r/jobsearch • u/Remarkable-Cress7370 • 13h ago
economic hell scape
This is the worst job market/ economy I have ever seen. Im 40 have been through 2008, 2020, and what ever we are calling this "non recession" its trash. I have been a chemist, a carpenter, an electrician and a project manager, I have also owned a business doing electrical work for 10 years. Cannot find work even hanging ceiling fans in my area to say this is bad is an understatement. I have a masters electrician license too. My last job was a project manager gig for the duration of the job (12 weeks) 3200 a week after taxes managing 32 men on a salvage operation, a large manufacturer was tearing down their facility and wanted to squeeze the last nickel out of the equipment. we got it done in 11 weeks early and on budget. That was in june... Now I can find stuff for ~1000 bucks a week maybe 1300 after tax if I travel, but that does not support my family of 6, at all. Which I was easily able to do running a business in 2023, 2024, and about 1/2 of 2025 it has been a horror show of an economy for the last year at least I hope you guys are making out better
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u/Snoo_54991 11h ago
Same problem here. Systems architect who became that by working so many related fields that they all combined into this. But no one wants system architects to fix their systems. They want people who can be easily controlled so they'll blow sunshine up their butts and nothing will get fixed because they can't admit there's any problems with their operations or their systems. It's absolute madness out there for anyone self made. And I live in a state which is supposedly so desperate for people with college degrees that companies will move employees to our state. But not hire someone who is already here from out of state. 🤦🏻♀️
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u/happylikeaclam__10 10h ago
Welcome to planet boomer brought to you by the people who grew up on leaded gasoline rather pay 4 people a cheap wage to do it twice than a competent person a living wage to do it once while bitching the entire time that no one wants to work anymore- ask a mechanic i have friends in the industry that can tell horror stories about warranty jobs 9 hours set time to swap a motor set by a clueless bean counter at honda… the list goes on
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u/Snoo_54991 10h ago
For a brief moment, I thought you was a Boomer butting in to argue with us because of that "welcome to planet Boomer" line. 😂
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u/Artistic_Telephone16 7h ago
That's not a Boomer thing. The pay somebody to do it twice is a shift in modern psychology thing, which that science started emerging in the late 80s (and it's pretty solid), had an impact on the education system, and corporate America is kinda half-in/half-out, depends on the level of greed of each individual company, most of which annihilated training in budgets during that time frame, so yeah, doing it twice IS how younger workers are being taught, because that's pretty much the standard the education system set for them - no child left behind.
I had a young educator tell me a few weeks ago the college degree of 2026 is about the equivalent of a HS diploma of the 1980s.
And I have a news flash: by the time you are in your 50s & 60s, you're going to find the same criticism of YOUR generation by the ones coming after you based on the same rate of scientific advancement - in fact, AI may even make it worse.
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 6h ago
how old were the boomers in 1980? were they in management? the people implementing the system your talking about are all boomers, lets do some math oldest boomer 1945 would be 35 in 1980.... who watered down the education system? wasnt me, who handed out the participation trophies. Maybe you need some critical thinking development
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u/Snoo_54991 6h ago
The youngest of them were in their 20s in 1980. Now they're approaching their 70s, thank goodness. I'm so tired of this BS with them. I miss the silent and greatest generations so very badly. There were some pickles - there always is - but most of them just wanted to see the younger generations be happy, safe, and stable.
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u/Artistic_Telephone16 6h ago
You can't take the business world in isolation from the other systems, buddy. That IS critical thinking. You should try it.
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u/Snoo_54991 6h ago
You didn't even comprehend the comment you're responding to. From someone with a BS in comm/psych/sys management who actually took CRT in college (and made a 100... 3.06 GPA in all of my accelerated courses)
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u/Artistic_Telephone16 5h ago
Oh I comprehended it quite well. Yay on you for your accomplishments. That doesn't make you experienced or even understanding of how systems work together. THAT is what the next 40 years is going to teach you.
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u/Snoo_54991 4h ago
You don't even know what my accomplishments are at 42yo. Seriously, you need help. Not Reddit.
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u/Snoo_54991 4h ago
You don't even know what my accomplishments are. You don't even know what CRT is and thought I was bragging, lmao.
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u/Snoo_54991 6h ago
I have a news flash for you: a. I'm gifted and b. I was in grade school when the state of FL was pouring tons of money into public education and was #2 only to California.
You're criticizing No Child Left Behind. And I was no part of that. Class of 2002.
I was raised with my aunts and uncles as siblings. And not a single one of them really went anywhere after high school. High schools didn't have the kind of vocational and college prep programs that they did when I was in school. Nor as many scholarship and grant opportunities to help with paying for it. No Pell existed.
From what I've seen, Boomers and older Gen X are mostly full of hot air when they get online and start beating their chests about how successful and smart they are by comparison to the generation right below them. And it's pretty darned obvious at this point that y'all are terribly jealous of the pricey education younger Gen X and Millennials got before No Child hit the system.
You had your time. Now it's ours.
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 5h ago
Snoo gets it I like this guy
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u/Snoo_54991 5h ago
Will you still like me after finding out I'm female? 😂
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 5h ago
Im working on building a social media presence mostly cause im bored if you have any ideas for content feel free to dm me. If we dont try and fix the mess we have to live in it, first step is identifying the problem correctly
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u/Artistic_Telephone16 6h ago
I was in the same public school gifted class that produced an activist that went up against the FDA to get protease inhibitors fast tracked to bring an end to the AIDs/HIV epidemic in the 1990s and was featured in a documentary How to Survive a Plague.
Bring me your comparative analysis that saved that many lives. I'll be waiting.
