The Machinist Job Site Blog

Hiring is Happening in Manufacturing

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:21:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I've blogged because no matter how much I wrote no one seemed to believe that manufacturing was leading the way to the recovery. However, if you have been without a job and you need one that will support your family in a manner that you only remember, manufacturing is the answer. They are hiring, and they have been hiring. But it's not always an easy process depending on the company you decide to go with for your future. The smaller companies can go from decision to hire to putting feet on the floor in a relatively short time, usually within 2 weeks. But if you go for a large, multinational company it can take months from the time a decision is made that they need help before feet hit the floor. It's just the nature of the beast, and believe me, the larger the company, the bigger the beast that has to be slain to get that new hire in the door. It never ceases to amaze me how HR doesn't seem to have the best interest of the men and women that work with the new hire at heart when going through the hiring process and play a numbers game of who tests out the best without regard to the people in the trades that don't test well. Many a good person has been cast aside over this issue, but it is one that is usually found in the larger companies so if it has happened to you set your sights on a different company and go for it. The jobs are there to be had. If you have the talent there is a company right now that is in desperate need for you to walk into their door and talk to them. And if you need help in finding that job, check out the jobs on MachinistJobSite.com, a BlueCollarJobs.com company. It will take you where you need to go on the path to success.

Manufacturing is pulling the recovery out of the toilet.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:51:00 +0000

News about the economic recovery hit the airwaves today with the headlines reading "Factories aid bumpy recovery, housing still weak." That doesn't begin to tell the story since the truth of the matter is manufacturing has been the strongest sector since the recession ended, growing in 11 of the past 12 months, but for some reason analysts in their infinite wisdom give manufacturing no respect. It is the first to go when a recession starts and it will be the first to come back. There were a lot of extenuating circumstances that caused the housing market to implode and it will take years before it begins performing like a finely tuned machine again.

The good news here is you don't need to wait for your dream job any longer, now is the time to strike. Don't see an ad online for your position? Send your resume to the department manager. If your skills fit the bill and they've been suffering through the last 12 months of increased growth without increased manpower, then you made the top of the list. Eventually the rest of the recovery is going to catch up with what we've been experiencing in manufacturing over the past year and it will turn from an expansion into an explosion. Get in on it early by putting together resume and certificates of completion into an online portfolio at MachinistJobSite.com. You can keep it private where you decide who gets to see it, or list it publicly, where it is available to view by every member of the over 15,000 member network. As a BlueCollarJobs.com website, MachinistJobSite.com gives you the benefits of a specialty job board with the power of the larger network. It works for you 24/7.

The key in finding the job of your dreams is assess your strengths, put your best foot forward, and go for it. Now is the time, and today is the day. You can make it happen if you try. Every tool you need to make it happen is right here, free for the taking. Not even the economists can put up a good argument for holding off anymore.

Think your job sucks? Read this!

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:59:00 +0000

So, you think your job sucks and you'd like to move on to someplace nice. How about working for someone like Apple, working on the iPhones or iPads? Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, the company that Apple contracts with to assemble the electronic gear we can't live without had to install anti-jumping nets at its facilities to stop the suicides from its workers jumping off the roofs. Ten deaths in the first five months of this year, which led to intense scrutiny of their management methods and working conditions. As a result Foxconn has decided to raise the monthly pay for its assembly workers from 900 yuan to 2,000 yuan. That's a raise from $133 to $295. PER MONTH. That's $3,540 per year, of if you break it out into a standard US 40 hour work week they're now making a whopping $1.67 per hour. Woo Hoo. No matter how bad we have it we still have it better than any place else on this earth, and we need to start appreciating the jobs that are still available to us. If you are really unhappy where you are, then it is time to move on. Check the job listings at www.MachinistJobSite.com and find the job of your dreams and allow the person who would find your position as their dream position to fulfill their dreams. Life is too short to do otherwise.

