Give it some time. Housing can't go up overnight, but the economy in ND needs more workers. They're being well compensated for the inconvenience too, with double or triple their prior salaries...
I have no idea what a good or a bad salary for these jobs are.
All I know is that you must pay people significantly more to compensate them for a reduced quality of life.
If you have need 6000 workers and you have only 2000 houses, you need to offer enough pay in order to get 4000 people to be willing to live in tents and RVs, when these people presumably have the option of working at other job sites.
Nothing, given the fact that these people are forced to live like drifters.
Their current salaries reflect the current market value of their labor.
All I am saying as that these salaries would outrageous in more normal circumstances, and will go down normal levels once the conditions get more normal.
Six figure annual pay isn't uncommon in the oilfield industry. I work as an electronics tech on oilfield supply vessels and I just might crack six figures this year. It's been a good year ;-).
I have a good job right now, but people saying, "dur the jobs are out there, it's YOUR FAULT you don't have a job," well, that's just naive. Yes, I'm sure there's some lazy people out there. But the joblessness rate has risen. Obviously someone has to be affected by that. It's just as naive to punish "rich" people for their "success" as it is to punish "poor" people for their lack of "success". America is in trouble. My life has personally never been better (though I'm still in my 20s, so it's not like I have decades of career behind me), but there's no way around it. Life is harder now. People work longer and harder for less and less, while those at the top benefit more and more from the increased work loads of those beneath them.
People aren't angry that some people are rich and some are poor. People are angry because the middle class (the true sign of a first world country) is disappearing, that the game is rigged, and that as a whole - as a country - things are only getting worse. They've done multiple studies. Productivity is UP! And it's not just about the unemployed. What about the employed - people working harder for less now? This is so much bigger of an issue than just, "d'uh I can't find no work!" It's like were in the greed-obsessed 1980s all over again, except the pie has shrunk a ton. So all America has now is a lack of morals and money. Worst of both worlds.
I don't think that people are working for less ... I think that we've become accustomed to a lot of luxuries the previous generation never had, we're spending more for gadgets and gizmos ...
My grandfather had a modest job, built a nice house, grandmother didn't work, she raised the kids, but when they retired, they had LOTS of money. Went to Europe twice. They didn't take yearly vacations to Disneyworld or take cruises, they were frugal and saved. It was rare when they went out to eat at a restaurant (notice how people in the 60s and 70s were also a lot skinnier.)
I don't think that people are working for less ... I think that we've become accustomed to a lot of luxuries the previous generation never had, we're spending more for gadgets and gizmos ...
My grandfather had a modest job, built a nice house, grandmother didn't work, she raised the kids, but when they retired, they had LOTS of money. Went to Europe twice. They didn't take yearly vacations to Disneyworld or take cruises, they were frugal and saved. It was rare when they went out to eat at a restaurant (notice how people in the 60s and 70s were also a lot skinnier.)
We are not more or less disciplined. We just have different priorities.
We value things like yearly vacations and ipods more than whatever it is we get when our wives stay home raising children and cleaning the house.
I can appreciate a home cooked meal every once in a while, but if I factor in how much my time is worth, a home cooked meal ends up costing me like $50 or something which is far more expensive than eating a typical restaurant.
I don;t think its a bad thing that our society is getting better at division of labor.
I think we should have 1 group of people producing food as efficiently and expertly as possible, using the economies of scale, while I just spend my time making software and getting better at making software, and paying other people to do other things for me.
Nah, we're less disciplined. We're gonna regret that lack of discipline when we retire, as we are probably going to live longer than our grandparents and run out of money WAY sooner.
BTW, if a home cooked meal costs you $50, you're doing it wrong. Unless you're grilling steak or something like that every night.
I'm glad there are places people can go to make some good money if they're willing to put up with some discomfort. I wish there were more places like this to go to. BTW, I hope they do an update in February-- those 'homeless' folks will REALLY be earning the money then.
I don't see where all these negative comments are coming from. The first and only thing I thought of when I read this article was, damn I wish I had a construction business.
camaroz06Oct 21, 2011Buried
If the only inconvenience is temporarily having to live in my car for awhile while earning six figures sign me up.
ChoiceiiiOct 21, 2011Buried
Failure to examine trends results in situations such as the one in this article. Balance seems to be out the window in our society, time to wake up.
UnfashenomicOct 21, 2011Buried
Give it some time. Housing can't go up overnight, but the economy in ND needs more workers. They're being well compensated for the inconvenience too, with double or triple their prior salaries...
tsuruchibrianOct 22, 2011Buried
@analogassassin
I have no idea what a good or a bad salary for these jobs are.
All I know is that you must pay people significantly more to compensate them for a reduced quality of life.
