Weekly, What recent changes are going on at your work / local businesses?

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ctilvolover23@reddit

I've noticed that a lot of grocery stores in my area are running low of Italian made pasta. And more empty shelves. That's really it though.

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Lopsided_Elk_1914@reddit

Trump announced a 105% tariff on Italian made pasta that starts in January. good times.

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HeavySigh14@reddit

That way I thought you were joking, until I googled It….. now why is that man actually putting a tariff on pasta

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Lopsided_Elk_1914@reddit

i'm sure the fact that the Pope spoke out about Trump's treatment of illegals and the tariff on pasta from Italy happened in the same week is just a coincidence.

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Lopsided_Elk_1914@reddit

oh yeah. i believe Trump would tariff the very air we breathe if he could just figure out a way to do it.

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MysteriousRun6251@reddit

Work for freight company, showed up to work and trailers were getting re poed. Hr sent emails saying we’re closing all terminals and going to be laid off this Friday…

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RoutineHighway66@reddit

I'm sorry to hear this and wish you and your coworkers well.

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Reconsct@reddit

Can’t believe nobody has mentioned or I haven’t seen, but Silver went to over &50 an Oz today, and Gold is well over &4000 an Oz at this point!

Folks in the precious metals stacking subs are freaking out. They all say something very bad is on the horizon.

To put this in perspective I started collecting silver in 2019 at &19 an Oz.
Usually on the day to day the asking price fluctuated about 10-50 cents.

The prices would go up a few dollars, the next day down a few. It was a cycle, but roughly held around the same 3-7 dollar range.

As of a few days ago the prices started to climb rapidly. Sometimes by $5 overnight whenever the market was closed.

During the day the price went up substantially, but here is the important part; they never dipped back down.

Now we have silver starting the day at over $50 an Oz, and only continuing to climb very steadily and rapidly by the day.

Even if you know nothing about silver or metals; this should give you that funny uncomfortable feeling.

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Dismal_Cake@reddit

According to Bloomberg, there's aa short squeeze on silver happening in London.

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Reconsct@reddit

Interesting, would love to know more. They are apparently squeezing the shit out of it currently; it just hit almost $54 today and is still going.

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Sparkling_Jade@reddit

Goldman Sacs forecast for Gold by 2026 December is $6,000 / Troy Oz. End of this year forecast is $5,000 / Troy Oz.

It's going to be a rough ride if what the Fed is reporting in the different parts of the nation fully materialize. Go read the Fed Beigh Book.

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No_Shame318@reddit

That’s interesting! What did the price fluctuation look like in 2020-2021 during peak covid?

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I started collecting in 2008 so I went through that whole 2008-2012 surge that is similar to this one. The vibe right now feels a lot like the vibe did back then. That surge died down when it became clear that the economy was recovering and that Obama had a handle on everything. Right now, it feels like we're in early 2009 when everything was still melting down and no one knew if we had a future.

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Reconsct@reddit

Conversely think of it this way as well:

If you and I both went into a store you carrying a US &1 dollar paper bill, and I carrying a US &1 Silver Eagle; I could spend mine on exactly $1 worth of merchandise as it is legal tender, or sell it for $50 to a metal trader.

You on the other hand could buy exactly $1 worth of goods; or wipe your ass on the bill because it isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

We have reached the point where what was meant to be “pocket change” is now LITERALLY worth more than it’s common paper equivalent by a factor of 50. That is insane.

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SyrupOld9699@reddit

Psychotherapist: Medicaid and commercial insurance making new restrictive policies

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modernsparkle@reddit

For services or prescriptions?

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SyrupOld9699@reddit

I’m not a prescriber so unsure about prescriptions but for therapists we now have to do this considerable training and exam in order to administer mandatory testing that is a placement tool for client level of care. It’s a whooool thing and definitely going to limit access to care

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oscarink@reddit

Drastic slow down from last month, that was slower than the month before and the one before that .

