How's the economy in your area?

[GaryN]

I live in Utah. Last year was a little better than the year before but nothing to brag about. The start to this year has been really slow. I guess all the glowing news coming out of the White House must be from somewhere else. I know there are other areas that are really struggling. What's happening where you live?

[white eagle]

well the gas price was really down for awhile however the greed mongers are jacking the price back up
work has been better for me (construction bricklayer) wages are about what they were before the big panic
all in all fair

[bhn22]

Plenty of $10.00/hr jobs in Nebraska! Come on down!

[Plate plinker]

Based on wages it could be better. Wages are rather stagnant compared to inflation I would say.

[Smoke4320]

Dead Dead and more dead .. just driving from town to town I see more and more businesses closed

[shooter93]

I'm a builder and despite the white house and media blitz it's not good at all. Some areas building is up but not to the extent needed nation wide. In 50 years building I've never seen it this slow and we're in a pretty insulated area. Many of the older builders here are beginning to think we'll not live long enough to see a turn around. Put that on top of there are no younger worker coming into the trades it's not good. If fuel prices stay down and the northeast winter ever ends it may pick up but I'm not hopeful.

[pressonregardless]

Read this article today & didn't think the outlook sounded very positive.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-16/chinas-cosco-dis-assembles-8-ships-amid-glut-baltic-dry-hits-another-record-low

[Janoosh]

I'm in the service industry and I am doing well. BUT.....I pass lots of strip malls....with a number of empty stores in each. That's not looking good. Gas is down, food is exhorbitantly high.

[DLCTEX]

Our economy has been good due to the oil business. We have had just enough rain to support cattle and cotton. Now lower oil prices have brought most of that industry to a halt and the pinch has taken effect. Our temporary population is way down and two restaurants have closed. People are cutting back on what they spend on repairs and improvements. On the plus side the support industry for the existing wells will last a long time.

[shoot-n-lead]

Our economy is not good and has not been since 2008...nothing here to power it and I don't see anything on the horizon to change that.

[GabbyM]

17 1/2 % of households in my county are on food stamps. It keeps going up in a fairly straight trend line.
Our new Governors answer this. Bust unions and drive down wages. Make Illinois a right to work state. Democrats and Communist answer. Go to an unsustainable pyramid scheme of Socialism. Working mans answer so far is to stay sleeping and do nothing about the leaches running this nation.

My opinion. Afraid! Since history shows. It's times like these. When men holding little hope and enjoying no representative government. When dangerous men rise to popularity. Get voted into office then do horrible things.

[waksupi]

The oil boom was helping here for awhile. Lots of guys commuting clear across the state for work, and bringing money home. The turn down is showing it's effect. It seems like more small businesses close their doors every month. Lots of help wanted signs, for minimum wage, and part time work. Winter down cycle is normal here, with the tourist season bringing in the most bucks. We shall see how it is this year, most likely better if gas prices stay down. VERY little new construction going on.

[dragon813gt]

Economy here is fine. New construction started back up a few years ago. New commercial buildings are going up monthly. If you have a SKILL you will find work easily and be paid well for it.

Real estate has recovered in most areas. In some it's going crazy again. The opportunity to buy when it was down was a few years ago.

Living in a more urban area has it's advantages. Job availability is one of them. If you don't have a skill you will die in short order here. Now the city I live outside has a 40% poverty level. I don't visit not work there so don't care about it. As long as the trash stays w/in the city limits and real estate values don't depreciate I don't care what happens there.

[RED333]

Here in middle Tn everywhere I look I see stuff getting built, big warehouses with empty ones next door.
Large apartment complexes going up and very few homes getting built.
Empty strip malls, minimum wage jobs for part time work.
Very few looking for skilled labor.
So in this area some good and some bad.
I did get a raise this year.

[FISH4BUGS]

I am self employed and am a consultant to Law Firms throughout the NorthEast. Last year was not my best, but this year started with a bang. A few deals that I worked on for two years are coming to fruition.
I used to drive some 50,000 miles per year (the diesel Benz has 405,000 on it) but have cut that in half thanks to remote software. I go on site to install and train, then support remotely.
My SO is a self employed also as a massage therapist. Her practice has been hurt by the weather with cancellations. She was slow last year.
I think things are beginning to turn around. It would have happened sooner if that ***** in the White House would have kept his fingers out of the economy. Remember all those shovel ready jobs? ObamaCare? Government Motors? QE1, 2 and 3? THAT is what has hurt us.

