I'm from Michigan, I worked in Dearborn the last 3 years (where Ford's HQ is) and virtually every single person in the community I lived in was directly or indirectly affected by the Big 3 Automakers.  Unemployment in Michigan is something like 12-13% right now (highest in the nation) and will probably hit 20% when all these factories/dealerships/service centers close.  Needless to say I am glad I recently got the fuck out of there and most of my family is doing the same soon from what my Dad tells me.  Michigan people have known about this shit for years, and I don't think pointing the finger is really going to do anything, the blame is shared all over the place.

1) The entire industry was built on a model of infinite growth in the post-WW2 boom where the US Auto Industry sold cars to the entire world and built a pay and benefit model on the infinite continuation of that system which only existed in a brief post-war bubble and fucked them forever after that.

2) The auto workers had excellent working deals, but the accumulation of retirement benefits and high salaries (which were a result of enormous growth in the 50s and 60s) dragged the company down.  The people in most of these plants in Detroit, Flint, Pontiac, etc. in Michigan have basically high school degrees (if that) or some minor technical certs and make great money and have good benefits.  I know tons of people from my high school and family who went into jobs like that, and those jobs will no longer exist in any economy.  When people in Mexico, China, E. Europe, S. America are willing to work in factories and produce automobiles for 10% of what UAW demands then how can you continue to be competitive when you are paying the person who screws on the bolts 80k a year and paying 10k a month in medication's for his dad who was a previous generation worker.  Meanwhile, GM Mexico is paying their employees $1 a day with no benefits and have people lined up around the block.  And with industry automation the two factories can produce the exact same working car with very little skill involved outside of engineering and technical supervision.  The Union should have realized who they were really competing with (and it wasn't the management) and taken massive pay and benefit cuts.  Meanwhile, the management has fucked up just about every way you can with their financial situation and refused to handle their books until the last possible second, so they are just as much to blame.

3) Shitty fucking cars.  This goes without saying.  Most of the big 3 have only recently begun producing quality cars here and there (Chevy Malibu gets excellent ratings, F-150s get excellent ratings), but in all honesty the majority of brands and cars that are produced by big 3 automakers are pieces of shit.

3b) Car Design.  The big 3 spent most of the 90s and early 00s lobbying congress to prevent upping fuel efficiency restrictions on car design and now that MPG is probably the top 3 selling point on every vehicle moved off a lot in America who do you think is cleaning up in that business?  Japanese, Korean, European (and soon Chinese) automakers all realized a long time ago that fuel efficiency was a top priority.  Somehow the big 3 did not, and continued to design gas hogging pieces of shit and wondering why no one would buy them even as gas pushed $3/$4 a gallon.  They even had top models of cars they sold in Europe with excellent MPG that they just didn't put into production in the United States.

I could write about this all day but it just makes my skull boil thinking about it.  Entire cities in Michigan are just being hollowed out and abandoned with these business closings.  Michigan has been in a recession for like 3 years longer than the rest of the US economy and it is only getting worse.  Most people who are from Michigan have expected this for a long time (that these companies would fail) and most of us are so cynical and depressed about the economy of the state that it doesn't even matter at this point.  There's absolutely no future.

thank you.

coming from the background that i come from (my mom works for the UAW, most of my family have been union members at one time or another) it is difficult for me to not immediately jump to the defense of the UAW when i see it getting shit on. however, the UAW isn't completely to blame, at least, not the actual negotiating part of it. so many of the people working in the factories have these delusions of grandeur. this misdirected pride in what they do, like they're the only people who can do it. they get offered a great contract and yet they want more so they vote it down. it is the job of the UAW to respect their wishes and go back and ask for more. sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't.

i just... it's so frustrating. SO frustrating. my husband is laid off indefinitely. my mother will probably be out of a job in a few weeks. chad is right, the unemployment rates are going to jump, dramatically, i'd guess. probably more like 25%, i'd wager.

starting monday i am picking up a few hours a week at a cafe, for cash. hopefully i'll be making enough to cover groceries every week.

eh. i am done with this.

note : I wasent "shitting" on the UAW. I just don't know what their impact on the situ was/is. The MGMT however, I know they are fuckwits.

note2: I wasent assuming you are pissed off at me personaly.

and good luck and best wishes to MI.

I've been on unemployment since Jan. 9, 2009.  I have put out about 300 resumes and filled out countless applications.  I tried to get a retail job and the 21 year old girl seriously asked me, "why would you want to work at the mall with your qualifications and being your age?" and I said, "uhh... because even though it's $7.50/hr, it's a job, and my unemployment checks won't come forever!"  I didn't get the job.  It just sucks, because I won't have my BA in Accounting for two more years so I can't get a decent job, and I am too old for a shitty job.... and I'm only 27!

can you get your degree quicker?


Learning Japanese has turned out to be the best choice ever when it comes to jobs. When I interview, I might compete with 1-2 others maximum

That's because you live IN JAPAN..... and no, I can't get my degree quicker unless I want to waste my money on an online degree which is pretty much worthless.