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

What industry

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WoodpeckerEastern384@reddit

He said foodservice.

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IncomingAxofKindness@reddit

Apparently one that's slowing down... somewhere on Earth

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CannyGardener@reddit

We saw a drastic slowdown in August in foodservice distribution. I've talked to several folks in industry that have said the same. September was back to "average" though....so that has been fun. Huge unexplained blip in sales is always a bit worrying....

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Newgeta@reddit

EMR Contract Consultant for major HC orgs, docs are starting to passively weed out patients who do not self pay up front or have commercial insurance. (they are stopping medicaid new pts from signing up)

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Ok_Accident_2106@reddit

My business had a massive influx of clients last week. We are an immigration firm and we specialize in moving Americans to Spain and Portugal. Sadly though, all our new clients are contacting us with serious fear, serious desperation, and in a serious rush to GTFO. Good for business but really sad to see how people are feeling, when it used to just be carefree digital nomads and adventurous retirees.

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

Mid-Atlantic: My local gun store is still bone dry on the higher caliber of rifle ammo, which is, with all likelyhood due to people buying for hunting season, but as of yesterday they're out of the common lower caliber rifle, and common handgun ammo as well. Weird to see a store that has, up until this year, consistently had a good stock of ammo even during surge seasons suddenly run dry of basically everything, even the cheap reloaded stuff.

In my local skillswap/community support group folks are getting aggressive, verbal disagreements about equitable swaps and resource sharing are becoming more common, and we had a fistfight break out between two folks at the last meeting over something extremely minor. We live in a majority minority area, and basically the whole group is on edge, and has been for a cool minute now. The whole situation feels like a powder keg.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

Can you say more about what some of the disagreements have been in your local skillswap/community support groups?

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

By and large it's disagreements about equitable swaps and needs. Is X comparable to Y, and should some folks get a pass on the swap part since their needs are greater. Some folks simply do not have a lot to give at the moment in terms of time, services, or material support, so the needs are increasingly outweighing the available support. This has led to a lot of folks getting into disagreements about things like who needs X more, why isn't someone giving back more, and folks needing to "keep up" so to speak. For example we have two people that run small residential plumbing businesses that have, historically offered their services at greatly reduced, or sometimes bargain barter rates (think fixing a pipe for some onions). One has had his business gutted by recent economic circumstances, and there's been some disagreement about whether or not he's available to help. With his business barely staying black, he can't exactly afford to work for onions anymore, and just because he is not actively working does not mean he's free to help. This is a very polarizing issue in the group, since some folks understand that he still needs to put food on the table, but others feel like he's trying to take advantage of the group as an exclusive marketplace.

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Separate_Fold5168@reddit

A couple days late here but I found your comment very insightful.

On its face, it's a story of service inflation. The plumber needs to raise prices to stay on business.

What's interesting is people's reaction to a swap- based inflation versus currency. I wonder if they have a harsher reaction to the inflation when they immediately see what the dollars devaluation actually means in terms of trade in real time.

It's not, "oh this sink install costs $300 and it was only $100 three years ago." Now it's "oh this costs a lawnmower and last time it was only a wheelbarrow.

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

I think it's less about inflation, since things in the group were never market value, that was the point of the group. People would give what they could, and there was usually a surplus of talents, skills, and sometimes material goods to go around. I think it's more of a second order effect of inflation, since folks have less to give to the pot, because meeting their own needs is harder. The community food pantry consistently runs dry because folks aren't adding as much to it, since they've got less to offer. A lot of folks are having to work more hours, so they have less time to help out the community. Some folks are able to help because they don't have a job anymore, but they need greater compensation to make up for that. There's still a few folks like myself that are in a stable place, and so we've been able to stretch offers out further without needing to ask for more in return. I'm not even asking for anything at all in return some of things I help contribute, particularly firearm safety and training, but even the things I am asking for a little help on it's never anything more than a lawn mow or helping me dispose of used engine oil since that guy was going to auto zone anyway. I helped someone safely fell a dead tree in exchange for a really big rock to put on top of my compost bin to stop racoons from opening it up. We all help in the way we can, but the equilibrium has shifted towards deficit, and world events have everyone on edge as it is.

