am not atm. Just cancelled order for new home on spare block of land.

Wife: Casual teacher looking for full time job (I'm not a slave driver. She is in her 30's and wants to work

Daughter 1 27yo 2 kids: Retrenched this week from Telstra. Might use payout as deposit for home.

Daughter 2. 25 yo Treats people for cancer in a hospital. Unfortunately business is booming. Her job safe. Looking to buy first home in next couple of years. Doesn't want to listen to dads ideas to get one earlier. What would he know? Only made all his $$$ from property investments. The last one went up over 700% in less than 3 years.

**Peuty** · 02-04-2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munroman

Me: Self funded retriree: Income cut by at least 60% by GFC. Watching pennies. If I don't have to buy it I am not atm. Just cancelled order for new home on spare block of land.

Wife: Casual teacher looking for full time job (I'm not a slave driver. She is in her 30's and wants to work

Daughter 1 27yo 2 kids: Retrenched this week from Telstra. Might use payout as deposit for home.

Daughter 2. 25 yo Treats people for cancer in a hospital. Unfortunately business is booming. Her job safe. Looking to buy first home in next couple of years. Doesn't want to listen to dads ideas to get one earlier. What would he know? Only made all his $$$ from property investments. The last one went up over 700% in less than 3 years.

Pics of daughters?

gtfpv · 02-04-2009, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

Pics of daughters?

and wife . hahahaha .

Scott · 02-04-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtfpv

and wife . hahahaha .

I'll take a gander at the ute

Iggypoppin' · 02-04-2009, 05:36 PM

My employment is in timber and it's the worst we've seen in 50 years. All the overtime gone, bugger all tradies coming in compared to last year. Big accounts getting slashed. We are lucky it's a family owned business, and they have guaranteed that while hours get cut, jobs will not. There was boom years for a long time and we are still JUST profitable so everythings ok for now.

Scott · 02-04-2009, 05:38 PM

I've had clients laying off staff in the thousands, major projects delayed or scrapped alltogether. In saying that, I still have a healthy pipeline and good base for organic growth so my target for the year is to try and hold ground at minimum.

Many of my partners are also just focussed on hitting what they did last year if possible, no plans for great expansion as we have seen in years gone by. They will not look to grow or shrink their workforce but I expect they won't be busting to replace anyone that leaves either.

QLD is reasonably insulated from the "low lows' that I think most of Australia has/will be seeing. The only bonus in part of this is that the southern states have been in a relative recession for some time and many people already had tight belts before this hit.

Provided people get on with business, I can't see this being *too* bad for us, certainly not like O/S. Good times will return soon and hopefully they bring a new maturity to how we manage our affairs.

Remember people, if the bills are paid, there's food on the table and beer in the fridge, things are pretty bloody good.

**DJM83** · 06-06-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP006

Remember people, if the bills are paid, there's food on the table and beer in the fridge, things are pretty bloody good.

Kudos, couldnt have put it better myself

Bmobile · 02-04-2009, 05:48 PM

In the building industry as a painter and have not worked since mid December. I have not been looking too hard but still looking. I am taking the oportunity to change direction and get out of painting. I am currently in the process of going for my HR truck licence and doing my LS bobcat ticket. I have just scored a job with the counciil doing roadside cleanup and am using this as a foot in the door for other positions in the council. I was offered a job today for a few weeks painting to view to full time and I turned it down.
Where I am on the Sunshine Coast the unemployment is around 10% as opposed to around 5% for the national average. Also the building approvals have decreased 50% this quater here.
In the last month I have seen an increase of available positions in all areas and have even had a few short term offers for work.
My job with the council is for at least 6 months and if all goes well I will try to get another position in another feild with them. If not it will be Sep / Oct and the building industry will start to boom with the lead up to Xmas. This will be the time to get out with my HR and LS ticket and try get some work in that feild.

