Posted on 01/29/2007 11:27:14 AM PST by SirLinksalot
Alaska faces skilled-worker shortage
The state's pay premium, which drew outsiders in the 1970s, has dwindled to almost nothing.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Union apprentices training to build their carpentry skills in this part of Alaska have a nickname for more seasoned co-workers they meet on job sites. "We call them the 'Geriatric Crew,' " says Clint Meyer, one of the 20- and 30-somethings working out of a union- operated training center in south Anchorage.
It's an apt description. While Alaska's economy has grown – and its construction business has blossomed – over the last two decades, the pool of skilled construction laborers has not. Now, so many tradesmen are nearing retirement age that the state is struggling simply to replace them. If building takes off, Alaska could face a worker shortfall similar to the 1970s when Americans from the Lower 48 flocked here to take advantage of high-paying jobs.
There's just one problem: Alaska's pay premium has all but disappeared in the past decade.
"We've become closer to average than we used to be," says Neal Fried, a state labor economist. Attractive jobs are plentiful elsewhere. "Look at Seattle. We used to get our workers from there. Now some here go there."
The graying skilled labor force is a national issue, economists say, but it is accentuated in Alaska, where aging baby boomers dominate demographics more than most states. That demographic bulge, particularly prevalent in construction and other blue-collar trades, is now nearing retirement.
"I keep pulling up the average age of our members, this huge aging, graying group, and they're two years younger than me," says John Palmatier, executive secretary/treasurer for the Alaska Regional Council of Carpenters. "Then I look in the mirror and there's this old guy looking back at me."
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
It's over. Alaska has come and gone. The present 20s-30s will be geriatrics themselves before the next boom cycle.
Not true in most of Alaska, Houston TX to me was extemely bad about the ratio of men and women, I actually think its stabilized at about 40/60% women/men here in Alaska. Not for more than 20 years was it mostly men, then women moved here looking for men.
I didn't see your post and thank you very much for finding that link! Now people can see in detail basically how really redneck Alaska is! At least I was close at 40% for the women though it makes ense now, we actually have a whole lot of women!
"As a whole the people that live here prefer to keep the state from expanding, more people means less each individual gets from the yearly check of oil profits we call the Permanent Fund Dividend."
Oh, how I miss the PFD! How much was it last year?
They are screaming for crews on oil rigs as we speak.
I understand it used to be much different.
I've heard tale that the women up here used to have the saying:
"The odds are good, but the goods are odd."
Horse crap pure and simple. There are a whole lot of NON-UNION workers around. Also they get paid better a lot of times.
bookmark for later printing.
I've run into that attitude. The most pronounced was a few years ago when I was doing some insurance repair for this guy. He seemed to feel it was necessary to describe to me in detail things that any tyro would feel were incredibly obvious. I managed to let it pass without any comment that was unequivocally sarcastic (a personal triumph in self restraint).
One year later I found myself at his house doing a report for his insurance company, wearing a tie and jacket. He asked me my opinion of his policy, and when he found my area of expertise was in construction, asked me some questions in that area. He even wanted me to inspect my own work! He didn't have a clue that I'd been there before.
Clothes do indeed make the man.
Rural Missouri is like that, too.
Isn't that the truth? I'm tired of all the sob stories from businesses that want slave labor.
I think it was $1103.00, I just filed for my earlybird, I am guessing we might see it up near $1500 because of the price of gas but then again maybe not for another year for the investments to return. Of course also there seems to actually be less people moving here as well and that may allow it to go higher still.
I would say the same for a lot of women up here! Some are downright nutty!
The Canadians might just say to them, "take off, eh!"
Yes, indeed! Canada is very strict with illegal immigrants. Before the last Mexican election, Fox complained that it was a violation of humn rights to detain and deport Mexicans illegally in Canada. Harper basically told him to pound sand. If you are in the country illegally, you will be deported.
Bingo. That's the free, fair market at work. It works quite well too.
aaaah a johny horton fan...
thanks
teeman
in 1959 we took a little hike,
with our scout master down to lake ohmegomike.
we took a little pizza and we took some sauerkrauts,
and we marched along together til we heard the girl scouts.
-homer and jethro paroding the battle of new orleans
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