[GOP_1900AD]

The real problem is that there is a semi artificial deflationary market environment. With all the Communist and quasi Communist countries now dumping and undercutting Western prices, companies are under immense cost reduction pressure. This leads to that "you're luck you have a job, we could RIF you any minute" mentality, etc. Maybe Freaked Trade is not what it was depicted to be.

[Alberta's Child]

You raise a good point, but I don't believe the deflationary factors you described have as much influence as you think. I belong to an advisory group for an engineering school, and just last week I had a long conversation with someone whose company can't even fill positions that pay $40k-$50k starting salaries to people with two-year degrees in tech-related fields.

My biggest problem in my company is that I have a hard time finding people who are flexible and broadly educated -- not just "trained" to do tasks that may be obsolete next month.