If you have need 6000 workers and you have only 2000 houses, you need to offer enough pay in order to get 4000 people to be willing to live in tents and RVs, when these people presumably have the option of working at other job sites.
tsuruchibrianOct 21, 2011Buried
Yeah once housing arrives, more workers will be willing to work there, raising the supply of labor, lowering demand and wages.
Basically as soon as housing arrives, that's when the outrageous salaries will get a little more normal.
tsuruchibrianOct 21, 2011Buried
Nothing, given the fact that these people are forced to live like drifters.
Their current salaries reflect the current market value of their labor.
All I am saying as that these salaries would outrageous in more normal circumstances, and will go down normal levels once the conditions get more normal.
rjhigginsOct 21, 2011Buried
You obviously don't have a family, right?
analogassassinOct 22, 2011Buried
Six figure annual pay isn't uncommon in the oilfield industry. I work as an electronics tech on oilfield supply vessels and I just might crack six figures this year. It's been a good year ;-).
ianmtadamsOct 21, 2011Buried
Commendable work ethic and sacrifice made for a better future.
xraymasterOct 21, 2011Buried
One of the best comments from the article -
I have a good job right now, but people saying, "dur the jobs are out there, it's YOUR FAULT you don't have a job," well, that's just naive. Yes, I'm sure there's some lazy people out there. But the joblessness rate has risen. Obviously someone has to be affected by that. It's just as naive to punish "rich" people for their "success" as it is to punish "poor" people for their lack of "success". America is in trouble. My life has personally never been better (though I'm still in my 20s, so it's not like I have decades of career behind me), but there's no way around it. Life is harder now. People work longer and harder for less and less, while those at the top benefit more and more from the increased work loads of those beneath them.
People aren't angry that some people are rich and some are poor. People are angry because the middle class (the true sign of a first world country) is disappearing, that the game is rigged, and that as a whole - as a country - things are only getting worse. They've done multiple studies. Productivity is UP! And it's not just about the unemployed. What about the employed - people working harder for less now? This is so much bigger of an issue than just, "d'uh I can't find no work!" It's like were in the greed-obsessed 1980s all over again, except the pie has shrunk a ton. So all America has now is a lack of morals and money. Worst of both worlds.
analogassassinOct 21, 2011Buried
I don't think that people are working for less ... I think that we've become accustomed to a lot of luxuries the previous generation never had, we're spending more for gadgets and gizmos ...
My grandfather had a modest job, built a nice house, grandmother didn't work, she raised the kids, but when they retired, they had LOTS of money. Went to Europe twice. They didn't take yearly vacations to Disneyworld or take cruises, they were frugal and saved. It was rare when they went out to eat at a restaurant (notice how people in the 60s and 70s were also a lot skinnier.)
Our generation is just not as disciplined.
analogassassinOct 21, 2011Buried
I don't think that people are working for less ... I think that we've become accustomed to a lot of luxuries the previous generation never had, we're spending more for gadgets and gizmos ...
My grandfather had a modest job, built a nice house, grandmother didn't work, she raised the kids, but when they retired, they had LOTS of money. Went to Europe twice. They didn't take yearly vacations to Disneyworld or take cruises, they were frugal and saved. It was rare when they went out to eat at a restaurant (notice how people in the 60s and 70s were also a lot skinnier.)
Our generation is just not as disciplined.
tsuruchibrianOct 22, 2011Buried
We are not more or less disciplined. We just have different priorities.
We value things like yearly vacations and ipods more than whatever it is we get when our wives stay home raising children and cleaning the house.
I can appreciate a home cooked meal every once in a while, but if I factor in how much my time is worth, a home cooked meal ends up costing me like $50 or something which is far more expensive than eating a typical restaurant.
I don;t think its a bad thing that our society is getting better at division of labor.
I think we should have 1 group of people producing food as efficiently and expertly as possible, using the economies of scale, while I just spend my time making software and getting better at making software, and paying other people to do other things for me.
analogassassinOct 22, 2011Buried
Nah, we're less disciplined. We're gonna regret that lack of discipline when we retire, as we are probably going to live longer than our grandparents and run out of money WAY sooner.
BTW, if a home cooked meal costs you $50, you're doing it wrong. Unless you're grilling steak or something like that every night.
daniwilsonOct 21, 2011Buried
At least they have a job!
daniwilsonOct 21, 2011Buried
Did you actually read the article?
rickjwagnerOct 22, 2011Buried
I'm glad there are places people can go to make some good money if they're willing to put up with some discomfort. I wish there were more places like this to go to. BTW, I hope they do an update in February-- those 'homeless' folks will REALLY be earning the money then.
gkiltzOct 22, 2011Buried
it can take a while for the housing stock to catch up.
luke1h7Oct 22, 2011Buried
I don't see where all these negative comments are coming from. The first and only thing I thought of when I read this article was, damn I wish I had a construction business.
analogassassinOct 21, 2011Buried
What makes the salaries "outrageous?"