Spoke with Bill at Swift Bullets yesterday

[Aaron N]

Thanks for your advice. Now we all know to contact you for advice involving all industries and situations. Good to know.

I’d bet my money that you run a pretty great camp and already know how invaluable good staff is.

 

[meigsbucks]

I retired in 2016. Depending on the job, people working in one of my departments started at $35-45k and within two years or less were at $45-60k. These were either clerical or forklift drivers. Minimal physical labor. I had trouble hiring people and of those that were hired, a high percentage would call off or abuse FMLA.
A sad state of affairs when unskilled to semi skilled labor thinks they have CEO value.
I have kept in touch with several management people there. Wages have increased 30-50% and they still have issues hiring and retaining people. There are people in other departments making $100k+ and can’t get or retain people.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Fun fact, US unemployment is 3.8% below the historical level of 5.7%. It seems like MORE people are wanting to work than usual.

We have a 3.8 percent unemployment rate because five million people left the labor force during/since Covid and aren’t looking for even ONE of the some ten million jobs available, so they aren’t counted as unemployed. Smoke and mirrors with the “official “ low unemployment rate.

 

[86thecat]

"Smoke and mirrors" is being awfully polite.

 

[Aaron N]

We have a 3.8 percent unemployment rate because five million people left the labor force during/since Covid and aren’t looking for even ONE of the some ten million jobs available, so they aren’t counted as unemployed. Smoke and mirrors with the “official “ low unemployment rate.

That works out to 1.4% of the population. Does this count early retirees? I’m not arguing your numbers, I’m asking because I’ve never cared to look into this.

 

[BIG COUNTRY SAFARIS AUSTRALIA]

It seems this younger generation (which I am a part of 36 years old) throw the phrase “work life balance” around a lot! Can’t work to many hours! Need to work from home! Flexible working agreements! I don’t know to many successful people in life that have had a great “work/life” balance when trying to get ahead in life! Especially when you are younger! It’s the same people that whinge they can’t afford a house and how our generation has got it so tough!

 

[Aaron N]

It seems this younger generation (which I am a part of 36 years old) throw the phrase “work life balance” around a lot! Can’t work to many hours! Need to work from home! Flexible working agreements! I don’t know to many successful people in life that have had a great “work/life” balance when trying to get ahead in life! Especially when you are younger! It’s the same people that whinge they can’t afford a house and how our generation has got it so tough!

I spent years working 7 on and 7 off making nearly 200k. Work life balance is a thing. Work to live, don’t live to work!

 

[Wahoo]

The operative phrase is “work”… without a willingness to do it we aren’t left with much

I can tell you with absolute certainty and firsthand experience I can not hire a qualified candidate if I ask them to work 7 days in a row regardless of how much time they had off and regardless if I pay them the absolute highest wage sustainable by my business that doesn’t cause me to price my services out of the market. In fact I have recently interviewed multiple candidates that were openly uncomfortable with a 4 day work week of 32-40 hours and the idea of being on call for emergency 1 weekend out of every 6 ( keep in mind that’s on call- absolutely may not even have to work). Why might you ask? “Because it cuts into their work life balance”. Perplexed rant over.

Disclaimer- zero knowledge of Mr Swift’s business practices or industry in general other than as a consumer.

 

[Aaron N]

The operative phrase is “work”… without a willingness to do it we aren’t left with much

I can tell you with absolute certainty and firsthand experience I can not hire a qualified candidate if I ask them to work 7 days in a row regardless of how much time they had off and regardless if I pay them the absolute highest wage sustainable by my business that doesn’t cause me to price my services out of the market. In fact I have recently interviewed multiple candidates that were openly uncomfortable with a 4 day work week of 32-40 hours and the idea of being on call for emergency 1 weekend out of every 6 ( keep in mind that’s on call- absolutely may not even have to work). Why might you ask? “Because it cuts into their work life balance”. Perplexed rant over.

Disclaimer- zero knowledge of Mr Swift’s business practices or industry in general other than as a consumer.

4-8’s? Where do I sign up?

 

[Rule 303]

I’m not too sure how things work in AUS, it a quick search, I’m sure there’s more that I’m missing, shows a monthly support income on $860 a month if you’re considered employable, and $1099 if you’re deemed disabled in my province in Canada. I wouldn’t consider these a livable wage by any means.


Sure we all know of a friend of a friend of a friend who’s making six figures from the govt, but what’s the reality. I’ve known one person on disability and let me tell you he sure as hell wasn’t meeting any sort of standard of living,

As for foster parents, it costs money to raise kids. You’re either paying an orphanage (are those still things?) to do a crappy job, or pay foster parents who hopefully raise those kids like their own. Either way it’s gonna cost the tax payers.

For people not working that is a livable wage. They aren't looking to save or do anything. Also their Health care is free or very low cost, utilities are subsidized. Generally live with 2 or more people to split rental, which can be subsidized.

A lot of people now seem to lack a work ethic.

Work life balance is good if you can afford it. If you can't then that balance goes out the door due to necessity. Well, it use too, until the Govt here made it viable to have all life balance and no work balance.

 

[JimP]

I spent years working 7 on and 7 off making nearly 200k. Work life balance is a thing. Work to live, don’t live to work!

But did you do this with zero or very little experience in the job that you were doing?

Did you start a new job where all you had to do was to sit and watch a machine do all the work?

With experience and knowledge comes the better life. The majority of kids in today's world want to start at the top with no or very little experience and then they want to only work a few days a week while getting paid for 40 hours.

