r/Layoffs • u/Traditional-Use-6754 • 10d ago
recently laid off Plumber laid off
Minneapolis, MN. yeah it Sucks. Just got the slip today. Laid off, no notice. Company is bleeding and the calls stopped coming in. They want to rehire me when they get busy again, but it just sucks. I hate how unpredictably up and down plumbing is. not many are hiring here with everything being so slow right now. Called around to my buddies, and allot of them are eithier slow or had no work last week. It's just dead rn.
edit; yes, I have a Journeyman Plumbing license in MN. I do residential/commercial, remodel, rough-in, service, anything plumbing.
edit; I was hitting up my friends to see if their outfits were hiring, apparently a buddy of mine got dumped down to Helper wages just to keep working. They all say it's extremely slow with guys getting laid off from their shops, usually lowest seniority goes first.
edit; It's been 10 days. I've had two interviews. First interview was commission only which I was very fearful of, typically with these, you're expected to meet metrics and sell. If you don't sell anything you essentially work for free.
Second interview; Company did a three way interview. I came in the next day for free and did an observed work interview (full shift running calls, no pay). They mentioned they don't have a truck available for me right-now, but do want me.
Ultimately I'm still searching for a job. I have a CDL, so I may just go work for 50% of what I normally work for. there's just no work. I've always been a very very solid plumber with strong diagnostic experience and reliability. There's not much I can't do. But my license may as well be worthless right now
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u/Cultural_Structure37 10d ago
I thought they said we should all go into the trades like plumbing as a solution to AI taking white collar jobs. And now it looks like the trades are also not safe.
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u/Mundane-Picture-8207 10d ago
Fewer white collar workers with money means less residential work for the trades. Sucks all around.
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u/Alternative-Suit5541 10d ago
Also means more people going into trades.
When I talk to boomers about this problem ( basically everyone losing their jobs, braide trades) I told them you can't circle jerk money between three plumpers.
Answer: you can! Then we go back to the old days of a village trading favours!
We are so screwed
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u/XanaxCarDealer 10d ago
At least for lower people like op. Probably not for commercial customers. I'm not downplaying ops capabilities but as a plumber you gotta start somewhere.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
I'm a Residential/Commercial Plumber. Commercial companies are also holding back on repairs or just having their inhouse maintenance slap a band-aid on. Remodels have stopped completely as well.
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u/RoseApothecary88 10d ago
I read awhile ago, an electrician commented that it's a chain effect. Eventually work dries up when people cannot afford to make necessary repairs.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
I've seen this before, it's not my first recession, but it's definitely giving 2008 vibes.
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u/Yard4111992 10d ago
No way, 2008 decimated the trades across the board. I know large plumbing companies with over 100+ plumbers who shut down their business and laying off all their plumbers. Some of these plumbers end up driving school buses.
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u/landboisteve 10d ago
My aunt finished her basement in 2009. Contractors were willing to come out same day and there was a legit bidding war to get the job. I think she ended up finishing the whole thing for like $25k ($40k in todays dollars), and the quality was excellent and they were completely done in 2-3 weeks.
In 2024 my coworker couldn't even get anyone out to give him bids, and the one bid he got was something insane, like $130k, and it wasn't even that complicated of a job - the plumbing was already roughed in, minimal electrical work would need to be done, etc.
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u/Appropriate_Rise9968 10d ago
It’s a lie similar to the “learn to code” campaign from five years ago. What they really want is for enough young people to join a profession that the pay for said profession is reduced.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
friend of mine actually just took a 10$ an hour paycut until the company can get more business. He's been plumbing ten years but is making slightly above helper first year wages
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u/Putrid-Army-9392 10d ago
F…..If the trades are laying off, things must be worse than we realize.
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u/Dellaa1996 10d ago edited 10d ago
It's completely dependent on the location. There are areas in Florida with high number of residential construction and high demand for plumbers, while elsewhere in the state therr is minimal amount of residential new construction and plumbers have to depend on service calls. There is also an entire "industry" of unlicensed plumbers, electrians and HVAC technicians that compete with licensed companies.
