[MamaDearest]

The economy: My husband was laid off his engineering job (plant closure); I was laid off my administrative job (office closure). Minimum wage in Idaho is approximately $5.50 per hour. This is a Right-to-Work State, which means employers have the right to underpay workers and fire employees at will. Almost everyone I know has been affected by a layoff or anticipates one in the future. If someone thinks the economy is rosy, that someone is delusional IMHO.

[eastforker]

I live in a right to work state and I don't see it that way. If you are good at what you do there is always a job somewhere..

[JustPiper]

See, this is what I am talking about! And your coast is so badly hit by 'outsourcing'

[FairOpinion]

I don't know how it is in Idaho, but in CA things are really picking up, companies are hiring.

You may try to take a look at possible employment, maybe things started to change with the new year in Idaho too.

[FairOpinion]

Admin & Engineering jobs in Idaho from Monster.com About 100 came up, which I guess is not very much, but you might look anyway, things may be improving.

[Myrddin]

This is a Right-to-Work State, which means employers have the right to underpay workers and fire employees at will.

You speak like a good little union soldier. Right to work means people are free to work without having union thugs control who can or can not be employed. "Underpayed" is a union codeword for accepting pay a less than the wage demanded by the local union. Frankly, if the union can't compete with workers in the local economy, they don't deserve the work.

I work every day with an "at will" employment agreement. I don't work for union wages. I don't work at the pleasure of a union thug. I do live in Idaho, but I don't try to live off the local economy. I travel all over the U.S. to work on contracts. I have more demand for my services than I have time to satisfy. Layoff. Sure. The dopes at my San Diego office laid me off after I produced 250 hours per month of billable work at $250/hour for 18 months. It took me 6 weeks to find another $3 million in new work. The San Diego office thought they deserved to sponge off of that marketing work. I told them to screw off. They were and are leeches and worthless sponges.

Don't sit still and play the "poor me" game. Chase down new work. The economy is just fine. The "union" isn't your savior or protector. It is their job to bully your employer until your services are no longer competitive and to drain your pocket of union dues so they can elect the Democrat politicians they prefer.