Business slowing down? Jayco layoffs

[Jopopsy]

https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Fo...507212791.html

[Grumpy]

There was an article a few weeks ago that the demand had dropped. It also mentioned that RV Black Book reported an increase in auction sales. The second part tells me that there are a high number of REPOS. I think a lot of people jumped into RVing without really thinking. Also just saw an article that a high percentage of millennials regret buying a house.

[Jopopsy]

I saw that article - looks like this one corroborated it. Maybe the economy really is starting to slow down.

[RPR]

Mobile’s economy seems be doing well. We are selling our house here. Listing went active on the MLS this morning. They showed it 5 times today and have offers. One offer is more than what it is listed for. Showing it more Saturday. They say it is a sellers market in Mobile right now.

[87Yugo]

Maybe they will put more effort of putting quality back into the rigs.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by 87Yugo

Maybe they will put more effort of putting quality back into the rigs.

Or even less to make up for the loss of revenue and having fewer employees...

[Jopopsy]

Jeez I’d ask if they can be slapped together any more sloppily, but I know the answer to that !

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Also just saw an article that a high percentage of millennials regret buying a house.

I can't find it right at the moment, but I read an article last year at one point that talked about how the millennials we really diving in to the RV market. I wonder if they are still purchasing at a record pace.

[WinnieView]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

I can't find it right at the moment, but I read an article last year at one point that talked about how the millennials we really diving in to the RV market. I wonder if they are still purchasing at a record pace.

Our two millennials are not. They still camp with us on occasion.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

I can't find it right at the moment, but I read an article last year at one point that talked about how the millennials we really diving in to the RV market.

I saw it too, but I think it has reversed based on what I've read lately. It seems many don't want to be responsible for anything.

[THE MEEKER]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

I saw it too, but I think it has reversed based on what I've read lately. It seems many don't want to be responsible for anything.

I think Grumpy hit the nail on the head.

My two millennial kids live in fancy apartments. They can easily purchase a home as both have pretty good careers. I have explained to them that home ownership is an investment that goes up in value. Rent money will never come back to you.

But home ownership also involves routine chores like mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway, landscape work, repairs etc.

They would rather call the landlord to fix things than tackle it themselves.

"Mother, where did we go wrong?"

[RPR]

Our daughter likes being outdoors and loves all the home owners stuff. They have 5 acres, 2 horses, dog and cats. She calls being on the riding lawn mower or tractor relaxing after work. She says they have therapeutic grass cause its relaxing riding around cutting it.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by THE MEEKER

I think Grumpy hit the nail on the head.

My two millennial kids live in fancy apartments. They can easily purchase a home as both have pretty good careers. I have explained to them that home ownership is an investment that goes up in value. Rent money will never come back to you.

But home ownership also involves routine chores like mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway, landscape work, repairs etc.

They would rather call the landlord to fix things than tackle it themselves.

"Mother, where did we go wrong?"

Not that this is the case with your kids, but many of the young people at work are so saddled with student loan debt, that home ownership may not be an immediate option. I had an intern last year that claimed to have $125K in loans coming out of their undergrad degree. I'm sure that others may be in worse shape.

When I went to school, I worked and paid for my Bachelors degree (sometimes 3 separate jobs at a time) and then my employer paid for my Masters after I was hired. I would imagine that those situations are a thing of the past for these younger people though.

[KillerIsMe]

Originally Posted by THE MEEKER

I have explained to them that home ownership is an investment that goes up in value. Rent money will never come back to you.


"Mother, where did we go wrong?"

It was that way until the housing market went volatile in 2008 or so. We bought a house in 2001, value increased steadily for a few years and then - boom! - appraisal went through the roof. About a year later the value dropped through the floor. We ended up selling it in 2014 for $5000 less than we paid for it. We were fortunate though...many of our old neighbors were buying at the peak appraisal period. Some wanted to flip, some were using the easy money from the banks to get into the neighborhood. When the bubble burst they were caught behind the 8 ball and are now living in houses they owe $100,000 more on than they could sell them for. That's house-poor.

My older daughter is a millennial - 2014 Penn State grad with a degree in Biology. She has student loan debt - not crushing debt like some of her peers though. The ex-wife and I worked hard to minimize loans. My daughter worked at Chili's while in school and when she got her degree they promoted her to a store manager at $42,000, which is big bucks in her circle. That's barely enough to buy a car but that's the new definition of a thriving economy - more people working for less money. As things worked out my wife was able to help her get into the company she works for and now my daughter has a much more comfortable financial and career situation.

Things are different for these younger folks. Service jobs are plentiful but good paying jobs are scarce. Add in student loan debt and the cost of housing, a car, food, health care (if they can even afford it - many don't have it), etc., and you can see it's not easy for them. It's no mystery why so many are cheesed off. Makes me glad sometimes I'm old. I wouldn't want to be starting out again.