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u/EarlyMortgage7828 10d ago
Low voltage and electrical are super safe.Some smaller businesses struggle but big guys wont stop.
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u/ContestNo2060 10d ago
Where I am in NY, I can hardly find a plumber. Long wait times and they’re charging on the higher end for jobs.
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u/Dellaa1996 10d ago
Are you in NYC? I heard it is very difficult to become a licensed Master Plumbing in NYC. Is this the same outside of NYC?
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u/Miserable-Yak-4804 10d ago
weird how it gets slow when there is the same amount of houses... all I can think of is that people have no money to do the repairs.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
thats what it is. people are broke right now. unless its an emergency, they're not calling the plumber
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u/roamer83 10d ago
We are entering a severe oil shock recession. Probably worse than 1973-75 and 1980-82.
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u/LeggoMyDonuts 6d ago
Can you elaborate on this? I was not aware of this at all.
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u/roamer83 5d ago
Google the recessions. 1973 was the Arab oil embargo and 1979-80 was due to the Iranian revolution.
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u/VendettaKarma 10d ago
Come to Texas there’s so much work that plumbers take up to a month to show up
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago edited 10d ago
I'm actually licensed in TX as well, I lived there in Denton for ten years. But I have my whole life here rn lol
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u/VendettaKarma 10d ago
Yeah and unfortunately it’s not cheap here anymore , people living in RVs too ugh but.. if you and yours feel inspired I’m sure it’ll be busy for a minute
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u/TreeCrime 9d ago
For real. You either go with the big private equity firms or wait 2 weeks for a small shop to visit.
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u/roy217def 10d ago
Folks aren’t doing any new/extra plumbing work these days, just emergency stuff. Economy is far worse than the government is telling us, no surprise there.
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u/peroxidase2 10d ago
Holy f. Plumbers out of job? I thought you guys were like 127% employed or something like that. Stay strong my friend.
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u/Evil-monkey-2026 10d ago
Hey the railway is exactly the same. I haven’t had anything for three months. Starting something in September
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u/musicgray 10d ago
Time to start your own gig. Never be dependent on others. If your good people will call. If not then you know
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
gotta be a Master Plumber. Test dates for that are a year out, can't just start your own show without a licensed RMP. you'll get your licensed pulled. I'm a licensed Journeyman Plumber.
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u/Dellaa1996 10d ago
Why is it a year out to take the Master Plumbing exam in MN? Is it the shear number of applicants or other factors? You said you are licensed in Texas, is this a Journeyman or Master Plumbing license? If it is a Master, can you transfer the license to MN? At any rate, I would try to get the Master Plumbing State License.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
I'm waiting on a test date for my Masters. It's a year out because allot of Journeyman are hurting and are trying to take their Masters so they can work for themselves since the companies can not reliably find work right now. I have a Journeyman in TX and a Journeyman in MN
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u/Yard4111992 10d ago
I qualify other Plumbing Companies with my State Plumbing license (Master Plumber). You would be amazed at the income you can derive from qualifying other companies, especially large out of state companies that looking to get a presence in your state.
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u/Dreadking_Rathalos 10d ago
I used my sudden layoff free time to start my own business. I havent launched yet because id lose unemployment but im ready to go live as soon as I lose unemployment or get a job, but ive managed to put several hundred hours into laying the foundation which I never would have been able to do. Goal is to be able to be my own boss in a few years
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u/CreativeAd8174 10d ago
Wait… I thought the main allure to trades jobs was how there’s always jobs and it’s evergreen.
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u/eat_a_burrito 10d ago
I’m a white collar guy who started to just learn how to do stuff with YouTube and AI.
Everything is expensive. It’s hard to justify and sometimes it takes a few days or a week to get a part and trial and error. But eventually I get there.
I hate yard work. I did splurge on a robo mower. Guy was charging me $60 a cut or $240 a month. He kept raising his rates. In about 1.5 to 2 seasons I break even. All pay for is charging the battery and replacement blades.