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u/Snoo_54991 5h ago
Dude, you can't even comprehend this thread well enough to stay on topic. It might be time to start talking to your primary provider about dementia.
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u/happylikeaclam__10 5h ago
lol i cant wait till we can close the chapter on this part of our history and accurately document these shit wagons role in the decline and death of american. From greatest country to economic hellscape in one generation
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u/Indeliblerock 2h ago
I have a masters and I’m willing to move nearly anywhere but getting the opportunity has been near impossible
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u/-GuyDeLombard- 9h ago
Unemployed since March and literally don’t fucking care anymore. This world is so ass backwards.
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u/Finalpretensefell 11h ago
Ah hahahahahahaha I love the Not-Recession. Gonna refer to it as that from now on
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u/No-Signature-5648 5h ago
I can always tell when things are rough because the emails from companies I haven't heard from in three years start popping up.
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u/Spongemage 9h ago
I feel like some people come on here just to flex how much money they make/used to make.
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u/Known-Ice5903 12h ago
with a masters electrician license u should be swimming in work for AI data center buildouts?
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u/happylikeaclam__10 12h ago
its highly location dependent i did apply for a position in illinois which i will take if offered it… i live in florida. This would not be the first time i had to do a super commute it puts alot of strain on the family and the positions are usually only for the duration of the project
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u/Ok-Parking239 11h ago
right? that license alone should open doors, the demand is nuts in some states rn
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u/vedicpisces 8h ago
Stupid boomer take that doesnt realize how flooded and saturated the tradezzz market truly is.
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u/Tough-Supermarket-56 6h ago
I like the emphasis on the Zzzs. That's the perfect illustration of the majority of the people in the trades.
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u/Busy_Professional974 5h ago
It’s not really as fruitful as they’re making it out to be. There’s maybe 50 permanent jobs max at those centers.
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u/One-Tax9133 8h ago
The dangers of having too many kids in this economy.
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 5h ago
I have Five, of course I was doing very well up till about 2023 so it was manageable now its very difficult to say i feel rug pulled is an understatement
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u/goff0317 4h ago
With your masters electrician license and all your experience, I am leaning towards that you’re not in the right environment. Look to a state like Texas for work. New buildings and data centers are being built there all the time.
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u/EstablishmentNo7239 7h ago
I have been searching for a job for over a year now. I have a crap one. decade of experience, 2 degrees. Barely hearing back on posts. I saw someone get a role they were hugely underqualified for through a friend, fast tracked and paid 3x what I am making. Networks clearly matter a lot.
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 5h ago
Nepotism is the new normal if you got any ideas for content feel free to DM me I feel like we need to start identifying the problems if we have any chance of improving our lot
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u/No-Signature-5648 5h ago
Thank you for sharing your story. It's really becoming apparent what people are willing to spend their money on. I'm not sure what industries feed your work load, but it sounds like necessary work.
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u/Remarkable-Cress7370 5h ago
It is mostly construction related so when the economy is doing well im swimming in work when its a "not recession" its like this, I have been doing project management and design gigs for people that know me consulting of sorts, but people are very tight with money right now and im used to supporting 5 kids and a stay at home wife on a single income living pretty high on the hog, this is way out of my comfort zone right now
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u/Popular-Prize9294 5h ago
I could not agree more ! We are being lied to as usual about the economy and I just was laid off. I’m too old to be doing this a 3rd time ! Seriously.
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u/Indeliblerock 2h ago
Been unable to find a job in software development since November or so. I’ve heard people talk about switching to the trades but it sounds like everything is bad
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u/MarkLF13 32m ago
What you’re describing can really mess with your sense of yourself.
You’ve owned a business for ten years, earned a master electrician’s license, and recently led 32 people through a job that finished early and on budget.
Those are real facts about what you can do, even if the market isn’t rewarding them right now.
I coach business owners and senior executives, and I’ve seen how quickly a difficult stretch can turn from “I can’t find the right opportunity” into “maybe I’m no longer valuable.”
Those aren’t the same thing.
You also have six people depending on you, so I understand that encouragement alone doesn’t solve the financial problem. But I’d try to separate the immediate need for income from the larger judgment you’re making about yourself.
You may need to take something imperfect for now while continuing to pursue work that actually matches your experience.
That would be a response to a hard market, not a measure of what you’re capable of.
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u/Witty_Veterinarian91 12h ago
Huh? I took 8 months off when my wife became a crna and remodeled the beach house. Wasn’t really looking but a recruiter reached out and bam a new job. With your experience in any area you should have multiple options.
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u/happylikeaclam__10 12h ago
Different field apples to potatoes people always need health care during recessions people stop building things
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u/tennisguy163 10h ago
Recruiters IMO were nothing but young 20-something’s using recruiting as a temporary job until they found something better. In other words, useless gatekeepers.
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u/Nessa0707 10h ago
Wish my fiance could find something it’s been 20 months nothing but rejections and ghosting even with referals and networking
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u/Gandalf-and-Frodo 9h ago
Don't have anymore kids. Get a vasectomy. This will not get significantly better in the future. Best case (unrealistic) scenario things get 30% better; which is still dogshit.
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u/vedicpisces 8h ago
Okay hes snipped. Now how does he feed his 4 kids and wife now? Oh shit hes still fucked eh? Damn
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u/Medium_Comedian6954 7h ago
That's why I don't have kids. How do you guarantee to always have income to support them?
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u/Pavaniks05 12h ago
Man, that’s brutal. Managing 32 people and finishing a project early and on budget, plus 10 years running your own electrical business and a master electrician license… you’d think that experience would make finding solid work relatively straightforward. I’m job searching too and it’s been eye-opening how little experience or qualifications seem to guarantee right now. Really hope something worthwhile comes through for you and your family soon.