The state of the economy at the street level

[farmerge]

According to Employment experts at Seek, there may be fewer jobs available if the job ads are anything to go by.


Mick

Still plenty of signage with Staff Wanted though

 

[divs4ever]

Still plenty of signage with Staff Wanted though

the staff wanted ads , i see ( on business front-doors/windows )

seem to be going back to 'old-school ' recruitment ie eye-ball them first

but then i was aware some 'fluff-up ' the CVs and hope to score an interview over the last two decades

more interestingly i note the mediocre progress by the two ASX listed companies that check references and certifications of potential employees , i would have thought they would be doing well by now ( seems i have dodged two more bullets rather than missed those trains )

 

[wayneL]

Still plenty of signage with Staff Wanted though

Virtually impossible to find with the aptitude to become an apprentice in my trade.

Mind you on days like today, several trillion degrees and thousands of percent humidity, I can understand why.

<Itshyperboleokay?>

 

[divs4ever]

Virtually impossible to find with the aptitude to become an apprentice in my trade.

Mind you on days like today, several trillion degrees and thousands of percent humidity, I can understand why.

<Itshyperboleokay?>

some industries demand hard work in unpleasant conditions , watch the applicants whine when those tasks are done by automation

and the bankers whine when a business can't afford to pay the leases on that automation ( you can't 'pink-slip ' them two weeks in advance )

 

[wayneL]

some industries demand hard work in unpleasant conditions ,

It's definitely yin and yang in my game.

It is the ultimate guy thing, working outside, shiny hammers, red hot steel, crafty, yet highly intellectual at the top end, mostly very attractive clients ,mostly revered as Gods (that can change very quickly if you **** up though ).

But, it's tough on your body. Though my back is good, my elbows are f***ed and my doctor thinks I am into self-harm because of the scars on my arms. I have had several concussions, broken ribs and my jaw has been dislocated twice; all of which you just have to work through and suck up the pain.

Despite my whinging, I actually love it and I would really enjoy passing on my knowledge at some stage.

 

[mullokintyre]

I have not had a herd tough life as a manual labourer, though i have been a pretend farmer and pretend car and plane restorer.
I have had my fair share of bumps bruises and cuts, mostly to me hands.
Some time ago my wife looked at my battle scarred fingers and said that I did not have cuticles, I had uglicles.
Mick

 

[farmerge]

It's definitely yin and yang in my game.

It is the ultimate guy thing, working outside, shiny hammers, red hot steel, crafty, yet highly intellectual at the top end, mostly very attractive clients ,mostly revered as Gods (that can change very quickly if you **** up though ).

But, it's tough on your body. Though my back is good, my elbows are f***ed and my doctor thinks I am into self-harm because of the scars on my arms. I have had several concussions, broken ribs and my jaw has been dislocated twice; all of which you just have to work through and suck up the pain.

Despite my whinging, I actually love it and I would really enjoy passing on my knowledge at some stage.

Wanye you belong to a dying breed.
Not very many want or will work in the conditions we choose to do.
Like you I really enjoy the work, though the summer can be killer, there is always the option of that 4.30 start and lunch time knock-off.

 

[wayneL]

Wanye you belong to a dying breed.
Not very many want or will work in the conditions we choose to do.
Like you I really enjoy the work, though the summer can be killer, there is always the option of that 4.30 start and lunch time knock-off.

Yeah, but try getting the dressage queens up at 4:30

 

[farmerge]

Yeah, but try getting the dressage queens up at 4:30

Highly unlikely but jockeys well a different breed

 

[mullokintyre]

Australia's job market shows more sign of cooling.
Decembers job numbers show unemployment unchanged at 3.9%, but that was because of fall in participation rate.
There were 65k jobs lost compared to the consensus figure of plus 15,000 jobs.

Mick

 

[divs4ever]

It's definitely yin and yang in my game.

It is the ultimate guy thing, working outside, shiny hammers, red hot steel, crafty, yet highly intellectual at the top end, mostly very attractive clients ,mostly revered as Gods (that can change very quickly if you **** up though ).

But, it's tough on your body. Though my back is good, my elbows are f***ed and my doctor thinks I am into self-harm because of the scars on my arms. I have had several concussions, broken ribs and my jaw has been dislocated twice; all of which you just have to work through and suck up the pain.