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

2020 all over again as far as gun stores go.

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RoutineHighway66@reddit

I've noticed a lot more people going to the bulk buys store lately. Not many in this rural area are furloughed, but it could be because folks after stocking up for a bad winter.

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ticcingabby@reddit

I’m vegan, and my household eats largely plant-based. Chickpeas and beans have been a staple in our house for a long time. Over the past two weeks, I’ve gone to two different stores a total of four times, and they have both been completely sold out of chickpeas as well as other types of beans. Never seen this before, I think it’s definitely a sign…

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Bimfoot@reddit

Local Aldi and Save-a-Lot stores have expanded their dry beans to almost an entire section top to bottom. I've never seen that kind of volume before.

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ComicCon@reddit

Not sure what’s causing that, but coming from the agriculture, I’m guessing it is probably a supply chain hiccup more than anything else. I do some work in pulses, and while supply was tight going into the harvest it should be fine domestically now that the new crop is in. I don’t do much with chickpeas, but I I’m pretty sure acreage was up this year and I think yield was too.

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Next_Elk698@reddit

Which is sold out - canned or dry? And what region are you in? I'm going to check jy grocery store next week.

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IamBob0226@reddit

I'll call this the janitor index as I am a floating janitor and fill in at open jobs for our company. This is in the midwest.

This week, I have been working at a corporate office for a blood donation center where they also process the donations from all of their locations. 3 months ago when I filled in there, all offices were in use and would take out probably 10-12 bags of trash per night. This week, the work is taking about half of the time and maybe at most 6 bags of trash as many offices are now vacant. The lab type staff at night seems to have been cut in half. Maybe blood drives slow down in the fall?

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Sparkling_Jade@reddit

Medical funding was cut by the government. Could be the reason.

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CausalDiamond@reddit

I don't know if this is any different, but maybe people are donating plasma instead for extra money?

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khorosho96@reddit

In telecoms manufacturing, we’re fulfilling a lot of ai related orders and have done well the past 3 quarters, unfortunately it hasn’t trickled down to the production crews… we are bottlenecked by scarcity of inputs from China as well

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alex_bit_@reddit

What parts are more difficult to find now? Memory, CPU, GPU, etc.?

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khorosho96@reddit

Raw materials such as gallium, germanium and antimony

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Sparkling_Jade@reddit

China announced in the news they are not allowing these rare earth materials to leave their country as exports.

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Live_Slice354@reddit

Retail: I've seen a lot more people shopping at stores like Ross in the last few months. Fashion wise I see an increase in late 80's/90's style clothes to include baggy pants.

Groceries: Store prices seem to be all over the place. Groceries seem to be rising and more items are marketed as "on-sale" but are the same. Some convenience store prices seem to be competitive for the limited items they have. Fast food pricing seems to have risen over the Summer. I've gone to a few stores for specific items and can't find them anymore (and it makes me feel like I'm going crazy). Pricing on alcohol seems to be steady although less sales. It also doesn't seem like people are buying as much alcohol (the shelves are always near perfectly stocked).

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totpot@reddit

I saw a Bentley parked outside one this summer.
Food-wise, I've given up on all my stores and shop at Grocery Outlet and a local Costco outlet (they put up strict item limits this summer due to the high demand)

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Then_Ad7822@reddit

NICU Tech, PNW: I’m back to work after whatever weird respiratory illness tried to take me down passed through my family. A lot of folks are out sick with the same thing, leading to us being slightly short staffed today.

Signed up for some OT, but have yet to hear back. A lot of my coworkers are trying to build up their savings at the same time I am, and it feels like we’re fighting for the same hours.

A lot of people hospital wide are looking into going to college. I’m debating on taking out a loan from my retirement savings in order to get a degree and give myself a boost in the job market. Still waiting to make a decision like that though.