I can't remember who it was that proposed it in the last couple of months but they were talking about going to a 32 hour work week while getting paid for 40. Somehow that math just doesn't come out.

 

[cajunchefray]

Fun fact, US unemployment is 3.8% below the historical level of 5.7%. It seems like MORE people are wanting to work than usual.

Consider the labor participation rate, the percentage of those of working age, versus the percentage of those that choose to work.
The rate of people willing to work versus those that work is falling.

“Lies, damn lies, and statistics “ according to Mark Twain. And that is what I think of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the Consumer Price Index.

Also consider those numbers of “employed “ at a few hours per week, hourly, versus those employed with full time jobs, salary. The full time jobs are stagnant and the low hourly wage jobs are increasing because restaurants cannot or will not afford added labor.

I’m have been in the restaurant industry for 30 years. Workers are employed in greater numbers at lower hours. Many hold 2 jobs to support families, thus factoring “low unemployment.”

Businesses are rationalizing their labor costs. More employees but a lot fewer hours just to complete the labor schedule.
Therefore higher employment rates but people are making less money.

We will find out in November what people really think about the economy.

 

[Inline6]

I'm going to blame a lot of the BS on social media. Not so much this type, the Facebook, IG, TikTok and YouTubes (I'm sure their are others I'm not hip to).

People see these extravagant life styles and think it real, it is not. Marriages are broken up all the time, it is just easy/ convenient however you would like to word it.

Same thing With hunting, one bad act goes viral, some crazy wacko live steams shooting people.

Growing up in the 80s-90s this wasn't a thing. Get your butt in the house when the street lights came on. Now you have to worry about apps some sicko might be using to spy/talk to your little one. It's not the same world we once knew.

I'm not sure you can teach work ethics, like you can other things. My opinion is in has to be ingrained from an early age. It's not looking good for our future, hopefully the youth of the world will prove my theory wrong.

 

[Scott CWO]

I’d bet my money that you run a pretty great camp and already know how invaluable good staff is.

Yes I do. Lazy people cannot be guides. Our situation is different. All industries are different.

 

[Scott CWO]

I had an HR manager tell me, when I asked about getting a new lineman to replace a retired lineman, that they had gone through 2 rounds of ten. First 10 had all wash out due to no valid drivers license and or failed drug tests. You see it doesn’t make any difference if your state has legalized a substance, no one is hiring anyone who has to operate in a dangerous environment who would test positive should they be involved in an accident. The second group of 10 had the same result minus one and the manager stated they had the job if they passed the remaining written test.
I asked, ok, but what if he’s an a$$hole? Seriously, personality had no bearing whatsoever but it absolutely matters in a crew dynamic.
Our government is turning our young people into unemployable idiots and with medical studies showing a 1 in 4 chance of developing bi-polar disorder with schizophrenia from the modern pot, crazy unemployable idiots!

This is not true according to @Aaron N so you must be lying lol.

 

[Just Gina]

Way way back when I was in high school I took a business law class. We studied panhandlers and one of my classmates drew New York City as the area for him to look into.

Come to find out there was one person who sat on a corner with his hat in his hand. He didn't ask for anything but just sat there hoping that those who passed by would drop a coin or two into his hat.

Come to find out he was investigated by the good old IRS. They estimated that he earned close to 1 million dollars a year by just sitting on that corner with his hat in his hand. He wasn't arrested for panhandling but on tax evasion, if he would of only paid taxes on what was dropped into his had he would of had it made.

But back on the government tit. I had some friends who took in a foster child. One night while I was at their home having a beer or two the Mrs figured that if they could get a second foster child then they could afford to buy a few more expensive thing for themselves. They were living off of what the government was paying them for the foster child, money that should have went towards the kid. I got ticked off at her and got up and left after what I told them what I thought of them.

I had a neighbor years ago that did the whole foster kid for money thing. They suggested I do it and then I could stay home with my kids and not work. I then told them what I thought of it also.
Sad…

 

[Challer]

What I conclude is that if Swift doesn't get his act together he will be out of business. Too many other bullets are available that are just as good.

Could Swift be having a problem to find workers? Sure. Can they be fixed? Also, sure. Hall, Working at Swift is so much better (I imagine) than working at places paying the same wages,

My opinion for many years is that American's have become addicted to cheap goods, particularly form China and India, and cheap labor from down south. This along with government benefits that rival low paying jobs and you have issues.

 

[Rule 303]

Inline6 I tend to agree about the work ethic. I would say that having hard working parent/s and having the child doing chores helps with this.

I too hope the youth of today will prove me wrong.

 

[Siennacoyote]

Many people don't seem to know how many of the illegals function in the US. At least I don't see it talked about. I grew up in an area with lots of illegals.

People will cross the open border. Work jobs at or below minimum wage, then when they feel they made enough, they go back to their home country with the money. In order to afford to live here for the brief period of time and get maximum profit, they will put 3-4 families in the smallest/cheapest place they can get. They often pack small homes like sardines, with one family per room!

The money is not staying in the country and the illegals do not care about the cost of living or living conditions because they do not intend to stay.

I’m in the meat industry and this is spot on . Illegals suppress wages . They make it harder to maintain a standard of living . I don’t care how hard some of them work . They do not elevate the country

 

[uplander01]

4 more years of Biden and the firearms industry in the USA will be gutted , the atf has already started with the ffl holders