[Garyshome]

Stuff picked up here a little, I don't think it will last real long. Everyone from the surrounding counties comes here for work, lots of mexicans.

[GRUMPA]

In Northern Rural AZ, since we moved here stores have come and gone. Major businesses have close/shut down, most existing businesses are family owned where nepotism is the hiring rule. General majority of the population is very poor, there aren't really any jobs that pay more than minimum wage on a part time basis. Most of the population here are retired folks on a fixed income, and goods and services are almost none-existent. Economy here seems to be rather depressed and according to the wife majorly.

[Blacksmith]

Speaking for the middle Atlantic I'd say prices of almost everything (except gas) are up and business is down. The number of vacant stores is scary, it used to be when a store went out of business withing a couple of months at most a new one moved in. Now whole sections of shopping centers are empty. There used to be a steady building of new commercial space now nothing but a occasional custom built for a particular business.

It will take a long time to fill all those vacancies.

[nagantguy]

We are self.employed small.famy business, been running nearly 40 years. Worst this year its ever been except 2008. Lots of new construction but they pay what we were getting in the 80s. Guess what language all their laborers speak, it ain't German! The small farm I've been on and owned for three years now hasn't made me millions yet, but its mine. Food prices are outrageous, gas is back to about 2.50 a gallon. They say there is a shortage of houses on the market, that may be by there is still millions of them sitting empty. State has a massive budget short fall and want a new gas tax to.fix roads cause they already stole and squandered the highway fund. Things not looking to bright. The last 2 stores the wife's managed are now gone, one chain out of business the other out of state. Largest city Detroit just came.out of bankruptcy, others going into. Not quite as desperate as the last depression but not the rosy picture they'd have us believe.

[MaryB]

MN unemployment is low but a lot of it is $10/hr jobs in small manufacturing all over the state. Food prices have doubled on some things hurting those on a fixed income. See a lot of smaller businesses going under here too...

[quilbilly]

This area is dependent on tourism and the gas prices have made it ugly. Now that the gas prices are down some, the Dems want to increase the gas taxes and their anti-sportfishing greeny friends have already ended steelheading for next winter by forcing the end of plants that would have returned next winter. Steelhead are the life blood of winter tourism here. Now ITT Rayonier has announced they are almost out of cutable timber so will be cutting most of their logger and mill people in the next few months. Not pretty for towns like Forks, Wa.

[HarryT]

The economy is great here. Nobody is working but everybody has plenty of (government) money. Can't find a parking place at Walmarts or McDonalds.

[runfiverun]

Told y'all the tax on the lower gas prices would pop right up.
The economy where I live is mostly agriculture and mining.
The mine ain't hiring, and I don't raise cows except for the odd one or two I keep in the pasture to keep the grass down.
I have worked out of state for the last 10 years in the oil field, and I'm seeing lay-offs left and right.
Seems like about 100 people a week get laid off without warning.

[GaryN]

One of the problems I see is that the politicians are not in touch with their constituents. The government employees are for the most part doing well. There are many businesses that don't do so well when the economy is down. I think a lot of folks are hunkered down and waiting for things to get better. I am in construction (floor coverings). I just don't see it happening until the muslim in the whitehouse is gone.

Our state is in the process of raising gas taxes.

[Houndog]

I live on the outer edge of the Appalachan Coal fields where unemployment is EXTREMELY high! (more than 15% and climbing) We draw a good bit of the retail trade from there and they ain't buying!There are a few part time minimum wage service jobs at fast food places and Wal Mart, but that is about it. Local industries are holding their own but not hiring. The local economist at East Tennessee State University said we have LOST 4500 jobs in this region since the beginning of the year! Our governor won't even talk about industry recruitment in this end of Tennessee. To Haslam and his lackies Tennessee ends at the Knoxville city limits. I'll be more than glad to see him and obumbles GONE! The wino living under the bridge down by the sewer plant would do a better job governing than either one of them!

[Alexn20]

Tech jobs and Construction jobs are plentiful in SLC and Utah county.

[MtGun44]

The real unemployment rate is far higher than the fake gov't numbers
because if you have been out for a long time you no longer count as
unemployed, just a lost soul, I guess.

Retired and doing fine myself, but I really feel for folks trying to live
and work in this over-regulated, government strangled economy.

[Houndog]

The real unemployment rate is far higher than the fake gov't numbers
because if you have been out for a long time you no longer count as
unemployed, just a lost soul, I guess.