The union at my hospital sent out “Strike pledges”, not an actual strike vote but seeing how many people would agree to strike if the union went to vote on it. Also getting pushed by management to fill out the employee survey, but I’d rather not since I don’t have anything nice to say at all.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

Whatever weird respiratory illness tried to take you down was probably covid19. If you check the wastewater surveillance in your area, it should be pretty clear what's going around. I like to use VerilyHealth and WastewaterScan when checking wastewater because they break things down by area as well as by contagion.

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OBotB@reddit

On the Covid topic - vaccines are out, even with the political nonsense many pediatricians are trying to work with parents.

Went through the whole process - wanted the new Moderna mNEXSPIKE as it both smaller and slightly more effective than Spikevax. For weeks it was out of stock, last week it started showing up as available at Costco and CVS in my state. It is really varied on how your state treats it, but if you have a higher risk factor (even if you don't think you do, check the lists - beyond asthma, diabetes, and obesity things like "former smoker," physical inactivity, ADHD, more if you really need to look, https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html#cdc_risk_factors_conditions-conditions-that-can-increase-risk) you can get it even if under 65.

My regular pharmacy of choice just had you self select that you had a qualifying risk factor, a different branch said you had to have one of the more serious ones (which is why it isn't my favorite) but required no "proof" to get the shot.

Our pediatrician offered (not mNEXSPIKE) for 11yrs and younger, and would write a prescription for those 12-18 that they see, as most places will not ('cannot') give children under 18 a Covid vax, and different branches of CVS gave varying responses of "oh we still can't even with a prescription" to "just have a prescription and walk in."

So it is a hassle, but slowly getting easier to do. If you are delaying Covid, Flu, or RSV (as applicable) shots just remember, Halloween is coming up fast, and family/work gatherings increase in the next few months.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

I'm sorry it's been such a hassle getting your updated vaccine.

I maintain that a focus on well-fitting (over both nose & mouth + no gaps between face and the mask) N95 masks, as well as property ventilation and air filtration, is the way forward.

I've had a lot of success in getting anti-vax folks on board with the idea that, yes, proper ventilation and air filtration are a net positive for everyone. I've even met a couple of anti-vax people who are willing to wear N95s.

Since vaccination alone does not prevent transmission, nor does it protect against long-covid, I'm finding that the best method of protection for folks, no matter their views on vaccines, has been air filtration + ventilation as well as well-fitting N95 masks.

I know that so many of us wanted the vaccines to be the end-all-be-all cure for this situation, but unfortunately they aren't, and we just have to adapt to that fact the best that we can.

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HappyAnimalCracker@reddit

I get vaxxed and wear an N95, whereas I used to just get vaxxed. For years before that, I did neither. For me, the N95, coupled with scrupulous hand hygiene has made the biggest difference.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

Good on you!

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modernsparkle@reddit

This is the way. I have been dragging my feet in moving to an n95 after I found a kn95 that was just comfortable to wear. This is my tough space: I am s~trugglin~g out here in some sensory overload and still knowing that I’m susceptible. Thanks for masking and helping show folks it’s still an option

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

They are so much more comfortable aren't they! Every person I've gotten to switch to N95 from surgical has been shocked at how easy they are to breathe in.

I have sensory issues with certain things, too (luckily not usually with masking) maybe I can help? Is it the feeling of weight on your face, the texture, or feeling your breath? Or something else? I'd love to problem-solve with you!

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Then_Ad7822@reddit

I thought so, but my family and I took tests and Covid was a negative. Maybe a false negative, but regardless I agree. Just got vaccinated today, I was sick over my original vaccination appointment.

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elegantdoozy@reddit

Could also be adenovirus. That’s what my family was diagnosed with and what’s predominantly going around our area (TX) right now. We’ve been sick for nearly a month now!