Don't base your career on the stockmarket news

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:53:00 +0000

Today the big news is the stock market rebounded after a stronger-than-expected increase in pending home sales restored investors' optimism about the economy. Of course, this is the last of the rush to get in on the government free money for first time home buyers and down payment help for all buyers, the tax credit programs that ended in June. So the April figures are the last of the good news from the artificially inflated increases due to the government help anyone looking for a home couldn't pass up. Of course, next month we'll be back to usual in the real estate market. However, the market dropped on news that manufacturing expanded for a tenth straight month and most markets had a drop in unemployment applications. This is the good news. This is the reason why you want to make application with that company you've been eying as the "perfect employer" but felt in this economy they wouldn't look at your resume. It's time to dust off your resume, add the hard learned lessons gained during this difficult time, and put yourself out there so you'll be noticed first. Check out this link:

http://www.machinistjobsite.com/Job_Seekers.php

at MachinistJobSite.com and click on the "Build a Portfolio" link. It will take you to its parent site, BlueCollarJobs.com, and give you the tools to build an online portfolio where you can wow employers with your skills, awards and certificates. Show your stuff. Let them know why you stand head and shoulders above the others. Now is the time. Manufacturing has had close to one year of expansion. Whether the "experts" understand what makes our economy hum understand the importance of this or not, I know this means there will be jobs available so make yourself available to the employers that are and will be looking for people with your skill set. There's no time like today to get started.

Take our manufacturing jobs back.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:38:00 +0000

The news is great, four straight months of growth in durable goods orders, an overall indicator of business health. When manufacturing is healthy, everyone wins. In fact, manufacturing is leading the recovery. Hmmmm. So where are the jobs? Surely permanent employment will follow, it just makes sense, right? We've managed to not only maintain but increase productivity throughout the recent downturn, just as we have the one before that and the one before that, so manufacturers have learned they can get along with fewer employees than once thought. Of course, they're not taking into account they're working these people to death, they're desperately unhappy and can't wait for the day they never have to step foot in the door again because even though all that overtime has helped the coffers the stress of it is killing them. And to add insult to injury, the government has left a huge tax loophole that allows any company that makes money overseas to leave their profits overseas, tax free, keeping foreign economies humming while we continue to struggle. We have to take control, contact our legislators and tell them we've had enough, we want this madness to stop. Stop allowing the companies that live the American dream to move the middle class from the United States to every other nation in this world but our own. It's time we take our jobs back. It's up to us. Make your voice heard. Don't listen to this crap they're trying to hand you wrapped in a ribbon like it's a bouquet of roses. We are as complicit in the loss of jobs as the companies are if we continue to stand by and do nothing. Now you know. Do something. Do it today. Do it now. All our futures depend on it.

Increased productivity should benefit you first and foremost.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:47:00 +0000

According to a 2/4/10 Reuters report, the jobless claims filed last week rose unexpectedly but "another big gain in productivity in the fourth quarter offered hope that companies were getting close to adding to their payrolls." I'm not sure I understand that statement. If non-farm productivity grew at a 6.2 percent rate in the 4th quarter without adding new employees, what motivation is there for employers to add to their employment rolls? Employers have been squeezing more and more out of employees since the downturn of 2000, and the employees that are left holding the ball have done their part and kept the companies afloat but enough is enough. You can only squeeze so much work out of your people before morale becomes the number one problem you deal with from the moment your employees hit the door. If you hate your job and start thinking about how quickly you have to go back the moment you walk out the door, then it's time to start looking for a new job. There are employers out there where they are not putting unreasonable expectations on their employees. Don't be afraid of making that change. If you've been at a company a long time, apply for a month long leave of absence and give the new job a "trial" before giving notice at your old job. Accumulate your vacation time and use that for your new job "trial." But I can't stress this enough, if you take this route, keep it to yourself or you may find yourself out of a job should your "trial" not be successful. You have many options open to you and you don't have to spend your life hating what you do every moment of every day. You can check for available jobs at www.MachinistJobSite.com by clicking on "Search Jobs" link. Your future awaits. Nothing stands in your way except your own inaction.

