[outrunjason]

In all the years in business this has been the worst year. I can't find any employees at all. Day labor centers are empty and if I do find a guy they want $18hr and a paid lunch. We are in a housing boom here in the Dallas area so all the workers are doing that. Anyone else having this issue?

Jason

 

[wheatus]

if I do find a guy they want $18hr and a paid lunch

So you can find people just not any willing to work at the wages your offering. Sounds like the market has spoken. Time to raise your prices!

 

[outrunjason]

Normally we can put the word out and get employees. We have given an incentive to our current employees that if they can find someone to work for us we will pay them $100. They can't even find anyone.
We did have one guy come in for an interview and he worked one day and was a no call no show for 3 days after that he was fired. We then called a guy that we didn't hire and he said he wanted the job and then he was a no show. That was all we had.

 

[stringfellohawk]

Have you looked at National Guard Armories/Reserve Centers as well as LDS (Mormon) Churches? Guaranteed to be drug free.

 

[Mdirrigation]

Sounds like you need to pay more . Construction and landscaping compete for the same laborers . Why work for 12 bucks an hour when you can get 18 bucks an hour . This will become the new normal . This is the basic law of supply and demand .

 

[outrunjason]

We run Hispanic crews only and they only want to work with other Hispanics. Thats the market down here. Mostly all Hispanic.

 

[outrunjason]

Sounds like you need to pay more . Construction and landscaping compete for the same laborers . Why work for 12 bucks an hour when you can get 18 bucks an hour . This will become the new normal . This is the basic law of supply and demand .

Yeah this is very true. That is the problem that we have arrived at.

So our drivers make $14 an hour. Some have been here about 2 years. If I tell them to go out and find me helpers and we will pay them $18 an hour then I am going to have all my guys wanting that. We would go out of business at that rate. But yeah we may have to pay a lot more but I do not know how we are going to pay that much for helpers. Would just be insane. I would rather gas go back to 3 and 4 bucks.

 

[outrunjason]

Also we have day labor centers where you would normally find 100 plus workers standing out front looking for work. There will be a line of companies picking up labor. Not now. There might be 5 people there and by 9 some of them are drunk or holding out for $20 an hour.

 

[Mdirrigation]

Well you will go out of business with too much work and not enough help . For the last 10 to 15 years , prices for work have been stagnant , and wages have also been stagnant . its about time things start going up . Sounds like the workers have realized they are needed and are holding out for more money . Its gonna happen all over . You may have to bite the bullet and increase wages . It may mean lower margins for the business

 

[outrunjason]

Well you will go out of business with too much work and not enough help . For the last 10 to 15 years , prices for work have been stagnant , and wages have also been stagnant . its about time things start going up . Sounds like the workers have realized they are needed and are holding out for more money . Its gonna happen all over . You may have to bite the bullet and increase wages . It may mean lower margins for the business

Yes that is what I am afraid of. Might have to completely change our outlook for the year.

 

[stringfellohawk]

Yes that is what I am afraid of. Might have to completely change our outlook for the year.

Do not fear change. Embrace is.

 

[ZombieCutter]

A 20% increase in labor costs means a 35% minimum increase in gross sales is needed. 40% is better.

Make it so.

 

[Mdirrigation]

And the situation with labor will get better or worse ( depending if you are left or right ) when illegal aliens cant cross the border and those here are asked to leave .

 

[outrunjason]

We actually lowered prices this year because everybody with a truck is out there mowing now and just low balling the industry. But when it comes to legit companies we are on the high end as far as pricing until this year. We lowered services by $2 for weekly and by $6 for bi-weekly.

 

[stringfellohawk]

We actually lowered prices this year because everybody with a truck is out there mowing now and just low balling the industry. But when it comes to legit companies we are on the high end as far as pricing until this year. We lowered services by $2 for weekly and by $6 for bi-weekly.

How much have you diversified? What do you offer other than grass shaving?

 

[wheatus]

We actually lowered prices this year because everybody with a truck is out there mowing now and just low balling the industry. But when it comes to legit companies we are on the high end as far as pricing until this year. We lowered services by $2 for weekly and by $6 for bi-weekly.

This makes absolutely no sense. Why are you lowering prices to compete when labor costs are sky rocketing?

 

[stringfellohawk]

I think this thread should have an amended title: "I cannot find ANY Hispanic employees that will work for trivial wage"

If I recall right, 5 of the top 10 cities with the best economies in the US are located in Texas as per Forbes.

 

[Mdirrigation]

if everybody lowers prices , the prices only keep going lower

 

[TPendagast]

We actually lowered prices this year because everybody with a truck is out there mowing now and just low balling the industry. But when it comes to legit companies we are on the high end as far as pricing until this year. We lowered services by $2 for weekly and by $6 for bi-weekly.

we just had this conversation in another thread about the h2b program, I said EXACTLY that would happen and people chose to mock me.

The lesson is this isnt the FIRST time this has happened.
it's happened before, Im not a mind reader, Ive just seen it before.

Here's My two cents.

your hsipanic laborers ONLY want to work with Hispanic laborers?

Sweet. Let them.

Give this whole thing time, the Hispanic labor force will QUICKLY find their throats cut.
What they "used to do" is going to go away.

Hire Felons.
The government will give $2400 tax credit for every felon hired.
Hire ten felons make another $24,000?
Sounds like a plan to me.

They need jobs, are hungry for work and most employers dont want them because they are picky and prejudice.
If you dont like dude A and fellow B, dont hire them, no one is making you hire anyone. BUT DO go after convicts because it's essentially an untapped labor force.

When hispanics show up looking for work, tell them "gee you know I would but my workers only want to work with their own people" :laugh:

 

[jc1]

We actually lowered prices this year because everybody with a truck is out there mowing now and just low balling the industry. But when it comes to legit companies we are on the high end as far as pricing until this year. We lowered services by $2 for weekly and by $6 for bi-weekly.

The object when you dont have enough employees is to increase prices to improve the bottom line with less revenue.