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

Those rapid at home tests are just the worst. I never trust a negative from them. That said, I have discovered that, on order to get the most accurate result with the RATs, your best bet is to swab: - throat - behind your molars - the inside of both cheeks - both nostrils (In that order, specifically because it's the least gross order 😅)

I ended up buying a PCR testing device just because the rapid at home tests are so unreliable.

Either way, hopefully you're feeling a bit better now. Please rest as much as possible!

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ThrowawayRage1218@reddit

Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums. We're never funded at the best of times and with DOGE gutting MLS (most small GLAM institutions' major source of funding) earlier this year there's even more layoffs, hiring freezes, and cuts to services and hours than usual. Not in D.C. or government archives, but I get a newsletter with job postings and have been seeing an uptick in listings for those jobs in the past eight or so months. This industry is generally one in, one out unless you get a grant to hire someone, so you can tell when there's been a lot of firing or quitting. National Archives had a purge last November/December, which looks like preemptive quitting, and again in February/March. I've seen a lot of postings for the Smithsonian, MoMA, and Guggenheim in the past month, and the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota is newish (2019) but appears to have had an absolute clean sweep of leadership.

I know that GLAM institutions aren't a traditional prepping topic, but knowing how things work from the inside I use it as a canary in a coal mine first for government overreach (eg the admin wanting to control the historical narrative at the Smithsonian), and then for education. GLAM institutions are educational institutions and information and heritage repositories, but have been devalued over decades. People don't care what happens to museums and libraries, but they care what happens to their kids' school. GLAMs are usually a testing ground for what the public will tolerate before being introduced to schools. They're also among the first to be targeted for censorship.

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AdmiralHts@reddit

Just read a news story today about a children's book author whose story time at a military base was cancelled. A 700 word non fiction picture book about a woman that rode a bicycle around the world in 1897.

The book is rated 4-5 stars online and has generic illustrations, author was told not to speak up and wrote an op-ed instead.

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Dear-Purpose6129@reddit

The department of truth at work 😢

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

The department of truth at work 😢

*Ministry

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Honest_Persimmon_859@reddit

For anyone in the US ordering shit from overseas:

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ups-delay-customs-tariffs-packages-destroyed-rcna236607

TLDR version: Apparently the tariffs are still causing problems at customs and "a lot" of people are having shit get stuck. I'm assuming most people who post here pay enough attention that they won't be getting caught completely by surprise if they get hit with extra charges, but it's apparently still happening to other people.

Not sure whether this is more appropriate to post here, or wait a day for the "everything else" thread, so if it's more appropriate to put there, the mods can feel free to remove this post and I won't be offended.

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KitsuneMilk@reddit

The UPS subreddit is full of these posts. From being charged tariffs that aren't relevant (ie: metals sourcing tariff on an item that contains no metals) to UPS destroying "perishable" packages of textile goods, it's been a mess over there.

I go off on a small tangent here, so I decided to spoiler it.

!I participate in textile and fiber arts, so I've been acutely aware of tariffs impacting sourcing, since we don't have much of a domestic supply for textiles. The pricing of wool and linen in particular have skyrocketed, and I've noticed brands subtly altering their fiber content of fabrics and yarns to be higher percentages of synthetic material. Nylon is finding its way into fabrics and yarns that previously didn't have them as wool content drops. Acrylic is being labeled as wool in item listings when the label clearly says "100% acrylic".!<

I'm close with several people who work at different UPS hubs, and there's some concern about the gig delivery app, Roadie, that they purchased several years ago. In my city in particular, they started marketing it aggressively, I'm assuming to lure in the large numbers of people who are being laid off. Our union local sees this as a potential way to undermine the union-- if you have a large network of desperate gig drivers, do you really need your delivery truck drivers anymore?

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Budget_Worldliness42@reddit

Michigan here. I was at Aldi today and I noticed for the first time that I really noticed shelves having gaps in them. Some products had blank spaces with tags and no product. Prices seem steady for what is available but I don't know if anyone else is being impacted in this way.