[ETCrockett]

I think everyone of the comments are spot on. Apartment living doesn’t give you a location to pull or drive an RV to for loading and unloading. Most young folks are getting married later and buying an RV is a couples purchase. Add the burden of student loans on top of everything and owning an RV really becomes a luxury for most folks. I think some millennials become disappointed when they realize their camping season is 6 months or less and they still have to pay an RV loan, insurance, and possibly storage. Buy in the Spring and sell in the Fall.

It will be sad indeed for people who don’t get to see and enjoy all this country has to offer.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by KillerIsMe

Things are different for these younger folks. Service jobs are plentiful but good paying jobs are scarce. Add in student loan debt and the cost of housing, a car, food, health care (if they can even afford it - many don't have it), etc., and you can see it's not easy for them. It's no mystery why so many are cheesed off. Makes me glad sometimes I'm old. I wouldn't want to be starting out again.

There are tons of good paying "trade jobs" that are going unfilled because too many people think you only get a good salary with a degree and that's not true. HVAC, plumbing, licensed electricians, auto techs are all in demand. Just because someone has a 4 yr degree doesn't make them hireable, nor does it guarantee them the top salary. It never did. I have a friend who owns a refrigeration business, pays new hires $20/$25 an hr to start, can't find anybody who is qualified.

[KillerIsMe]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

There are tons of good paying "trade jobs" that are going unfilled because too many people think you only get a good salary with a degree and that's not true. HVAC, plumbing, licensed electricians, auto techs are all in demand. Just because someone has a 4 yr degree doesn't make them hireable, nor does it guarantee them the top salary. It never did. I have a friend who owns a refrigeration business, pays new hires $20/$25 an hr to start, can't find anybody who is qualified.

No doubt, but you're still looking at jobs that require some sort of specialized certification.

For example, here's how you become a licensed electrician in Pennsylvania:



"In Pennsylvania, electrician licensing is handled by licensing boards at the city or county level, each of which has different requirements for certification and sometimes different categories of licenses specific to different types of specialized electrical work.

There are three commonly accepted routes to becoming licensed in most of Pennsylvania’s licensing jurisdictions:

Go through an apprenticeship program to accumulate a combination of three to five years of on-the-job experience combined with between 750 and 900 hours of classroom education depending on the requirements of the jurisdiction

OR

Attend a community college or trade school and graduate with a certificate in electrical technology and accumulate two years of work experience in the field

OR

Work under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician for at least 10 years"


My nephew chose option 2. He went to Penn Tech for two years at $17,000 per. So two years tech school and two years in the apprenticeship program at $12/hour and he'll have a nice job at 40-50 thousand a year, and he'll have more loan debt than my daughter (my brother didn't play it well).

There's no getting around the fact this is a credential society and until we remove our collective heads from our rear ends and start emphasizing education and job training and taking the weight of student loan debt off the backs of our young people things aren't going to get much better for them. It's ironic - after all the peace-love-and-happiness drivel all us boomers spouted back in the day you'd have thought we were interested in leaving a better world for our offspring. But hey, at least we got ours.

[THE MEEKER]

Dave Ramsey has some interesting discussions (or rants) on this topic, you can check him out on YouTube.

The one comment he made that cracked me up was "My niece has a bachelor's degree in Left Handed Puppetry."

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by THE MEEKER

The one comment he made that cracked me up was "My niece has a bachelor's degree in Left Handed Puppetry."

Not sure if it still applies, but DELTA used to require a 4 yr degree + the minimum flight hours for hiring. The degree could be in Ceramics, but it still counted.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

There are tons of good paying "trade jobs" that are going unfilled because too many people think you only get a good salary with a degree and that's not true. HVAC, plumbing, licensed electricians, auto techs are all in demand. Just because someone has a 4 yr degree doesn't make them hireable, nor does it guarantee them the top salary. It never did. I have a friend who owns a refrigeration business, pays new hires $20/$25 an hr to start, can't find anybody who is qualified.

Not meaning to be negative about young people today, but what you are suggesting is that they accept a job that they need to actually do WORK and get their hands dirty.

My nephew is a perfect example. He is 18 and a senior in HS. He is bright, but has never exactly been a great student. B's and C's mostly. Anyway, he is accepted to a private school and is going to college next year (how he got in is another big question). He isn't sure exactly what he wants to do yet. He will tell you "Possibly something with Computers". Tuition for the school he is going to is $33500/year not counting room and board. Sounds pretty expensive for someone looking to find their way.

Anyway, I suggested that instead, he would attend a local community college and enroll in a computer technology course. It would be a fraction of the cost and come out in 2 years with a certification and maybe work as an IT tech for a little while to see if he likes the field. If he does, he could always go back for a 4 year degree in a related field.

Well, he is absolutely offended by the suggestion that he would go to a tech program and have to work with his hands. Of course, he is being realistic. He couldn't open a jar of pickles without a youtube video tutorial and he may get a blister in the process. I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that in 4 years he will be living in my sister's basement playing video games.