CroCop said:
Are you serious about the advertised $6? That's criminal!?!?!
Yes, very serious. They e-mailed me and I thought it was a spoof, then I saw it on one of the job board sites.
Locally, a machinery manufacturer has no trouble getting $9 electricians. Most construction jobs are $8-9, unless you are with a union contractor. Some really good hotshot licensed plumbers are getting $12-14.
A "national" temp angency was advertising for electrical engineers down in bloomington (IL) for $14.50 an hour, and got several. A couple of switchgear companies near Peoria are looking for $30K engineers, and I am pretty sure they will get several.
I was talking to an Automation Supplier yesterday who was telling me that about 50% of the controls engineers he has know in the last 10 years have left the field for steady employment.
Today I heard on the radio that the average worker today will have 14 jobs and 4 career changes in his 45 year working career.
WARNING Many companies in Cental Illinois will bring people in for a competetive wage, or sometimes better then average. In many cases, after you have started, you are given a feeble excuse and a major wage cut. Some local companies will do this after you have given notice, but not started the new job yet.
I had one contract house ask me three days running if I had given notice yet, The fourth time they asked, I said yes, and they promptly offered me the wage reduction as the customer had a budget cut. Since I had not actually given notice yet, I was not in any danger where I was working. I called the new customer, and asked them about it. Thety later contacted me and thanked me, subsequently dumping that contract house, which is still a big player in Chicago and Northern Illinois.
Life in the cornfields.....
I here things are booming in Arkansas!