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lepetitcoeur@reddit

I was at my Aldi this week. I noticed the removed an entire aisle. And that section that is random non-food stuff was now an entire aisle instead of a quarter aisle.

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Donald_McRonald420@reddit

Vape store. They banned everything made in China, which is all of them, so they can have their friends rebuild a ten billion dollar industry over here and give them kickbacks. We're fucked

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songofthewitch@reddit

Higher education enrollment is up everywhere in the US.

This tends to happen when there’s a recession both because people think going back to school will help with their job prospects and because they go to school when they are unemployed.

However, I think it’s also a reaction to keep people’s impending current student loan payments at out of repayment. (I considered this myself as I literally have no way to pay my loans when they come due again. But I don’t want to also add school stress on top of all the other stress I’m in.)

The student loan crisis and all the problems with higher ed are going to get worse, not better because of this artificial bump.

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rclite@reddit

A friend of mine is thinking of going back to school just for the health insurance. May be another factor.

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Pontiacsentinel@reddit

Innovative idea!

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CausalDiamond@reddit

Is it really cheaper to pay college tuition for health insurance than to get it a more traditional way?

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rclite@reddit

She is looking into community college, so yeah, I think so. And she could get her spouse and kids covered.

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macabre_trout@reddit

My school has been on a knife's edge financially speaking for several years, so I welcome this!

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totpot@reddit

I read another reddit post about this. The name of the university is something like "Southern New Hampshire College" but you'll have to fact check that.... For $300+ a month, you can enroll in one online class at a time (must also do summers) for the rest of your life and that will basically defer your student loans until your death.

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Impossible_Range6953@reddit

Today, I learned that China did not buy even one bushel of soybeans from the US this year.

The current administration is promising help for farmers impacted but the shutdown and furloughed AG gov employees is making it hard to implement.

The local market is not big enough to absorb current harvest...this might trigger some financial issues in by the new year.

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Lopsided_Elk_1914@reddit

not only that, Trump gave Argentina a 20 billion dollar bailout, that's after Argentina dropped their import tax and undercut American Farmers' soybean crops and sold THEIR soybeans to China. so...the 20 billion was like a bonus for job well done.

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Agora5465@reddit

I live in a very wealthy area of New England and I feel like we are usually spared a lot of impacts that other regions see. For the first time since this newest saga began, I am starting to see empty spots at grocery stores. No where near shortage level, but definitely more strategic stocking to hide empty space. Some products missing all together. Product quality has been declining slowly in the regular stores over the last couple months, but now it seems like even the fancy stores are having sourcing issues.

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PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

As your boss how you will work when the ai bubble pops and they cannot afford to pay the actual cost of ai access?

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-case-against-generative-ai/

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Agora5465@reddit

The AI bubble is real and growing so quickly. A year ago we were introducing some AI aspects in our product that were helpful and made sense. In just that year we have shifted from that to all in on AI in the product and workforce. The CEO was bragging about how he personally created the new hype video with AI as an example of how any of us can now do anything because of AI. Truth is, most of what AI creates is crap and only usable after it goes through rounds of human review.

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BeautifulHindsight@reddit

I personally hope it keeps up this super fast pace and pops quickly.

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driverdan@reddit

If you exclude the costs for training the paid services are profitable.

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EastTyne1191@reddit

I noticed our grocery store had a whole second facing of flour and sugar and baking products, hiding a huge gap in the shelves. They have stackouts of those products in the aisles as well, which seems normal. But I've never seen shelf spaced cleared just so they can put out more store-brand flour and sugar.

Some products seem harder to find as well. Shrinkflation is crazy, bought a box of tricuits and it was TINY.

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Caelista_x@reddit

The shrinkflation infuriates me. They’re insulting our intelligence.

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BeautifulHindsight@reddit

The enshitification is maddening as well. I just discovered my favorite salsa no longer uses diced tomatoes. It's now some kind of not really chunky puree. It sucks.