I will call this plan "A"

Yellow_Festiva · 02-04-2009, 07:12 PM

Working on a term by term full time stint as a school teacher. I have just been signed up till the end of the year so I'm happy about that.

I also have an online business that has had strong sales till Dec last year. I'm now lucky to get a sale a week. Lucky the business doesn't pay the bills and feed me.

T3ts50 · 02-04-2009, 07:32 PM

Im in banking and we have been absolutely flat out the last 2 months. We have had more work come in the last 2 months than we have had from the previous 5 months put together. But it isnt stopping my work from retrenching 400 people in the next month or so. This is espicially scary for me as I have just purchased a new house which doesnt settle until around the time we get told if we still have a job or not.

madmelon · 02-04-2009, 07:50 PM

After completing work experience I was going to be retained at a small engineering firm in Wollongong. 3 weeks before my hours were completed, Bluescope steel pulled the pin on every one of their "unnecessary" contracted projects. Those three weeks I more or less did nothing and literally the minute I completed my required hours I was out the door. December '08. Fortunately I also work part time at Repco and while it hasn't exactly been busy, the two stores I work at are so short staffed that there is always work for me.

I ended up applying for and being accepted into part time post graduate study.

My mum is a teacher and her job is more or less safe. Dad and step mum own a small business- clinical psychology. They are booked up more than 6 weeks in advance- the GFC is doing their business a world of good. Sister works in child care and that's stupidly busy.

Bro got made redundant late '08, 2 months into the 4th year of his apprenticeship. He was well angry. As someone who doesn't drive, he's not yet found a suitable job.

gtfpv · 02-04-2009, 07:54 PM

i forgot to add , last year my hours of work were increased , prompting me to give up my private business, which i dont regret at all. however now my overtime is been canned and staff is being cut .
my wife has taken a pay cut . because she works part time , she cannot get extra hours . part time and casual jobs are being traded off to retain fulltime positions . which puts mothers in a hard position as they can only get fulltime work_ or nothing . which must be effecting the economy hugely.

**buggerlugs** · 02-04-2009, 08:04 PM

The last 5 years in my small business has been crazy. This financial year started off even crazier. July, August, Sept and October huge. Then right at the end of October it was like someone turned the tap off. Just stopped. March picked up a bit and the talk around the traps is that it will pick up a bit after the financial year ends......

Walt Kowalski · 02-04-2009, 08:23 PM

What? Nobody interested in a race car (Its VERY fast) or a really cool BMW convertible sunday cruiser??

Clint Eastwood · 02-04-2009, 09:15 PM

After listening to Paul Keating on the 7:30 report tonight,we are stuffed.

I am a small business owner/self employed tradesperson who specialises in domestic/maintenance work and we are still very busy at the moment,but some days not one job will come in,hopefully not a sign of things to come.

Road_Warrior · 02-04-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clint Eastwood

After listening to Paul Keating on the 7:30 report tonight,we are stuffed.

Which clown gave that ******** access to a microphone? Horrible man.

Clint Eastwood · 02-04-2009, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Which clown gave that ******** access to a microphone? Horrible man.

Well what channel is the 7:30 report on and who is the host?

Sam_Boss260 · 02-04-2009, 09:40 PM

So what did Keating say?

I'm working full time during the week and a second job on weekends, as we have our bonuses frozen at work. 8 people laid off just before Xmas and everything is tight at work, and at home.

You gotta do what you gotta do. I feel for those who have lost their jobs.

Clint Eastwood · 02-04-2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam_Boss260

So what did Keating say?

Basically that unless some serious decisions are made at the G20 and that unless things are addressed where the problems started (America) we are headed for a very deep world recession and possibly a depression.

The interview will be on the ABC website.

Daymoe · 02-04-2009, 09:55 PM

So we are entering recession then? I heard Julia Gillard say "We are entering a period of negative growth." doesn't "Period of negative growth" mean recession? Why go through all the bother when you could have just said, we're going into recession?