US firm to close branch due to lack of employees
TAMPA, Florida (AFP) – A Florida-based firm will soon close one of its North Dakota offices for a reason that seems unfathomable during the deepening US recession: it can't find enough employees to hire.
Looks like something from The Onion, but it's not humor or sarcasm -- it's real.
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Well, call center jobs
Well, call center jobs generally don't pay enough to be worth commuting a long distance for let alone relocating for. Even management jobs in call centers are often pretty low paying (think McDonald's manager salaries). If an area that is very unattractive to live in isn't being affected by major unemployment it isn't surprising that they'd have trouble getting people to relocate there, especially for a crappy job.
It's an interesting story
It's an interesting story from several angles.
The point I had in mind isn't that we should all pull up stakes and head for Minot, ND to find work in a call center. It's not that bad yet.
Call Center work may not be techie nirvana by any stretch of the imagination but it is full-time employment with benefits for people who enjoy that line of work... And, many do. I don't denigrate their choices.
Management jobs in call centers (I've looked at them) don't pay too badly at all. In Texas, they run around 80K with full bene's to start. Not bad.
The really interesting point here is...
Recessions as well as boom/bust cycles are very often highly localized. The unemployment rate in North Dakota is a prime example -- one of the lowest in the nation at just a hair over 5%.
Amarillo, as one example in Texas, is better off than Minot, ND and most other places in the state with unemployment at 4.6% for the month of February -- that's up 1% from previous year/month. Amarillo is, coincidentally, one of those places targeted by organizations like call centers (Sitel, for one) who require workers with a general education, and very high work ethic.
IT Workers in Austin are not comparing apples to apples
Austin experienced a tech employment "bubble" starting in about 1997 and lasting through part of 2000. Job growth in Austin reached a peak of 5% in 1999 while the nation and the rest of Texas experienced very flat growth at around 2%.
Then the .dot bubble burst. It's a perfect but agonizing example of what happens when all the technology eggs are gathered in one basket.
Austin rebounded better than the nation after the collapse. Yes: Better. Austin is an "above average" performer in job growth.
After trending downward from the high of 5% in 1999, Austin experienced zero (0) job growth briefly in 2002. However, by 2004 job growth in Austin was approaching 3% again -- something closer to its historical trend line. By comparison, the national rate was about 1% and the state rate less than 2% in 2004.
Since 2003, job growth in Austin (though trending lower) has remained above both the national and state average. This is "job growth," not unemployment. Austin is "above average" even today in terms of job growth.
We can not think that the job growth experienced in Austin from '95/'97 through 2000 was "normal" or even "average." It was not.
It was a bubble -- a statistical blip. We have to look beyond those kind of anomalies, recognize them for what they are, and move on.
We can't make realistic plans for our finances or our families based on something that happened back in '97 and '98. We can't live a productive life comparing what is, today, an average or above average situation to a statistical anomaly a decade ago.
The Tortoise and the Hare
Places like Minot and Amarillo are the tortoise. Very steady; no huge blips or extreme cycles... they just move along very nicely on their own. It is unlikely that either will ever see job growth 100% above the national average. On the other hand, they probably won't experience job growth 100% less either.
Austin played the hare during the .com days. That anomaly left a legacy and we're now building something steadier on that foundation.
Don't complain that today isn't as good as it was in '98... those "good times" come with a big bar tab and lot's of hangover. Let's take it steady for a while.
And, yes, it would be nice to hear that some company pulled out of Austin because unemployment was so slow they couldn't find staff.
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave
The problem with "job
The problem with "job growth" in Austin has been that it hasn't been the right kind of job growth. Austin has a plentiful supply of crappy jobs that pay less than $20/hr, but since 2001 the number of good jobs that pay well, especially for tech workers has remained flat or shrunk. The rose-colored glass folks who come out with these numbers are always careful to talk about one thing like overall unemployment and then switch to another thing like tech employment to try to give the impression that all is well across the board when it clearly isn't. Frankly I really don't count jobs in construction, food service, etc., because I'm not interested in them, and those are the places all the "job growth" has been.
When you look at techie jobs, just about every single major employer in Austin had massive layoffs during the .com crash and many of the .coms and other startups just plain closed their doors. I've seen estimates that about 65,000 tech jobs in Austin were lost in just a few months during that time, which is a very large percentage of the total tech job market here. A lot of people who lost their jobs during that time have never been able to return to the tech workforce. It is not uncommon to find people who used to be software engineers or QA testers waiting tables or wearing the orange apron at Home Depot.
Since the .com crash we've not seen very many, if any of the major employers even come close to hiring back to their pre-crash staffing levels, in fact a lot of them have continued to downsize, especially within the last 6 months. And startups just have had a really hard time over the past several years as getting cash has been a real uphill battle. Startups have had to rely more on boot-strapping and have had to grow very slowly, thus not being able to hire very many people. While in the long run this may be more sustainable, it isn't very good news if you are looking for a job.