Despite my whinging, I actually love it and I would really enjoy passing on my knowledge at some stage.

the best part of hard dirty work ( although much of mine was inside ,i have pale skin ) is the weak move on more quickly than usual ( sadly some are so incompetent that they get promoted , but that's nepotism for you )

sadly only a rare few understand my short-cuts ( they would rather overpay a certified grifter ) and be royally robbed

 

[Dona Ferentes]

the best part of hard dirty work ( although much of mine was inside ,i have pale skin ) is the weak move on more quickly than usual ( sadly some are so incompetent that they get promoted , but that's nepotism for you )

sadly only a rare few understand my short-cuts ( they would rather overpay a certified grifter ) and be royally robbed

the only way to kill time is to work it to death.

 

[divs4ever]

the only way to kill time is to work it to death.

that is why the government back-paid me to stop

worried about the PSTD claims if i dropped dead on the work-site

 

[investtrader]

Is that the dyslexic version of PTSD?

 

[Belli]

Is that the dyslexic version of PTSD?

That's a grave statement to make.

 

[divs4ever]

Is that the dyslexic version of PTSD?

well i am dyslexic ,

i am too busy trying not to 'fat finger ' my buys and sells

 

[mullokintyre]

The street seems to have got a lot quieter.
From Evil Murdoch press

Australia’s retail sales tumbled in December by the most since the depths of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns as cost of living pressures erode the budgets of households.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released on Tuesday, shows total retail turnover fell 2.7 per cent in December, compared to a 1.7 per cent decline that markets had expected prior to the release of official data.

A monthly decline of 2.7 per cent is the worst result for the series since a 4.2 per cent drop in August 2020 when Melbourne was subject to strict lockdowns that forced many industries to pause as a result of Covid-19.

In a sign that households were feeling the pinch from the Reserve Bank’s record run of rate rises and soaring living expenses, the December result more than reversed a strong bump in November driven by shoppers shifting Christmas spending forward to take advantage of the Black Friday sales.

And taking a leaf from the US Data peddlers, the November sales growth was revised downwards by a whopping 25%!!!!

November growth was revised down from 2 per cent to 1.6 per cent, which the ABS said was a larger correction than usual, reflecting improvements in the data as the evolving seasonal pattern becomes clearer.

Plenty of expert opinion as to why.

ABS head of retail statistics Ben Dorber said the December fall was caused by a drop in discretionary spending as shoppers shifted forward much of their Christmas spending to November because of Black Friday.
“This shift in spending from December to November reflects the growing popularity of Black Friday sales and the impact of cost-of-living pressures, with consumers seeking out bargains and taking advantage of discounts in November,” he said.

Now look at this statement from the same report.
Seasonally adjusted figures show that retail turnover was up 0.8 per cent in the 12 months to December.
So depite having a year in which inflation varied between 4 and 6%, retail sales grew by 0.8%.
Is that not recessi9nary or what?




Its all down hill from here.
Mick

 

[JohnDe]

Godfreys Group, the iconic retailer of vacuums that has been selling cleaners for almost 100 years, has collapsed into administration, with cost of living pressures and the challenging economic environment sucking out its profitability and causing its demise.​

I still remember the Godfrey's vacuum that my grandparents purchased new when I was a little tacker. A service guy would come round on a regular basis, clean and service it. That vacuum cleaner outlasted both my grandparents. Built to last and be repaired, not like the majority of the cheap stuff today.

Australia’s most famous vacuum retailer Godfreys collapses into administration

Godfreys Group, the iconic retailer of vacuums that has been selling cleaners for almost 100 years, has collapsed into administration, with cost of living pressures and the challenging economic environment sucking out its profitability and causing its demise.
The business had been owned by the Johnston family with former patriarch John Johnston a co-founder of the business and still active within the company at 100 years of age.
He died in 2018, just five months after he led a takeover of the business which included it being briefly listed on the stock exchange.

“Sadly, like many retailers, we have been heavily impacted by consumer confidence and spending due to the economic era of high inflation, rising interest rates, and intense cost of living pressures,” Mr Johnston’s daughter Jane Allen said on Tuesday.

