lots of business expansion

[ltown81]

There is that. My company is one of probably very few in the immediate area that employs engineers and technicians but yet does almost zero business with the base or NAVAIR in general.
Nobody in any of the professional possessions in our company has ever made less than $25/hour. Some of the base contractor tech jobs are being pushed down to less than that recently, which makes it good for us.

In general I have always been told the Pax related jobs pay less than similar contractor jobs closer to DC. Maybe the gap is growing. Especially in the north county a lot of people commute to DC because they have to make a certain dollar number

 

[MarieB]

That is part of the issue though. Most of the non defense jobs down here are service related. And service jobs don't pay $50K plus out the gate. Those people simply can't support their lifestyle with the non defense related job growth we are getting.



Depends on your definition of "decent". When we advertise a job as "entry level" and it is clearly a service job. Reasonable entry level would be $10-15/hr depending on experience. We constantly get people come in and be shocked that entry level is not $20 an hour. We have had to start doing phone interviews before bringing people to explain the pay before bringing them in so we are not wasting peoples time.

I do chalk part of it up to the fact that you really can't make $10-15 an hour and live in St. Mary's county on your own because housing is expensive and you have to have a car to get anywhere. If you went out to the eastern shore, or western MD, you have no trouble finding quality people at 10-15/hr.

There are plenty of "entry level" jobs advertised that are non-service (just to be clear, im not against "service" jobs), want a degree, a load of experience, and are paying very low wages for the cost of living. I'm surprised you can't find help because it truly is an employer's market here. There is nothing wrong with starting "low" if one thinks they can shine and move up in a company a/o in pay range. Of course benefits are to be considered too

 

[ltown81]

What I am seeing is the opposite. Half the resumes we get, you call them and they never call back. Half the people we schedule for an interview, no show. And this is after a phone interview explaining the job and them agreeing to it. I see it as a employees market right now.

There are plenty of "entry level" jobs advertised that are non-service (just to be clear, im not against "service" jobs), want a degree, a load of experience, and are paying very low wages for the cost of living. I'm surprised you can't find help because it truly is an employer's market here. There is nothing wrong with starting "low" if one thinks they can shine and move up in a company a/o in pay range. Of course benefits are to be considered too

 

[MarieB]

What I am seeing is the opposite. Half the resumes we get, you call them and they never call back. Half the people we schedule for an interview, no show. And this is after a phone interview explaining the job and them agreeing to it. I see it as a employees market right now.

It is definitely not an employees market and it hasn't been for a long time


Perhaps only people who want to fulfill their unemployment requirements? Or perhaps the job description / requirements dont match up to the pay for some reason?

A lot of people don't want to work, but a lot of people really do want to work. It's hard to say without details what is going on with your specific situation. And of course I don't expect you to post that here

 

[BernieP]

There are plenty of "entry level" jobs advertised that are non-service (just to be clear, im not against "service" jobs), want a degree, a load of experience, and are paying very low wages for the cost of living. I'm surprised you can't find help because it truly is an employer's market here. There is nothing wrong with starting "low" if one thinks they can shine and move up in a company a/o in pay range. Of course benefits are to be considered too

pretty spot on.
If you are a contractor and work as CSS at Pax River and you haven't been told you will be taking a pay cut to keep your job, count yourself as lucky.
The requirements haven't changed, but cost has been almost the only factor. Oh, and these companies are recruiting from outside the area, in other depressed areas to find people who will take the jobs at the reduced rate. On the government side I don't think there has been a COLA for several years. This means people who have maxed out their pay grade are getting a one time payment if they are in the pay for performance category. High grade (GS-14 equiv and above) have been cut. Which is why people are leaving Pax, about 50 percent of those leaving NAVAIR are going to another agency of the government, the others are leaving government service. The top two reasons for leaving, low pay and no rewards. Those on pay for performance don't get "bonuses" or monetary awards during the year. Your only compensation is your yearly appraisal. That's run thru the mythical pay poll which normalizes the results. Ratings are 1-5, 1 being the worst. Look at the results when they are posted. A perfect example of a standard distribution curve.
Number of 1s equals number of 5s (probably only 1 or 2 of each. Lowest percentage rating.
Number of 2s equals number of 4s (slightly more than the 1/5 count
Number of 3 has the most people in the band (average)
The brass likes to paint a rosey picture, but the data on people leaving and why is their data, on one of the Navair Websites.
How many people on base work in a facility that is not in need of maintenance = plumbing that doesn't work, doors that don't work, electrical problems, horrible smells and mold, worn/torn carpets (trip hazards)?
Why don't more people leave? Kids in school and a lot of people have lost money on their houses. I know a lot of people are hurting, they won't go public, but pay cuts / freezes combine with an increase in insurance premiums and other expenses has put the squeeze on.