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blimkim@reddit

I was reading the food stamp subreddit. Someone asked if applications were up or down.

Workers answered that applications were way up but approvals were down. Many of these applicants are middle class people who don't understand the income or asset limits. They just know food is expensive now and they've built a lifestyle with no wiggle room in it. Their behavior, according to workers, is arrogant and entitled.

"I'd rather deal with a homeless man having active hallucinations than these people", I believe was a quote.

The reason why this conversation caught my eye was because I remember a near-verbatim exchange on a yahoo message board in 2008... Recession indicator for sure

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Fedexed@reddit

I mean I get it, they're the ones paying into the system

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totpot@reddit

If these same exact people were told a year ago that people with financial situations to them have been getting food stamps, they'd be livid.

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BeautifulHindsight@reddit

And probably voted for the politicians that campaigned on keeping those limits so low thus causing their own denial.

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DrDrago-4@reddit

Income limits are laughably low, at least in my state. $4,421 pre-tax for a family of 4. 53k/yr pre-tax. 44k~ after tax. 3600/month. Subtract rent for a family of 4, probably $1400~ at a minimum, $2200/mo leftover for everything (really, subtract another 8% for sales tax) so about $2k a month if you manage to find somewhere that cheap. Utilities -600, Car payment -400, Food -600 (easily), its easy to see how it gets out of control.

A single person cant make more than 2k/yr pre-tax,

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Duuudewhaaatt@reddit

Expecting a huge slowdown at work for 4th quarter. Luxury aircraft maintenance.

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FattierBrisket@reddit

Is this because everyone who has a luxury aircraft already got their maintenance done so they'll be ready for holiday travel? This is not my field and I'm curious.

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Duuudewhaaatt@reddit

Well in my experience at my company, business picks up in the fall to get ready for holiday travel. But rich folks procrastinate too and there's always a lot of planes getting maintained up to the last second. So for the current leadership to make note of lower than usual projects is concerning.

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FattierBrisket@reddit

Ohhhh, got it! That makes sense. I think I had it backwards in my mind. Definitely time to get off Reddit and go to sleep.

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Potential-One-3107@reddit

I teach preschool in a daycare setting. Not too long ago we had a huge wait list for slots. Corporate raised prices this year because our expenses are going up. Now we have open slots we can't seem to fill. Guess I'm not getting a raise this year, lol.

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Taco__Hell@reddit

New England higher Ed. Interviewed three PhDs for a $50-60k job last week (salary range posted on job board). All coming North from the South or Midwest.

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SyrupOld9699@reddit

Ugh

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totpot@reddit

Two years ago in China, a company went viral on social media when they announced that their newest secretary had a PhD in nuclear physics. I guess we're closing in on that point.

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Academic_Error677@reddit

I was laid off after 6 years

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

Working in tech, it's going to be a slaughter when the AI bubble finally crashes out. I didn't expect my deep pantry to be my most valuable prep, but here we are.

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voiderest@reddit

I kinda feel like it'll be a mix bag. Raw investment in tech talking up AI will drop but companies will still want software but like stuff that actually works.

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squirrel8296@reddit

The problem is a lot of the AI layoffs in tech haven't been related to AI at all, it's been convenient excuse that improves stock price while they offshore the jobs instead.

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voiderest@reddit

I mean if they want things to get done they need to hire someone to do the work.

I get that they keep trying to offshore but they also keep having issues with the results for the pay they're looking to offer.

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TwoFarNorth@reddit

It is such a silly cycle I've seen played out countless times... leadership moves a significant chunk of tech work to offshore, gets predictably terrible results and drowns in tech debt, then brings all the work back home again. Hires a bunch of FTEs and/or domestic contractors. Rinse and repeat 2-3 years later.

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Rat_Rat@reddit

I was part of a mass layoff (5% of workforce)

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Then_Ad7822@reddit

I’m not sure how to edit my comment so I’ll make a separate one: make sure your certifications are current! I got sent home for my BLS expiring while I was sick, and my dumbass forgot to check it before it was expired. Learn from my mistakes and keep the certification current!