When FMLA becomes a cat and mouse game between employee and management no one wins.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Are you or someone in your family approved for intermittent FMLA? Do you get the feeling like HR is out to get you? Well, you may be right. The old days of the company nurse and HR being their to help you are long over. Now they are there to prove to management why you are out to screw the company out of every last dime you can, and it is up to you to insure you have laid the groundwork to protect yourself so you don't find yourself without a job and a black mark against yourself that you will never recover from. Follow these simple tips, and you'll have a fighting chance. Do nothing, and you'll take a chance on losing everything. I spent years being one of the good guys. I gave 110%, and my word was my bond. If I said it you could depend on it. Then my wife became ill and we started down the long, painful process of doctors visits and tests and surgeries, all the while trying to figure out how to maintain the paperwork involved with the Family Medical Leave Act while working with the doctor's office that is overbooked and understaffed, trying to get them to fill out the forms to the satisfaction of our company nurse and finding they are never satisfied with the way the paperwork is filled out. First and foremost, how the questions are answered is critical because the nurse is going to do everything they can to prevent you from taking any time off for follow up appointments even though you think you have the paperwork filled out correctly. If the doctor writes three days per quarter, you may be held to one occurrence of up to three days, so it must be written for multiple appointments on various days. That way you will be assured of taking off more than one occasion of up to multiple days. It's all in the details. I worked second shift and we lived 1-1/2 hours from the medical center where the tests were done, and because my wife was claustrophobic I would have her arrange her MRI's on a Monday so I wouldn't have to leave 4 hours early the day before so I could be home and awake in time for her to take the drugs she had to take to get in the MRI machine, make the trip there and back, then watch her to make sure she didn't hurt herself because it took those drugs a long time to get out of her system. I had flags in my attendance file that the nurse was checking with my doctor thinking I was abusing the system for a three day weekend, when in fact I was attempting to lose the least amount of hours as possible. Fortunately my wife made sure it was noted in her file that the reason the appointment was set for those days was specifically due to the drugs she had to take for the MRI, the distance from the test, the length of time the tests took, and how it affected my work schedule if I did it on any other day. The company nurse sent a calendar to the physician's office showing the dates I had missed and asked if it was necessary for me to miss on those days of the week for my wife's care and condition. Fortunately, we had taken care of business ahead of time so she wasn't able to falsely accuse of doing something we weren't doing. Talk about no good deed going unpunished! You have to make sure you follow-up with a call to the doctor about you or your loved ones' condition if you have to take intermittent days to take care of them due to flare ups. That simple phone call can save your job. My wife had a lot of issues with changes in medicines that required me to stay home on intermittent days. We had moved 1-1/2 hours away from my job to an area where we had no close friends and no family, and there was simply no one else to help out. I had no choice but to do it myself, and FMLA was used in the manner that it was intended. But that didn't stop the company nurse from trying to make me out to be a liar and a cheat at every turn. To this day I still resent that I went through it, but if you are just diligent with follow up and make sure your paper work is worded correctly you should be okay. And if you find that you have turned in a certification that they are taking out of context, ask for a new certification paper, have your doctor fill it out with new verbiage that corrects how it reads and turn it in. A new certification makes new rules. They can't hold you to the old one once you get a new one signed. Remember, the law is there to protect you. They may try at every turn to take your benefit away, but with a little bit of work you can still have the benefit you deserve. It is your federal right. For information about whether you're making what you deserve visit www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on "I Make What" for accurate, real-time salary reports based on your job title, location, education, skills and experience level..

The good times are coming so be prepared to hit the ground running.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:08:00 +0000

Great news! Stocks ended the next-to-last day of the year almost unchanged as welcome news on manufacturing helped offset a drop in commodities prices. Manufacturing in the Midwest grew for a third straight month and the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index rose to 60 in December from 56.1 in November with production and new orders increasing and improved employment. Whoohoo. And that news kept the markets in check for a day. At the same time a report came out that employers expect to hire more new workers in 2010 than they did in 2009. Of course, tomorrow or the next week some other bad news will be the news of the day so the markets will drop and the manufacturing news will be lost along with the news that more employers are going to add to their rolls, but this is news to celebrate. If you are currently in a job you hate, now is the time to start looking around for the job you've always wanted. If you've been out of work, now is the time to seriously start looking for that job that is going to be the end all, be all for your future, because this is the beginning and it may as well be you that gets in on it. While everyone else is still sitting out there wondering when the next shoe is going to fall you can be proactive about getting your name out there for employers to find when they start looking for that person to bring onboard to help with this uptick in business they are starting to experience. And the place to begin is by visiting www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on Job Seekers. There is a link to "Build a Portfolio" where you can add all of your information including your resume, your letters of recommendation, your classes, everything you've accomplished that makes you stand out over and above everyone else that will apply for that job. Then when you send an online application you can include a link to your online portfolio and blow the other job seekers out of the water. Most of the jobs are filled before they are ever advertised, and there is no reason why you can't be the one to fill that position next. It's up to you to take that next step. It's available to you, free of charge. All it takes is a moment of your time to make it happen. Remember, the recovery is going to happen with or without you. The uptick in hiring is happening whether you take advantage of it or not. It's up to you.