“We are also still suffering from the unprecedented business disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.

The collapse of Godfreys has placed in doubt the future of its 141 stores across Australia and New Zealand and its 600 staff, with the voluntary administrators appointed to the failed retailer deciding that around 54 stores will close within the next two weeks with the loss of 193 staff of which 171 are in Australia.

John Johnston and others outside Godfreys original Adelaide Arcade store. Picture: Supplied

Established in 1931, Godfreys is one of the world’s largest vacuum retailers and one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading suppliers of specialty commercial floor care and associated cleaning products.

The first store was opened in Melbourne in 1936, followed three years later with the first Adelaide store in Adelaide Arcade in 1939.

The business operates 141 stores and employs more than 600 staff across Australia and New Zealand, with an additional 28 stores run by franchisees.

Craig Crosbie, Robert Ditrich and Daniel Walley of PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia have been appointed as voluntary administrators of the Australian entities. John Fisk and Stephen White of PwC New Zealand have been appointed voluntary administrators over the New Zealand subsidiary.

The administrators will continue to trade the Godfreys business while undertaking an immediate operational restructure and sale process. As a result of the restructure, it is anticipated that 54 stores will be closed within the next 14 days, affecting the employment of approximately 193 staff, 171 in Australia and 22 in New Zealand.

“Like many retailers, Godfreys has faced a challenging economic and operating environment,” Mr Crosbie said. “Lower customer demand amid cost of living pressures, higher operating costs, and increased competition have all taken a toll on profitability, with some stores more impacted than others.


John Johnston.

“Our aim is to move quickly to restructure Godfreys to preserve as much of the business and as many jobs as possible. We intend to trade the restructured store network and sell the business and assets as a going concern, with strong interest expected from prospective buyers.”

Godfreys’ director, Mr Grant Hancock, said: “While the decision to appoint administrators was difficult, it was made with the best interests of Godfreys’ employees, customers and broader stakeholders in mind.”

The first meeting of creditors will be held on February 9.

Ms Allen said that after a proud trading history, spanning more than 90 years, the Godfreys Group was “deeply saddened” to announce it had made the “very difficult decision” to appoint voluntary administrators.

The opening of a new Godfreys store in Gympie. Picture: Patrick Woods / Gympie Times

She noted her late father, Mr Johnston, had re-entered the workforce at 100 years old to guide the company.

“He valued our employees, many who have been with us for up to four decades. Godfreys’ employees and customers are at the heart of everything we do and it’s a very emotional time.”

She said despite best efforts to improve profitability through various platforms, unfortunately, Godfreys had been hit by conditions beyond its control, including the weakness in discretionary spending by consumers, which has had an ongoing and significant impact on

sales.

“While it’s deeply regrettable, we need to take this action. This decision has been made in the best interests of our employees, together with our customers – it’s about securing the company’s future.

“I am so proud of our employees and franchisees and thank them for their ongoing dedication and commitment to maintaining outstanding service and satisfaction to our customers across what’s been an unprecedented and very challenging period.”

 

[InsvestoBoy]

Retail sales plunge, Godfreys goes bust

Shoppers slashed retail spending in the run-up to Christmas by the most since the pandemic lockdowns, by cutting back on household goods, clothes and footwear.

www.afr.com

(against a consensus estimate of -1.9% and with current CPI readings making real retail sales quite harsh)

that said, when I go to the local shopping centre, I just don't see it. Everything still busy, everyone still buying. Even at Myer.

 

[farmerge]

View attachment 169829

Retail sales plunge, Godfreys goes bust

Shoppers slashed retail spending in the run-up to Christmas by the most since the pandemic lockdowns, by cutting back on household goods, clothes and footwear.

www.afr.com

(against a consensus estimate of -1.9% and with current CPI readings making real retail sales quite harsh)

that said, when I go to the local shopping centre, I just don't see it. Everything still busy, everyone still buying. Even at Myer.

I was in the local food hall at Midland Gate a few days ago.
Plenty of traffic in the shops and at the noshery, plenty of fat, obese types stuffing themselves with the delicious takeaway.
It must be that piece of plastic that is in use.
Me, I paid for my meal with folding and got a couple of dollars knocked off the price of my lunch.
Cash is king.