More good economic news

[tlwwake]

 

[Bitter Creek]

I like it

 

[tlwwake]

 

[JimmyBob]

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And the bad news is how many qualified applicants are available to fill those openings.

 

[aix_xpert]

Big issue is that a lot of these available jobs are in fields that don't have long term futures, such as Truck Driving. Hard to motivate people to get the skills necessary to fill these needs when you know in 10 years or so, you'll be replaced by a self-driving version.

 

[07pilt]

Big issue is that a lot of these available jobs are in fields that don't have long term futures, such as Truck Driving. Hard to motivate people to get the skills necessary to fill these needs when you know in 10 years or so, you'll be replaced by a self-driving version.

I bet most the people on this forum don't live to see the end of truck driving as a vocation.

 

[aix_xpert]

I bet most the people on this forum don't live to see the end of truck driving as a vocation.

You are probably right. But a 20 year old looking at this type of training and development, isn't likely to sign up and take that chance. Not when there are vocational equivalents (A/C service, Welding, etc...) that don't have the same job risk factors.

 

[07pilt]

You are probably right. But a 20 year old looking at this type of training and development, isn't likely to sign up and take that chance. Not when there are vocational equivalents (A/C service, Welding, etc...) that don't have the same job risk factors.

risk=reward. What do you think is going to happen to the relative wages of those professions as people avoid getting their CDL and start learning to weld en masse.

 

[Bitter Creek]

risk=reward. What do you think is going to happen to the relative wages of those professions as people avoid getting their CDL and start learning to weld en masse.

Yep. Becoming a pipefitter/welder, electrician... any of those skilled trades

 

[OKSTATE1]

Yep. Becoming a pipefitter/welder, electrician... any of those skilled trades

We have a HUGE shortage in this country in skilled labor of this type, it is in the millions.

 

[aix_xpert]

risk=reward. What do you think is going to happen to the relative wages of those professions as people avoid getting their CDL and start learning to weld en masse.

Honestly, there are four possible outcomes here: 1) You follow a true supply and demand curve, and the lack of capable drivers spike wages so significantly that it motivates those that those willing to get a CDL and do that trade will be excessively rewarded for it; 2) The labor shortage drives us even faster towards automation to fill the labor gap and we accelerate the adoption of automated semis; 3) Regulations are passed that require automated trucks to require drivers, thus ensuring that drivers have a role and future above and beyond self-driving vehicles and wages for those drivers remain relatively flat; 4) Entry-level drivers continue to join the industry at a normalized salary at somewhere near the needed volume with zero regard for the future role/position of the semi-driver. Personally, there is some amount of #4 that will happen, but not enough to fill the employment gaps (as seen thus far), and thus I'd expect you will see some of #1 (wages increasing for entry-level and current CDL drivers) until #3 starts occurring across some states. Auspiciously it will be reported that drivers are needed for safety reasons, but in reality, the legislation will be about saving/maintaining a significant workforce that may have limited adaptability to other economically beneficial positions.