Search secret could help you find the job you've been searching for.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:43:00 +0000

When you visit a job site, do you know how to search for a job? Enter in a keyword and press search, right? Wrong. Every website is different in the way the search parameters are set for a normal search so you don't know what you're going to get. Your best bet is to go to the advanced search, and if your keyword search is for more than one word like "journeyman machinist" or "cnc programmer" put quotes around both words to insure the exact phrase is what will be returned or you'll get any combination of the two. But the really interesting wild card that can screw up the job search of a skilled trades person is check out where they have the industry listing, and make sure you take that to the top of the box so no industry is showing. What you will find in the brilliant mind of the HR person putting the information into the computer is they think if you have computer skills that pertain to your job then the industry must be internet technology when you're searching manufacturing. The only way to insure you get all the jobs that pertain to your search is to remove all industries all together. I know it goes against everything you think you should be doing to help perform a targeted, precise search, but if you don't remove as many parameters as possible you'll shoot yourself in the foot every time because HR doesn't have any idea what the skilled trades do and how to classify their skills. So help yourself by being aware of this little trick and you'll find the jobs that others will miss. You can check it out now by going to www.MachinistJobSite.com and trying it out for yourself. It works the same with every job site you visit. So if you find yourself looking for a new job in the new year, this little trick may be all you need to put you out ahead of the rest of the pack.

There are positive outcomes in those negative reports

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:04:00 +0000

I reading the new ASQ (American Society for Quality) survey. It begins by "shows a majority of manufacturers are optimistic about a small economic uptick in 2010 at their organizations." Good news, right? Then the next sentence is "However, respondents believe further cost-cutting measures will continue to be implemented." Well, that makes sense. Those of us that have suffered through the recent downturn are not going to jump back into our free spending ways, and I wouldn't expect the manufacturers that have suffered to go there either. Then the final sentence of the opening paragraph is "The results show a majority of respondents (64.7%) employed in the manufacturing sector predict their organizations will experience some financial recovery in 2010." Two out of three sentences are good news. Then they go on to report nothing but the bad news. So if you failed to read the beginning of the report and only read the bullets, something we tend to do in our efforts to save time, you'll skew the news in a way that could influence you to look less than positively on the manufacturing industries. The rest of the report states:

Other events that respondents predict their organizations will experience in 2010:

61.3% believe their organization will create processes to reduce costs Good for them, we should all strive to reduce our costs.

44.8% expect a pay freeze 55.2% won't freeze pay and could give pay raises

41.4% predict a hiring freeze at their organizations 58.6% will be hiring

35.2% will have mandatory budget cuts 64.8% will not have budget cuts or add to budget

27.8% expect staff layoffs 72.2% do not expect to lay off staff and may add to current levels.

24.7% anticipate reduced employee benefits 75.3% expect benefits to remain same or improve current benefits.

When you read the reports that are put out there make sure you take a good look at what they are telling you because there may be more good news there than bad, as I found in this report. At first glance it appeared to be more bad news, but on retrospect the news isn't so bad at all. As a matter of fact, you might even look on it as good news. It just depends on which side of the percentage you decide to concentrate.

