Dale - If it wasn't for bad luck you would have no luck at all.
It can only go up from here buddy.
There are lots of people unemployed in my area (NE Indiana) There are a lot of automotive or automotive related jobs here and that industry is not doing well. Where I work, we are getting slow too. We a supply the big three with service parts. Mostly brake drums, rotors brake pads tie rod ends, etc. There is talk of a 3 week shut down at Christmas. We have some orders, but our suppliers are shutting down so I do not know if we can keep going with any parts coming in. I have 3 guys on my maintenance crew. I have been told to start thinking about which one I can lay off. All three guys do a very good job, so it will not be easy deciding which one will get it. I hope I do not have to make that decision. We have two shifts and they are thinking about cutting back to one shift, lay a few off and combine the ones left. It is all up in the air right now. We are going from week to week, not sure if we can get parts in or if the orders from GM, Ford and Chrysler are going to dry up. On the plus side we are repair parts and that is one place the big three can make a little money at, so they still want parts, if they do not run out of money so they can not buy any. Our particular building is making money, but the rest of the company is not doing so well, not sure how that will all shake down either before this is over. We have had to tighten our belt, no more spending until after the first of the year and there has been a hiring freeze on since Sept. even though we could have used people then, not now. It is just all up in the air, it makes every one nervous.