Whose Fault?

[eriklas]

This is a reality, but I am quite perplexed at the fact that before the shut down forced on us because of the 'rona I was not seeing what we see now in the way of businesses almost begging for employees. My question is ... what changed?? Or, did the shutdown only speed up the inevitable?

I'll add one thought.

For me and a lot of my acquaintances, the COVID-19 pandemic crystallized one thing; companies, by and large, do not care about you, your financial solvency, your safety, or your family. We also learned that a lot of the men and women you serve at your job don't care about you, either.

Working a supermarket job, making a sub-living wage, while idiots scream at you for wearing a mask? Oh, and don't forget your grandmother dying from COVID-19 that someone brought into the household from their workplace... It might make you really question if it is all worth it for $9.00/hr.

I think most people gladly work when the pay, safety, respect, and clientele are good. When one or all four are lacking, the motivation to work may go down. Our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend. I don't think this is a generational or age-related thing, except as it reflects older people having proportionally longer tenure, better paying, career-type jobs.

Now, let's get back to talking about Mavericks!

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[iwantmymav]

Thread should have been locked.

 

[YOBY]

Back to the Maverick. Any person making minimum wage is not able to afford a Maverick or any other new car. Most use public transportation or walk. This is the end result of the gap between the haves and have nots expanding at an exponential rate.

Another thing, how the heck are all these unemployed people living without any job or paycheck? I wish I had that option 50 years ago.

 

[brnpttmn]

Back to the Maverick. Any person making minimum wage is not able to afford a Maverick or any other new car. Most use public transportation or walk. This is the end result of the gap between the haves and have nots expanding at an exponential rate.

Another thing, how the heck are all these unemployed people living without any job or paycheck? I wish I had that option 50 years ago.

Labor force nonparticipation was actually more possible 50 years ago (as many households could still thrive with a single earner).

Overall labor force participation is slightly higher now than it was 50 years ago. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=RHba

Prime age (25-54) labor force participation is significantly higher now than it was 50 years ago.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=RHbt

 

[Guv]

Back to the Maverick. Any person making minimum wage is not able to afford a Maverick or any other new car. Most use public transportation or walk. This is the end result of the gap between the haves and have nots expanding at an exponential rate.

Another thing, how the heck are all these unemployed people living without any job or paycheck? I wish I had that option 50 years ago.

My first vehicle in 1976 as a 16 year old making close to minimum wage was an $800 dollar 1968 Ranchero.
Has there ever been a time when a minimum wage job earner could afford a new vehicle?
I'm asking because I don't remember one, not trying to bust your chops mate

 

[Guv]

Labor force nonparticipation was actually more possible 50 years ago (as many households could still thrive with a single earner).

Overall labor force participation is slightly higher now than it was 50 years ago. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=RHba

Prime age (25-54) labor force participation is significantly higher now than it was 50 years ago.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=RHbt

Does this include uber and door dash drivers because it's certainly not including people that provide everyday services. Too many fast food joints still have no inside dining here in South Texas. Call an insurance co. vet, doc office and see how quickly you are able to speak to a live person. Go to a Home Depot/Lowes and see how many checkers there are.
Maybe all the other 49 states are different?

 

[BuddyS]

My first vehicle in 1976 as a 16 year old making close to minimum wage was an $800 dollar 1968 Ranchero.
Has there ever been a time when a minimum wage job earner could afford a new vehicle?
I'm asking because I don't remember one, not trying to bust your chops mate

Agree; I was about 28 and three or four years into a "real" (salaried) job before I had the courage and funds to buy my first new vehicle, and even at that it was about as base of a 1997 Jeep Wrangler as you could get. From age 16 to 27 it was a string of basic but reliable old Japanese cars that got me to and from work. Not one of them cost more than about $2000. I will admit that it's harder now, and young people today have more expenses (cell phone bills, higher rent, etc), but we Get Xers usually had roommates into our mid 20s, didn't expect to drive a new BMW at 21, or stay in a low-paying job forever.

 

[YOBY]

My first vehicle in 1976 as a 16 year old making close to minimum wage was an $800 dollar 1968 Ranchero.
Has there ever been a time when a minimum wage job earner could afford a new vehicle?
I'm asking because I don't remember one, not trying to bust your chops mate

Probably not, but they usually received some help from family to buy a used car (66 Corvair) and were on parents' insurance. Those jobs were after school and summer jobs for kids. No one was able to support a family working at McDonalds. Minimum wage jobs were for people wanting first jobs and a steppingstone for higher paying jobs or to supplement your day job with extra money to help with expenses.

 

[mrbill]

Yes the supply chain issues are industry wide but Ford is at fault for breaking a promise to all of us. In their Oct 21 email that gave hybrid order holders the free FITS items: "Your 2022 Maverick Hybrid pickup will be delivered next year, and rest assured that we'll continue to keep you updated."

They could easily update us with another email every once in a while to say still on hold... or something. That would be better than crickets.