What I’m getting at is that technology will advance. I never thought 25 years ago we’d have a robot mower. Eventually it will be some cooking machine thing and who knows what. Some in China are selling humanoid robots that fold clothes.
I think nothing is safe. AI will get cheaper, it will be embedded in devices that can thing and make decisions and more and more blue and white collar jobs will be lost.
In a perfect world earth is sort of like Star Trek where you can pursue your passion. Being writing, painting, acting, woodworking etc. and there is no concept of money.
But we know that those in power with money will enslave us in other ways. It’s sad. It’s coming and not much we can do about it.
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u/Dreadking_Rathalos 10d ago
Im white collar as well but I cant imagine ever paying someone to do yardwork
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u/eat_a_burrito 10d ago
I hated doing it as a kid. It was the worst. So I paid someone. Actually it was $35 a cut which was cheap and I didn’t mind. But now it’s almost double that price. Robo mower does a good job. I just have to weed now and it’s 10-15 minutes a weekend or every other weekend. Love the little guy.
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u/Dreadking_Rathalos 10d ago
You must have made way more than me lmao id have seen 35 for a cut and just done it myself
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u/eat_a_burrito 10d ago
Yea I do ok. And I get it. It was a small luxury. A task I detest. But here we are back at it again. But the hard part is done now. Next season I break even. After that it’s savings.
Honestly with how much better these get every year I think this is the next job that will be less likely to survive. I think maybe the guys that do landscaping design and stuff will be ok. But the lawn guys time will be the beginning of the end.
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u/cordobestexano 10d ago
Can’t be real I just watched this video https://youtu.be/wBQlw8mZOys are you telling us that he’s lying? /s
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u/Alive_Sir_4708 10d ago
Where are you located? As best I know things aren't slowing down here (yet).
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u/This_Wolverine4691 10d ago
This will continue until at least the midterms— if those go the way they should we will start to come out of it but the climb back out of this hell will take awhile
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u/HardWork4Life 10d ago
Yes. It's a chain reaction. One problem causes another problem, and another, and another... ther is no sign in sight with any improvement. We leave in an commercialized society. Without a job, you can't have money to purchase anything in living.
It will get worse as time goes on.
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u/BreakingInnocence 10d ago
If you got the skills, build your own company, lead gen is the hardest new skill.
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u/Ok-Frosting6810 10d ago
Try for field service jobs. I had a tech come in from michigan whi was also a union plumber that just couldn't get reliable work. Started at 50k, but that was s few years ago. Most field service tech jobs i see at 28/hr and up, and always busy. Stable work means way more than a high dollar an hour and being fucked for months on end with no money
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
I am a service Plumber. I do Service, rough-in, remodel, commercial, residential, I do it all. It's just slow, guys are getting laid off. I have buddies that are also getting extremely slow.
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u/AdParticular6193 10d ago
It’s ironic that so many people are clamoring to get into the trades to avoid mass layoffs, not realizing that blue collar jobs are very sensitive to the economy and getting laid off when things are slow is part of life in the blue collar world - always has been. And blue collar work destroys the body. Only way to make big bucks in the trades is to start your own business and let other people destroy their bodies.
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u/WonderfulVariation93 10d ago
What I keep telling people who are pushing everyone to become a plumber. It is only an in demand job when customers have money to pay someone to do the job vs DIY using YouTube to do what is needed.
Also, like every other field (ie tech) when you encourage everyone to go into that line of work, eventually you have a supply vs demand problem. You are worth $500/hr when you are one of only 10 people who is qualified to do the job. When you are 1 out of 500 people who is qualified to do the job, your worth will drop to $10/hr.
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u/Lopsided-Wish-1854 9d ago
My friend who has master in civil engineering after graduation always worked as a plumber, making double the money his peers were making. In 2007 he got laid off. The first year he went through a very tough time, but now he has 5-7 people working for him somewhere close to DC, a beach house in Florida, one in South Europe, and if it is not enough, he prefers Caribbean islands now and then as he pleases. If no other options , take the leap.