Yes: You have defined the
Yes: You have defined the central issue around a "bubble" quite well. Big boom = big bust.
Now we get on with growing things at a sane pace with an eye on future sustainability instead of IPO insanity.
The Orange Apron Crowd
I know several of those folks "wearing the orange apron." I mean I know them personally... worked with them in Austin or Houston. On the whole, they are better off where they are and I think that's where they belong.
An ex-manager (IT) at HP whom I know quite well really does work at Home Depot now. He says that both he and his family are much happier and he wouldn't go back for quadruple the old salary. He is serious... he is happy. Live long and prosper. C'est la vie. And, to each their own.
The world of business (including technology and IT) is not an easy place for those who desire to earn at the top of the pay scale. Some fail, others manage to stay engaged at a less than desired level, some succeed. There are no guarantees about which way that goes for anyone until they try.
Many of us, myself included, have "failed" several times. Those of us who are better off for it, don't continue to live inside those failures. I have seen four complete career changes in my lifetime -- do I care now or obsessively relive the sordid details of the three that went away?
No.
&%$# No.
The successful folks that remain in those careers that I left behind are not wailing and gnashing their teeth at my departure either. We are all better for it. Live long and prosper. C'est la vie. And, to each their own.
Blunt Talk
Getting folks that are marginal or failures out of the IT job market and into something more suitable and sustainable for them is "good news if you are looking for a job."
Less candidates, less resumes, less competition means increasing salaries, more job opportunities, and better benefits for those who remain.
It is very good news that in Austin, Texas there is significant job growth in non-IT areas where these folks that get out of IT can find something more suitable... something that gives them the opportunity to succeed... something where they and their families have a shot at being happy.
Beating themselves and their families to death in a position they hate and at which they are marginal at best is no recipe for the good life. Getting out is very good news.
Let them be happy and successful in their new endeavors and don't hold them up as an example of failure to the rest of us.
It Should Be Hard
It should be "hard" for start-ups and it is hard for any business to be successful on an ongoing, sustainable basis. It requires constant change, constant re-assessment... It is a constant struggle and it will always be.
It is no different for businesses than for those of us who hold a job. The marginal businesses and the businesses that fail are "good news" for those who remain as well. Get them out of the way so the ones who are better at constant change, constant re-assessment can get on with.
Yes, it is hard if we happen to be on the payroll of one of those marginal performers that can't make it through a recession. But the next job will be with someone who did and that is good news again.
The more marginal businesses and the more marginal employees we can move out of the IT market, the better. That is good news.
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave
I'd be more likely to agree
I'd be more likely to agree with you if it were only marginal performers who are losing their jobs. I know too many people who are good but find themselves laid off and having big trouble finding new work. I have trouble feeling like it is a good thing that those people are failing. I also have trouble believing that all of the people who find themselves wearing the orange apron to get by are happy about it. While maybe some people do belong there a lot of talent and potential is being wasted at a time when the big mouthpieces of big business still are crying about shortages of technically educated people. Loss of income can do terrible things -- break up families, cause health and psycological problems, etc. One of the things that happens is that if a lot of techies lose their jobs all at once the people who end up unemployed or find themselves forced to take a throw-away job are often not given a chance due to the dreaded "employment gap". Many of these people have excellent education and years of experience and could be productive again if only someone would give them a chance. I understand the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" line of thinking, but I'd like to think it shouldn't be the only way. I also would rather see real productive growth and full employment for those with talent and desire in technical work rather than just trying to force as many people out of the market as possible -- although I'd certainly like to see the door to immigration closed and a reduction on the number of new grads until when/if some balance in supply/demand is restored in the market.
The flip side of all that is I don't really think it always works -- too many marginal or failure people somehow manage to keep their jobs for various reasons... some are "friends with the boss" or otherwise good at schmoozing. Some are masters at stabbing others in the back to get ahead... Others know how to "fly under the radar" or just plain get lucky. Because of that I just don't have much faith in this to "cleanse the ranks".
Fortunately, it isn't "some"
Fortunately, it isn't "some" that set the tone of reality -- it's "most."
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave
Reality is what it is. You
Reality is what it is. You can look at it differently and see different facets of it, but that only changes it in the Heisenbergian sense.
So how do "most" others around here see things? I'd be curious to what some other people besides just us two have to say about it...
I'd have to "mostly" agree
I'd have to "mostly" agree with the SW_janitor; the lay-offs/firings are random with respect to talent. Too many very good people were just attached to the "wrong" program/department and were let go without any attempt at shuffling them around and getting rid of the low performers. That takes too much effort or takes "too long" to be implemented.
I worry about how I'm going to feel if/when I get laid off and I _know_ there are H1-B people still doing my exact job two desks over (for less $$). How would you feel?