Thats what I have said from Oct 2021 NEVER ONE WORD FROM FORD. I had to call them. I had to call the dealer, I never got "the email" I called ford again today 3pm, he said my order is still in, but no vin #, and looks like 90% I won't get a 2022 .but it could happen, in other words no one knows? He did say to have my dealer do a new 2023 order on Aug 2nd. an get a copy of the sales invoice. Ordered xlt hybrid w/one opt. trailer hitch !!? oh well I complained to my dealer and ford more than once, that the communication was ZERO through this whole process. well see in Aug.!!

 

[YOBY]

Thats what I have said from Oct 2021 NEVER ONE WORD FROM FORD. I had to call them. I had to call the dealer, I never got "the email" I called ford again today 3pm, he said my order is still in, but no vin #, and looks like 90% I won't get a 2022 .but it could happen, in other words no one knows? He did say to have my dealer do a new 2023 order on Aug 2nd. an get a copy of the sales invoice. Ordered xlt hybrid w/one opt. trailer hitch !!? oh well I complained to my dealer and ford more than once, that the communication was ZERO through this whole process. well see in Aug.!!

Wish you GOOD LUCK, I was a June order and the information was non existant until Production time in Febuary. I had a reliable car, so the pressure wasn't bad, but the agratvation was through the roof. You will survive and your New Maverick will make up for the wait. I believe most all of the issues will be resolved for the 2023 group.

 

[RogueCheddar]

I'll add one thought.

For me and a lot of my acquaintances, the COVID-19 pandemic crystallized one thing; companies, by and large, do not care about you, your financial solvency, your safety, or your family. We also learned that a lot of the men and women you serve at your job don't care about you, either.

Working a supermarket job, making a sub-living wage, while idiots scream at you for wearing a mask? Oh, and don't forget your grandmother dying from COVID-19 that someone brought into the household from their workplace... It might make you really question if it is all worth it for $9.00/hr.

I think most people gladly work when the pay, safety, respect, and clientele are good. When one or all four are lacking, the motivation to work may go down. Our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend. I don't think this is a generational or age-related thing, except as it reflects older people having proportionally longer tenure, better paying, career-type jobs.

Now, let's get back to talking about Mavericks!

Absolutely this.

 

[Dudley]

I think most people gladly work when the pay, safety, respect, and clientele are good. When one or all four are lacking, the motivation to work may go down. Our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend. I don't think this is a generational or age-related thing, except as it reflects older people having proportionally longer tenure, better paying, career-type jobs.

Now, let's get back to talking about Mavericks!

Let me say I certainly didn't intend my thread to take on this kind of life! Sorry!
Anyway, I would say my focus for working was (retired now) to support me/family, and if it wasn't the best in the world I used it as a launch board to a better and then better and etc job until I got the one that was going to provide a career path that would have been safe and good for my family, and could not afford a new car until my kids were out of the house 'cuz of their needs. Since then, so far, four new cars: 94 GMC S15 extended cab, 96 Jeep Cherokee, 2010 Jeep Patriot, 2020 Honda CRV ... and to getting back to Mavericks, our MAV will be number 5 with each one replacing the previous one!

 

[DeeZee]

Only one flaw in that rant. Unemployment is 3.6%, so I don’t think it’s a bunch of lazy people causing the issues.

I love a good rant

As a Gen X small business owner, I have hired many Millennials. They are awesome: Hard-working, kind, creative, and eager to make the world a better place. Watching some Boomers try to blame them for the mess that Boomers left them is frustrating.

The truth about employment in America is that Boomers, a huge generation, are retiring and dying in growing numbers, leaving a lot of jobs that need filling. Gen X is small by comparison, so we can’t fill all of the seats. Millennials are a large generation, but they are relatively young and inexperienced, so it’ll take some time for them to transition. Gen Z is small, and there aren’t enough of them to fill the service jobs that are being vacated by Millennials.

In short, America is experiencing a massive demographic shift as Boomers leave the workforce. While many people want to exploit this dynamic for political purposes, the reality is far more straightforward: Boomers are leaving a vacuum at the top of the workforce, and everyone is playing musical chairs to fill it. We’ll get there eventually, but it’s been a bit rough.

How can we take you seriously with a Shimano cassette as your profile picture. Suggest changing it to a Sram cassette

 

[Walknasty55]

I must say we are too easily saying Ford must be blamed even though due to our fault as a country pretty much every industry now relies on providers from out of country and is facing supply chain issues and are facing employment problems due to lazy people not wanting to work because a generation was told they need to expecs to get a paycheck in the mail for doing nothing cuz that is how is should be. We tend to act as though Ford is exempt and should be cranking vehicles out without a hitch. Simply, plainly, not true. Do I wish it was different? Sure. But let's not blame Ford as a company.

It's not the actual wait that has been annoying. It's been the lack of communication with the customer that's been driving me up a wall. I expect a little more than radio silence on something that I had to put down 1000 dollars to get moving. And then the first communication I get shouldn't be "we aren't going to be able to make your order this year, sorry", 8 months later.

Only reason I've still got my order in is because I might be able to turn a profit on it if I still have price protection, which is even up in the air at this point. Safe to say I doubt I ever buy another thing from ford if this is how they operate.

 

[Dudley]

I do now wish I would not have said what I did that started this thread. Can we now pretend it never existed, please???
Thankyouverymuch!

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