Analysts make bad news out of good every time

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:48:00 +0000

I was reading the headlines that stated that manufacturing slowed in November. The analysts forecast a 55% reading but instead the index fell to a 53.6% reading. Never mind that it is the fourth month running that the manufacturing sector expanded after a SIX QUARTER contraction, it's just not growing as quickly as was first anticipated in the three prior months. This is the kind of news that keeps people from jumping into the skilled trades as a viable career to put their trust in for their future. And even when the manufacturing sector is contracting, the need for skilled trades, especially Machinists and CNC Programmers, remained strong due to the misconceptions of people regarding what a career in the blue collar industries means in the job market of today. The average skilled worker is getting closer and closer to retirement age and there are fewer and fewer people out there to replace them. I watch the classified ads in my local newspaper and see how long it takes for an employer to find qualified help (hint to those last holdout employers out there - skilled workers are more likely to be on the internet checking for jobs than reading the weekly newspaper, just food for thought). So the bottom line if you're looking for a good job that is going to pay you well and offer job security, don't let the analysts reports scare you away. You have to read the reports to see what they are actually saying because they are full of double talk that is directed mainly at the people that control our 401(k) accounts and have managed to keep them in the toilet by overreacting to news that they don't understand either. And if you're just thinking about making the move into the Machinist's realm and want to know how much the average machinist makes in your area, you can visit www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on the "I Make What" link on the home page. That will take you to a salary calculator that will give you the average salary by area for various trades. You can also do an advanced search to get more specific information regarding your specific job title. The salary calculator isn't just for the machining industries. If you're happy where you are now, check to see if you are being paid what you deserve and what others in your industry are being paid for doing the same job. It's an informative tool that can be very beneficial the next time you go in for your salary review. It's up to you to make it happen because nobody is just going to hand it to you, so check out the tools we offer at no cost to help you in the process of helping yourself.

Keeping abreast of innovations is key to job security

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:36:00 +0000

While most folks have an idea of the blue collar industries as dark and dank, smoke filled holes from hell that you'd have to be a fool to want to work around, few realize that it was the blue collar industries that brought the laser and robotics into everyday use in the workplace. Because the technology that is part of the machining industry changes exponentially almost daily as much as it has stayed the same over the last 75 years, it is important to stay informed about the changes that are taking place in your area of expertise. One of the easiest ways to do this is to read trade magazines where the companies that are bringing their new technology to the customer are advertising, and the most surprising way to do this is to sign up for free, yes I said free, subscriptions to the same magazines the vendors are using to advertise their wares. In addition to the free magazine subscriptions you can find free downloads of White Papers explaining the technology they are interested in selling. And you can have it all if you just know where to look. MachinistJobSite.com has a link on its Career Tools page to magazines and white papers on any industry out there today, no matter what your focus or job title. The companies that advertise in the magazines pay for your subscription to the magazine just so they have the opportunity to get their wares in front of you, so take advantage of what they are offering you. It happens seldom enough in this life that you get something for nothing, but this is one of those times. I personally have subscribed to magazines and downloaded white papers and I have not been inundated with junk mail from companies that I have no interest in purchasing from, and the companies that advertise have no interest in spending money on people that are not going to spend money with them so you don't need to worry about your personal information being sold for gain because nothing is truly "free." So take a moment and check it out. Sign up for as many or as few as interest you. Keeping informed of what is happening in your industry will add value to you with your employer and when the time comes where a decision is made as to who is sent to learn about the new equipment you will be the logical choice. If you are one of those people that has to have the latest cell phone, gaming computer, etc. learning about the latest and greatest in the industrial technologies will come easy to you and make you an invaluable employee, something an employer can't do without in this business environment. It could be one of the most important things you can do for your career.

One out of three employers could be looking for YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:37:00 +0000