After the .com crash the normal notion of "job hopper" was mostly put to rest. So it wasn't too hard to answer the routine interview question of "why have you only been at two companies for a year each." Duh - 'cause they were start-ups... Now I think/hope that the "job gap"/orange apron will be understood/tolerated more. The new question will be "why didn't you have a job in 2009?" Which will be answered "'cause there weren't any around..." duh!
As for the original part of this...of course you can't have a call center in ND... put it in Detroit and you'll have a line a mile long of people trying to get a job (and now a house there is less than $20k).
This discourse is very
This discourse is very interesting and helpful... good discussions always are ;~) People weighing in with an opinion -- even a fact or two -- is greatly appreciated and constructive.
However, there is something deeply disturbing and troubling in these discussions -- not just here and nothing personal about that statement -- it is heard in many quarters.
Broken People
For example (just one -- a quick one): An email from a connection yesterday. She is an Austin-based recruiter with an international company -- a well respected, highly ethical person who cares deeply about both her clients and her candidates.
She said, " I talk to so many broken people everyday that you’re like a breath of fresh air."
Victims
There's a "victim mentality" behind that broken people statement and a great deal of current rhetoric -- that is what is so deeply disturbing and troubling.
That's what makes broken people -- the shifting of responsibility and power to third parties over whom there is no control.
They become victims and assume a victim mentality. This may be the single most corrosive step a person can take on the road to perpetual failure. It is a surrender to abject mental poverty.
Passion
There are assumptions -- an underlying philosophy and outlook on life -- behind those remarks make previously under "Blunt Talk." One of those assumptions is about passion. Passion is an antidote to the corrosive forces of victimhood.
People who are passionate about their work -- those who love what they do and are really good at it -- always do whatever it takes to keep that passion alive.
Sometimes "whatever it takes" means making hard decisions, involving the family, and accepting risk outside the comfort zone. That's what keeps the passion alive in life. That means real satisfaction, continued sense of self worth / accomplishment, and the ever elusive thing we call happiness.
Marginal Performers
People who lack this kind of dedication and passion for what they do are the marginal performers. It is also true for businesses as well as individuals.
They may "get by" in very good economic times but they will not under more rigorous conditions. They lack the focus, stamina, and dedication -- and they lack the will... the passion to overcome all obstacles in the pursuit of their career.
Not everyone affected by layoffs, poor economic conditions, or business failures is a marginal performer. However for those who are, allow them the opportunity and help them in any way possible to reassess, find themselves and their passion, and achieve on their own terms. They are not victims unless they allow themselves to be.
The passionate ones affected by layoffs, poor economic conditions, or business failures do not allow themselves to become victims. They pick it up and move on because their inner fire allows no other choice. And... because they constantly feed that inner fire.
Be Passionately Real
Realistic self assessment... an assumption of personal responsibility... the empowerment of ourselves to change ourselves... understanding our abilities, the depth and direction of our passion... All allow us to lead ourselves in the right direction.
This is America. None of us would be here today unless people -- a lot of people -- had not made hard decisions, taken control of their own destiny, and pursued their passion.
To Follow or to Lead
If technology is our true passion, then step out of victim mode, step up to the plate, go where ever it takes us, do whatever it takes to keep that passion alive. We are empowered to lead ourselves.
Our passion leads us; we are not followers.
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave
A few selected
A few selected comments.
Life is all about choices, but those choices are often complex, and involve a mixture of things we can control and things we cannot.
--
Jerry Dunham
Complexly choicifying
Jerry: Good comments and the
Jerry: Good comments and the sig changes are totally cracking me up ;~)
Under the heading "Be Passionately Real," I made the following points: "Realistic self assessment... an assumption of personal responsibility... the empowerment of ourselves to change ourselves... understanding our abilities, the depth and direction of our passion... All allow us to lead ourselves in the right direction."
I never intended to be "goody-goody" about the thing, imply that this is easy, or that everyone's dream is achieved. Only that passion is a requirement and that people who succeed at their dream have it.
In the case you mentioned where the thing you are most passionate about has an annual salary of $0: This is where being passionately real kicks in. A passion of that kind -- following some self assessment, understanding, and accepting responsibilities -- becomes not a career choice but, perhaps, a hobby or volunteer effort. It is OK to pursue hobbies and avocations as a volunteer as well as careers and jobs. Most of us do both.
The passion to remain a good provider for children, spouse, and family sometimes over-rides other passions. That is being realistic and we are no less passionate or defeated for making that choice.
Sometimes the "right" direction works out a bit differently than expected.
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave
"Sometimes the 'right'
"Sometimes the 'right' direction works out a bit differently than expected."
Just trying to help you out, since you forgot to make that properly bold.
:-)
--
Jerry Dunham
Differently expectifying
That's not bold it's an
That's not bold it's an h2!
Thanks Jerry: Perfect ;~)
William W. (Woody) Williams
Senior Project Manager
Software Development, PMO, IT Governance
My door64 Blog
enweave