$50k/year jobs remain unfilled in Central Illinois

Posted by Bob Schultz at 6/23/2010 3:40 PM
Categories: uncategorized
Can you believe it?  But it's true.  I was with a trucking firm owner that revealed his biggest challenge to running his firm, right now, is finding enough drivers.  He has rigs sitting idle because not enough people are interested in driving for $50k/year!  With incentives, some of his drivers are earning $70k/year!!!

What's the reason for the lack of interest?  Sadly, it's the extended unemployment benefits.  Currently, unemployment benefits can run for more than a year.  And the benefits can be as much as $450/week.  Prospective employees are choosing to sit at home and collect their $450/week, rather than going out and earning 2-3 times that amount by working.  Do you see a problem here?

The trucking firm owner gave me an even clearer illustration.  Another trucking firm, had several new employees starting on their training activities.  They were in the second day of training, when one of  the new hires received a call from his wife informing him that his unemployment benefits had been extended for another few months - the employee promptly walked out the door on his new job!!!

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China - Part of my recent journey to China was for business reasons.  (I'm involved in a project, in which we are trying to sell Illinois food products into the Asian market.)

My family came to China to see the business side of China (they attended a trade show with me, as well as some factory tours), but we also did some traditional tourist actvities.  Shanghai is hosting Expo 2010, the World's Fair (until Nov.).  I'd intended for us to spend two days at the International event.  However, due to exceptionaly large crowds, we altered our schedule.  More than 300,000 people were attending the fair each day.  Lines for the various nation's pavillions were running 2-3 hours!  

Instead, we opted to attend the fair one evening.  Lines were much shorter, and we enjoyed seeing the various buildings lit up for nighttime viewing.  World's Fairs used to be the opportunity to showcase new technologies (items like refrigerators, microwaves, even new automobiles were often introduced through World Fair events).  Given today's instant technology, that aspect of World's Fair has become rather quaint.  Instead today's world's fair is an opportunity for countries to showcase the unique aspects of their culture and their character.  We enjoyed seeing the unique views presented by nations like: Iran, North Korea, and Qautar.  We particularly liked the slogan in the North Korean display "Paradise for People"! 

 
 

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