Hows the economy in your area?

[Alberta farmer]

All the time on TV I hear how times are tough and how bad the economy is?
In Alberta things are slowing down as the oil/gas business tries to cope with low prices but you'd never know it. Buildings are stiil going up in the industrial parks and lots of new houses being built. Alberta car sales are way up! Really hard to find a good used one ton and prices on new trucks haven't come down a nickel as far as I can see!
Restaurants are all full on the weekend and the malls seem to be full too.
Maybe we are just insulated here or something?

 

[novatech]

Unemployment has gone from from 3% to 7% since the first of the year.

 

[dun]

SUCKS

 

[rattler]

SUCKS

Same here

 

[CKC1586]

It is a real Hoover here....

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Many of the local restaraunts are are not as full on the busiest of nights, some have closed on Sundays and Mondays, many of the stores have downsized the amount of employees or they have cut the employees hours. 2 of the oldest eateries in the area are closing. Many 'For Sale' signs around (for houses). Several businesses that were open on Saturdays are now closed on Saturdays. A Wal-Mart was supposed to be built in our county, but that has now been put off until 2012. 2 of the larger farm/ranches have sold out and the property is for sale. 1 of the dairies in the county where I work has sold out and he's leasing the land to someone else. Especially noticeable int the small-businesses and 'mom-and-pop' outfits. 2 home and garden supply stores have closed, a motorcycle shop closed, and business is slow for those that do hardscaping, landscaping, etc. Unemployment is up and lots of signs at the local grocery and feed places of people looking for work.

Yet, I do see houses still being built, and another lot in our area has been divided into 12 lots for housing.

Katherine

 

[I luv herfrds]

Not as many job openings. Eateries are pretty empty. House prices are dropping.

 

[Aaron]

I'm in an area that has never boomed, so it's not gonna bust. Forestry and Agriculture are what keeps everything turning here. Actually a fair number of jobs being advertised for around here.

If AbitibiBowater goes bankrupt though...it could make things a lot rougher around here. :cowboy:

GM and Chrysler dealers here have forks up their arses. Won't budge on vehicle prices. Ford dealer is dropping prices left and right. Automatic $10,000 off a F-150 XLT 4x4. Could be the reason I see so many people switching to Ford :banana: .

Mom and pop outfits are doing very well. I know 95% of my day-to-day spending is in these type of places. Rarely go to Wal-mart anymore. Just buy less stuff and spend a little more on the stuff I do need. :cowboy:

 

[Frankie]

I think the slowing economy is just starting to hit Oklahoma. Halliburton still hasn't had a big layoff locally, though they have laid off people in OKC and other states. The rig count is falling, so it's just a matter of time. Okla didn't get caught up in the housing bubble, so home prices never got too outrageous, but houses are staying on the market longer locally. As oil prices fall, tax revenues are down for state and local governments. That's going to put a strain on school budgets. Our hospital is expanding, but as people lose their jobs and health insurance, I'm not sure who's paying for the expansion?

 

[tom4018]

Lots off layoffs around here as the auto industry is or was a big employer, mostly part suppliers. Corvette plant shut down again and laid off about a 100 permanently. Went to a Angus sale yesterday and bulls went pretty cheap, some as little as $800 for a breeding age bull, cows did pretty good I thought. Not many jobs in the newspaper and the unemployment rate is the highest ever they say.

Thought some might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA

 

[plumber_greg]

My area is coming off record highs for ag products and has never slowed down. I personally know of no one who can truthufully say that they lost their home and everything they worked for cuz' of the economy. Sometimes I think the lack of hard work makes it easy to blame something else. I am plumbing a house for a pig farmer that will cost about two million. He is the hardest working man I know. The people I feel sorry for are the almost retired who lost a lot in the stock market. Everyone else probably needs to stop crying, stop listening to the news, and go after it. There is a lot of opprtunities to make some real money in the next few years. gs

 

[hillsdown]

The industry hit the hardest right now ids the restaurants, people are eating at home or bagging it instead of going out. But we had a boom like a lot of states and provinces have never seen , we could not find workers at all so even Mcdonalds was paying 15 dollars an hour..Now with the lay offs in the oil field ,,,3 companies in town shut there doors, 3 major American players layed of 90 percent of their employees and the local bigger companies have layed off 15 percent as well as have made their employs take a wage cut back. Houses being built are not and the ones that were built are sitting empty..The real estate market is in the toilet so if you can now is the time to buy..

People are not spending money and as far as the car business they really are not moving and a lot of independently owned dealers are a few days away from losing everything..

It is going to get worse before it gets better and if you haven;t gone grocery shopping in a while you really should it will be a real eye opener prices have gone up 15-30 percent..

Now that we can finally find people to do some work for us we no longer can afford it.. :?

 

[mnmtranching]

I have to say it looks scary for Minnesota. Big deficit, our fearless leaders can only think to raise taxes.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Real bad around here- everything is drying up and blowing away.
Local ecomomy was based on the chicken industry- and when they shut down the ripple effect started- and I don't think its done yet.
You know its bad when the Hispanics are leaving by the droves.
Local town looked like little Hispaniola a year ago and now we see very few Hispanics.

Lots of locals made their money with small service businesses- They have no work and are stuck making payments on equipment that they have no buyers for.

 

[grannysoo]

People are not spending money and as far as the car business they really are not moving and a lot of independently owned dealers are a few days away from losing everything..

It is going to get worse before it gets better and if you haven;t gone grocery shopping in a while you really should it will be a real eye opener prices have gone up 15-30 percent..

I think that we've only seen the tip of the iceburg so far.

 

[grand chaser09]

HORRIBLE! the gas is back up to 2.09 or something and desiel is like 2.19! ugh. and i have applied for jobs everywhere. even mcdonalds... and they turned me down!

 

[Lammie]

Hard to tell. Construction keeps going on. New retail space is built and nothing occupies it. I have the feeling that things are slowing down here.

 

[Jim62]

Haven't seen any slowdown around the immediate area. But, most folks around here either DO something or PRODUCE something. Paper-shuffling is not an issue. We keep hearing about car sales being so down, but our dealers will not deal at all. It would seem that GM in particular should be trying to unload inventory, even if they have to cut their profits a little (or a lot). But, I guess they don't see it that way........

 

[LoveMoo11]

Around here it is nearly impossible to find a part time job, college tuition has increased, FSA money has been held up, businesses have closed or cut jobs, especially our mills. The coupons in the Sunday paper are worthless now, and the grocery store is more expensive, but that is probably everywhere. I just hope everyone makes it through alright.

 

[Lammie]

Why are the coupons worthless? I haven't clipped them in a long time but was thinking about starting again. I never could get the knack of saving all the money that some folks can save on food. I just shop one store and they are about the best thing going for price right now.

Good old HEB.