That's because you live IN JAPAN..... and no, I can't get my degree quicker unless I want to waste my money on an online degree which is pretty much worthless.

Right, it was an indirect way of saying that planning how you'll differentiate yourself is a good idea, especially while you're still studying

Differentiate..... hmmm... how hard is it to learn Japanese?

The Defense Language Institute ranks it a level 3 out of 5 overall for difficulty in learning and maintaining. Easier than Russian or Farsi.

I've been on unemployment since Jan. 9, 2009.  I have put out about 300 resumes and filled out countless applications.  I tried to get a retail job and the 21 year old girl seriously asked me, "why would you want to work at the mall with your qualifications and being your age?" and I said, "uhh... because even though it's $7.50/hr, it's a job, and my unemployment checks won't come forever!"  I didn't get the job.  It just sucks, because I won't have my BA in Accounting for two more years so I can't get a decent job, and I am too old for a shitty job.... and I'm only 27!

I clicked over 21 years with my employer this week. I thinking of throwing a 21st party. I have no degree, and yet somehow I have landed in a job that pays well. All I seemed to have done is get a foot in the door, and run with it.

...because 21 years ago you didn't need a degree....

true... but I still argue that it isnt necessary.

In the US, the unemployment rates are currently:

High School Dropout: ~15%
High School Diploma: ~10%
College Degree: <5%

There are correlations between lifetime earnings, ability to get a job, and other things that favor getting a college degree.

I do agree that degrees aren't necessary to do a job competently.  I think that most of the things that people get college degrees for are a waste of time.  When I worked at Target for example, all of the managers were college grads.  Why did they need to go to college for that?  They were primarily baby sitters for high school kids.

You'd have to completely reform the university system to do anything about it, though.  Universities, with their endowments and presidents with CEO salaries aren't going to cooperate though.  MBAs are stupid, pointless degrees but for whatever reason have value.  A BA in communication will get you a retail managerial job - without it, the company is going to jerk you around more and make it harder to advance, even if you are better at your job than someone with a degree.

I think a good starting point would be that if you can get the degree from the University of Phoenix online, then that degree program is useless and should be eliminated everywhere.

They still call it the "Million Dollar Decision" meaning that dropping out of school and not getting a degree will cost you about a million dollars over your lifetime.

Sasha, it took me 2 years and over 100 resumes before I was able to land a new job. it is so hard out there, and you're right to try to take anything. By the end I was interviewing to sell pianos, and to work at florist shops, and Im just a thesis away from my masters.
Thankfully I landed a job, and it'll come your way eventually, too. A degree makes the difference, and nick gave good advice. Any way you can differentiate yourself really makes a difference. Did you take Spanish in high school? Play that up. I'm sure there's money in people who can speak spanish and english in your area?

I'm sure there's money in people who can speak spanish and english in your area?

Nah.  The people that speak Spanish in our area aren't going to pay their taxes anyway.
So, no real need to talk to an accountant.

I'm going to try to get my degree in Accounting IT, which will mean I will have a double major in Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Accounting and
Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Computer Information Technology.  I am going to bust ass to try to be done with that by the time I am 30/31.  I think if I double major then I will be unstoppable..... plus I couldn't decide between computer information or accounting, because I love them both!  *insert nerd laugh

But seriously, I suck at networking, because all of my friends are either hairdressers, unemployed artists, or waitresses.

I clicked over 21 years with my employer this week.

That's funny - as of Thursday I've been working for this company for 11 years.

But seriously, I suck at networking, because all of my friends are either hairdressers, unemployed artists, or waitresses.

OUCH.

Youre gonna style my hair into a beehive when I'm there Lucas.

And catch me up on all the goss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/opinion/07cohanWEB.html

Hard for anyone to deny that the US is a plutocracy these days.

I'm going to try to get my degree in Accounting IT, which will mean I will have a double major in Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Accounting and
Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Computer Information Technology.  I am going to bust ass to try to be done with that by the time I am 30/31.  I think if I double major then I will be unstoppable..... plus I couldn't decide between computer information or accounting, because I love them both!  *insert nerd laugh

But seriously, I suck at networking, because all of my friends are either hairdressers, unemployed artists, or waitresses.

Networking is key - you don't have to ditch your friends, but find some people who do what you want to be doing and start mingling.

Holy crap that's a lot of qualifications. I have a double major BA in Japanese and Comp Sci, was done at 21 thanks to kiwi-land not requiring a year of general ed.

Networking is best done thru clubs. You want to strive for the clubs that are invite only. Work your way up from the general clubs.

My membership to clubs is my greatest intangible asset.

Networking is best done thru clubs. You want to strive for the clubs that are invite only. Fuck your way up from the general clubs.

My membership to clubs is my greatest intangible asset.

Yeah, that can work for you or against you. It's all about due diligence when fucking your way up.

I think I would need a class makeover to get into a club like that, or just a million plus dollars.

I am a member of nothing!

'cept this place.

I am an island!

I am a member of nothing!

'cept this place.

I am an island!

you're a continent, Ian. C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T

For some reason, I have never thought of AU as a continent or an island. I have never thought about it at all.