Retired and doing fine myself, but I really feel for folks trying to live
and work in this over-regulated, government strangled economy.

According to the local economist, the REAL unemployment rate is close to 15% nationwide! Don't you just love being lied to daily by the gooberment we supposed to trust! Washington NEEDS a real house cleaning no matter if there is an R or D after their name!

[geargnasher]

Typical results of long-term socialism continuing to destroy the middle class still exist here, worse than ever. In a service economy we just keep circulating the same dollar, but ever time it changes hands it gets about 25-50% taxed off of it.

Gear

[Hickok]

I guess muslims don't like coal miners, because here in West Virginia we have really took it on the chin.

[jcwit]

RV's here in No. Indiana are going great.

Low gas prices=big truck sales and RV sales

[MtGun44]

Yep, Zero's War on Coal is in full swing, unlike his non-existent War on Terrorism.

[Wis. Tom]

The small towns around here are full of houses for sale signs, and for rent signs on vacant commercial buildings. If you work for the govt, schools, or some unions, you are holding your own, but nobody seems to be getting ahead. Good plus, Walmart is going to raise their minimum wage, but they haven't told those people getting the raises how many hours per week they will get.

[Rick Hodges]

Still have vacant houses, people walking away from mortgages. Part time minimum wage employment exists. Strip malls are at no better than 60% occupancy.

[btroj]

Yep, Zero's War on Coal is in full swing, unlike his non-existent War on Terrorism.

Maybe someone needs to remind him that coal is black.......

[Handloader109]

I've been in Here in nw Arkansas for 5 yrs. Economy has been just about the same. College town. One new store opens, one older closes. Ton of construction has helped keep economy going. Several thousand apt buildings for college students have been built. Now an alternative issue is slowly becoming apparent to me and that is now houses that were being rented are now empty. Some new homes being built slowly. But resales are extremely slow. Prices have not gone up since 2010. I've got three homes out of 25 in my small neighborhood for sale, one now over 6 months on market, seems to be normal. Jobs are OK, if you want a $9 fast food job. New normal...... I finally sold home in MS after a year on the market. So I am debt free except for small mortgage. We need to desperately clean house in Washington

[MtGun44]

Brad - LOL!

[opos]

I live about 10 minutes from the border crossing at Tijuana..if you are Mexican, illegal, a criminal and willing to be used by the current administration...it's dandy..if you are a white male with a good work ethic and a family to feed...it's in the dumpster...

[jaystuw]

Its funny that you guys blame us for the hard times and we in turn think its all your (conservatives) fault. Anyway it seems like things are getting better here in southern California. But it really is a sliding scale. The wealthy are doing by far the best and it goes down hill from there, the poor are still struggling.

One thing is for sure. A working guy cannot afford to make to many missteps. A few poor choices, and a little bad luck is all it takes to fall through what little safety net there is. Jay

[shoot-n-lead]

The wealthy are doing by far the best and it goes down hill from there, the poor are still struggling.


Yeah, that is true...and Y'ALL are in power...Obama hasn't helped the poor and has pissed away more money than any President ever has...imagine that.

He hasn't figured out that when you do all you can to hurt "evil" business...it hurts the working folks... Who would have thunkit?

[mrcvs]

The price of food and other necessary items keeps on going up (e.g., inflation), gas came down and is rising again, good jobs are hard to come by, and wages are flat or decreasing (even Federal employees have had stagnant wages, or at best, 1% pay increases annually). It isn't going to get better until Obama, the most anti-business and anti-growth president there ever has been, is out of the White House. Even then, it may not, or ever, get much better. Real estate is worse than ever!

[butch2570]

I guess muslims don't like coal miners, because here in West Virginia we have really took it on the chin. Well, zero didn't lie about trying to end coal, a MSHA inspector told me 2 weeks ago ,that there were only 22 surface mines left operating in the state, the deep mines he wasn't sure about. Washington Politics has devastated this state. The spin off jobs associated with the mines has suffered also, equipment sales and maintenance, parts stores, mine supply,steel suppliers, fuel supply,powder companies,railroad, coal transport, river transport, it's endless, the decent -excellent paying jobs that have been lost here. The coal severance taxes the counties have lost is starting to hurt also. This is the worst I can remember, the early 80's were bad also, but I wasn't working then, so I don't know if it was as bad then or not, but this is a different animal we are fighting now.