According to a survey conducted by Deloitte Consulting, The Manufacturing Institute and Oracle released on November 18, 2009, manufacturers are struggling to find skilled workers even as the unemployment rate rises above 10% and applicants stand in lines blocks long for fewer and fewer jobs. And on top of that, the companies that are reporting dissatisfaction with the skilled workers they currently have in their employ. I have direct experience with this in my last job. You knew immediately with a new hire if they had talked their way through the interview with an HR person that had no idea of what actually took place on the shop floor, and their work showed it. But with the pool of qualified workers being so small and the need being so great, you do the best you can with what you have to work with. At this time nearly one-third of the companies interviewed are having trouble finding skilled workers, scientists and engineers. The scientist and engineering areas may take a degree to break into, but the skilled worker can begin by applying for an apprenticeship program either through one of the many unions located throughout the United States or within one of the many companies that prefer to train their employees from the ground up. For a listing of companies that offer apprenticeship programs you can visit www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on the Job Seekers link. There you will see the "Find Machinist Apprenticeship Programs" link that will link you through to the government website where you can search programs by state. If you know of any companies close to you that intrigue you call them and ask how you go about getting into their apprenticeship program. People are generally very friendly and willing to help, especially when you answer an immediate need they have. Call you local Community College for their program offerings. Many offer a certificate program that will give you the skills to get you in the door while you continue learning the skills necessary to make the big bucks. If you already have those skills and you're not getting the interviews you feel you should, go to www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on the Job Seeker link, and build on online portfolio that showcases all of your talents and skills that outlines why you should be interviewed and hired over the rest of the crowd. Remember, one out of every three employers is in DESPERATE need of your talents, so if you have them, flaunt them. You can write your own ticket. If you are out of a job and you can't find one in your industry, take a look at the machining trades. It will be the best move you ever made.

Skilled Trades beat cheap labor every time.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Industry Week carried an article that what was made in China is now made in Egypt. The search for cheaper and cheaper labor goes on and will continue ad infinitum. There are now Chinese workers working side by side with Egyptian workers in textile mills located in tax free zones in Egypt where the salaries are fixed at $130 to $150 per month rather than by the piece. Soon you will see other industries moving their factories from China to Egypt, just at the time when the Chinese were enjoying a rising middle class, taking it all away just as it was given. All in a search for the cheapest product available. However, no matter how cheap the labor force they will never remove the need for truly skilled trades people, and the people the United States need to remember that there is a market in our manufacturing plants for skilled labor this is written. Not for the unskilled labor that worked the shop floor, but the skilled labor of a Journeyman Machinist, the CNC programmer, Toolmaker, etc., and if you have these skills there are areas of this country where you can write your own ticket. Why? Because the skilled labor force that held these jobs is retiring and there is no one to take their place. Why? Because of the misguided notion that the manufacturing plant of the 21st century is still the manufacturing plant of the nineteenth century, consisting of dirty, backbreaking work, and it couldn't be further from the truth. Today you work in well lit, climate controlled rooms with state of the art equipment. It was the blue collar industries that brought robotics and lasers into the main stream, and the machinists of today work in this environment and seldom if ever get dirty. If you have the work experience then you need the resume to present your best self to show off you skills, training and job experience. If you resume has not gotten you an interview then it is time to call in a professional writer and have it written for you because your resume is not doing its job. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Many companies use technology to weed out resumes that don't meet their minimum standards, so if your resume doesn't hit the right keywords it goes into the circular file without anyone ever seeing it. If you aren't getting the call backs you should go to www.MachinistJobSite.com and click on JobSeekers, and add your resume. There are links to information that will educate you as to what you are doing wrong and if you still can't get anywhere, it will help you find professionals that can help you get your foot in the door. We must be prepared as a workforce if we are going to have any chance of keeping these jobs in the United States, so it's up to us. Good Luck!

Skilled Machinists are always in high demand.

noreply@blogger.com (Machinist Job Site) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:16:00 +0000

While unemployment is at 10% while productivity rose at an overall annual rate of 9.5% in the July-September quarter, the Labor Department said Thursday, it's growth at its highest level ever, in manufacturing productivity increased 13.6% while labor costs fell 7.1%. Workers that remain on the job are working longer hours and producing more so at first glance there is no motivation to add to the employment rolls, except skilled trade workers continue to suffer shortages and are projected to suffer severe shortages as fewer and fewer workers go into the skilled trades, believing they work in a dirty, hot and nasty environment when in fact todays machinists work in a well lit, computer controlled clean room. It also affords those with high school educations the opportunity to earn salaries on par with college graduates. For all of those that have lost their jobs that don't know what direction to go look to your local community college to see if they have an educational program teaching machining skills. The industry is expected to hold steady over the 10 year period from 2006 though 2016 and employers are always on the lookout for skilled tradespeople. It's a skill you can carry with you across the country and you'll never have to worry about being out of work again.