Just an informal, unscientific poll to see where all this major anger comes from, as in, is it personal when it comes to the job market/economy. Remember to answer honestly, kids.
Worked this summer, though not an engineering internship as I would've liked. More of a manufacturing job with engineering training. My impression is that we're getting better and there are a couple of jobs around. Though a lot jobs are popping back up, but most from smaller companiesthat like to give low ball offers. The sad thing is that most of the college studetns and even people who've worked in the industry will be happy to even get those jobs.
Employed. Paid well, but bored. Bonuses in energy trading are a mere shadow of what they were in the late 90s. Damn Enron.
Doing much better!...I can now buy ammo in 1000 round bulk more often!...plus I can actually afford that $2,000.00 rifle I've been thinking about... 7 or 8 years ago was my low, but now the sun is shining...Thank God for President Bush!...
When the economy sucks people don't go out, when people don't go out I don't make money. less than...
I think many people within the age range of most of the posters here are doing better than 4 years ago simply as a function of having advanced in their job or having gotten a degree and now making money or whatever - therefore, even if the majority here were to say "I'm doing better than 4 years ago", this is not really conclusive evidence of anything...just a thought .
I work for a small company that I'm a co-owner in and we are very busy right now. That said I'm still worse off than a few years ago. During the last few years things were very slow along with the stock market tanking so I lost most of my savings. With business slow and health insurance rising I had to drop a more expensive but more comprehensive health insurance plan to pay for a plan with a very high deductable. Rising housing prices also have forced me to put off buying a house. All that said if things keep on going they way the have in the past 4 months things might be better.
Perfectly fine. It's not really meant to be a "partisan" indicator. Although I'd be more likely to guess that an "elitist" would pick the bottom two responses... if unemployed. Seems like anyone could find some work until hired to their "dream job" and that any pay at all, is better than none while waiting for what they're "worth." Oski2005... whether directly (as in employment status) or indirectly (friends or family), we should all care. I worded it wrong. Maybe just thinking out loud... something I've been accused of. Repeatedly. But, well.. yes. I should hope if you, yourself, fit one of the categories in the poll that you would "personally" respond. BTW- I think SJC made an extremely valid point. And honestly, that would be the case for anyone that said "better." Funny, if positives happen, we say "Yeah! My government helped me out!" way, way, way, way less than if we're worse off though... IMO we tend to notice negatives more, and lay blame, no matter which party is in office.
Employed, but not doing as well as four years ago. Doing about the same in salary. Doing worse investment-wise.
I make my my living through investmets so I'm finding it pretty hard to make money right now. I don't think one adminstration or the other is the determining factor though. The Clinton administration had the benefit of a more benign international climate and the optimism of emerging new technologies. The Bush administration, though theoretically more pro business, is faced with terrorism, the higher costs of security, greater international competition and a more mature technology cycle where the reality of implementation has tempered the speculative optimism of the 90's. Electing Kerry or re-electing Bush won't make any substantive changes in our economic condition. Neither is very far from the center on economic policy, neither would adpot a policy of protectionism or gurantee every American a job with health insurance or initiate a manhattan project for energy independence or convert the US to a consumption tax structure. I'm afraid we are stuck with this slow growth, squeeze the working class part of the cycle for quite a while yet. The Fed has got no more stimili left in their aresenal, the world energy market will continue to be stressed by civil stife, there doesn't seem to be any new technological innovation on the horizon. Of course, things will happen we cannot forsee.....peace in the middle East? a breakthrough in utilizing Canadian tar sands? the development of fusion energy? wireless internet brain implants? German super babies? Who knows?
Mmmmmmmmmm, German Super Babies. Sieg Heil! Personally, I'm doing worse, but in a good way. I'm a wholesaler, and I'm building my book right now with Brokers and Insurance guys, and the business is good. Talk to me in a year, and I'll be flying high again!