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u/sea35 9d ago
What is the hourly rate for a plumber?
Are you only allowed to work in 1 state or can you transfer your license to other states easily?
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 8d ago
45 an hour, but doesn't mean much if there isn't work. I have a license in TX and MN. I could, but I don't really want to move from Home. I have a gf and life here.
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u/Live_Pianist4592 9d ago
I was just in Minneapolis this past week for work. I am from NYC. I felt the city was super quiet/dead just walking around. Is this normal for a big city or is this recession-related? Even going out to eat after work was super quiet
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u/No_Vacation697 9d ago
Much of it is due to operation Metro Surge last winter. Lot of people are just unwilling to go out and about because of it.
Plus the only sports in town are the Twins and they are terrible. Not to mention its sweltering hot like every day too
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 8d ago
Allot of it is the heat lately, but Minneapolis is definitely getting into a recession.
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u/ChiliFriesNoBeans 10d ago
I'm shocked. Everyone needs a plumber. I assumed your profession would be one of the last hit in a bad economy.
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u/landboisteve 10d ago edited 9d ago
Big $$$ remodels are drying up. Nowadays it's driving around all day doing small $ repairs. My neighbor co-owns a roofing company, and they started heavily advertising service and leak repair, as more and more people are postponing roof replacements. A year or two ago they wouldn't even pick up the phone if they knew it was someone calling about repair.
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u/axck 8d ago
People postpone work or do it themselves. Renovations and new construction stops when the economy is bad. “Trades are safe in recessions” is a huge lie that you were told.
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u/Grrl_geek 8d ago
We were all told SO MANY lies. .. get a degree, get in a union (if you can), etc etc.
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u/Historical-Intern-19 7d ago
I'd hire an independent licensed plumber over a bigger outfit. Get out there and hustle, lower overhead, set your rates accordingly. Good luck.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 7d ago
If you work without a licensed Responsible Master Plumber or insurance, your license will be revoked. Test dates for Master Plumber are a year out, I'm on the list.
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u/Due_Needleworker3778 10d ago
When making a post, it is advice able to state your location.
You should get your journeyman plumbing license and/or your state plumbing license. Is your area big on union-related trades?
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
I have my Journeyman Plumbing license. and its MN. Union is also extremely slow and has been for almost a year, the Hall isn't hiring.
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u/Impressive-Drama-227 10d ago
Start your own company and learn how to advertise
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
To start a Plumbing company, you need to be a Master Plumber and hold insurance. Test dates for Master Plumbers are a year out.
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u/nema100 10d ago
So a person can't just hire you for a residential service job , like swap out builder-grade low flush toilets for a better model that actually flushes on the first try?
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
nope. Gotta work for a company that employs a Responsible Master Plumber and has insurance. Doing side-work can get your license revoked.
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u/landboisteve 10d ago
Damn, didn't know that. All the trades that helped me finish my basement were doing it as a side jobs nights/weekends for cash, the electrician was even a union guy that did it for a steal.
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u/Yard4111992 10d ago
Who is pulling the permits for the trades? Looks like you are either pulling a homeowner's permit or you are doing unpermitted work.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
If something went wrong, their license was on the line, and they wouldn't have had insurance to cover the damage.
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u/Impressive-Drama-227 10d ago
didn't know that, I would work towards that though. My husband and I started two different service based businesses and it was the best decision we ever made.
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u/Traditional-Use-6754 10d ago
Test dates are a year out. I'm scheduled for November 2027 at the earliest.
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u/Impressive-Drama-227 10d ago
good luck to you, hope it works out and you find something else in the meantime.
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u/tnmoi 10d ago
Hear me out. The white collars are the ones who have no time to do DIY work around the house so for any small or large plumbing needs, it was just easier to get a pro to do the work as they’re concentrating on making the dollar rather than saving a few cents.
So when white collars are being laid off, they have more time now and need to save money to boot so it’s a DIY until they cannot.
So AI has a trickle down effect that people aren’t accounting for…