Some of my coworkers actually were sent home as well, and speculated it was from management and our hospital cracking down on workers because of how the union and the workers are leaning towards a strike.

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Background-Pin-1307@reddit

I feel like my job in the funeral industry is an opposite indicator in a lot of ways. We don’t pay very much and it is incredibly difficult to find help. This job is perfect for retired people, but with the economy the way it is they can’t afford to work here and need something that pays more part-time. In addition this summer., which is usually quiet or at least less busy, was absolutely slammed with funerals and services. So our staff who are used to those quieter summers to catch our breath absolutely on edge with each other because we all know we’re going into a busy season and there’s no signs of slowing down. Couple all of that with the fact that people are definitely getting more sick and staying sick longer. This doesn’t seem to be just in my industry specifically but going around our area in general. Lots of upper respiratory issues, coughs for weeks, total exhaustion. My response to all of this has been to save even more cash, stock up on illness, essentials, and put my head down at work so as not to lose my mind or lose my job.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

I'm curious why fall amd winter are the busy seasons for your industry

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anaid_098@reddit

I imagine people are closer together in the colder months which results in more illnesses being spread (flu, pneumonia, etc) and resulting in the deaths of older people.

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

That was my assumption, as well

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Useful-Ambassador-87@reddit

Southern California - went to Trader Joe’s and they were entirely sold out of both kinds of fresh chicken soup, while all other soups were fully stocked. Sample size = 1, but suggests to me that a lot of people are getting sick.

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RedditMadeName@reddit

Yeah, a lot of people have been getting sick lately! Yesterday two people in separate conversations even told me that I was smart for wearing a mask (I'm usually the only masker and have gotten some weird looks).

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MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

You are smart for wearing a mask! Good on you and sending support from a fellow lone-masker.

On this topic, I will say that I'm noticing more people getting up to speed and acknowledging the dangers of covid + the benefits of masking. It feels like it's taking forever, but people are getting there.

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Wise-Force-1119@reddit

It could also be the weather. I'm up in NorCal and it definitely feels like soup season now lol

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squirrel8296@reddit

If it was just because of the weather, folks would likely have also bought the other soups as well. While I definitely make chicken soup when I'm not sick, but it's rarely my first choice and it's usually only well into soup season when I need to change things up a bit.

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Connect-Code-7733@reddit

US-built golf carts and specialty vehicles. Huge drop in retail sales- People don’t have the money to spend on luxury items.

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TungstenSparrow@reddit

RVs are another leading indicator. I wonder how happy people in Elkhart, IN are at the moment.

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Fedexed@reddit

Not good, upper income spenders are keeping car sales afloat

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Ok_Turnip639@reddit

Trip to NYC this past week. We lived in the area for decades and now return frequently for business & to see family. Prices are outrageous. Worse than we even saw last month. Casual restaurants/diners we went to were empty at dinner. Menu had prices like $29 for open face turkey, or $25 for a basic garden salad. Lines down the block for the 1.50 pizza places, food trucks & take out tacos. $17 for coffee & a croissant for breakfast. I’ve never seen it to this extent.

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2quickdraw@reddit

Holy 💩

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Baader-Meinhof@reddit

I live in nyc and it sounds like you picked the wrong places to eat to be honest. $15 for two enchiladas, rice, and beans or a burger and fries, etc if you go anywhere that's good and not a tourist trap. Yeah you can pay more, but you're just getting ripped off.

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Ok_Turnip639@reddit

Midtown, where we stay each visit as it’s near the office. Just a comparison of how prices are changing between our visits.

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Baader-Meinhof@reddit

Film, television, advertising, etc production seems to finally be picking up across markets with friends I've chatted with (NYC, LA, ATL). Had multiple friends who haven't worked in months all pick up gigs in the past couple weeks. Looks busier than it has been (which isn't saying much).

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squirrel8296@reddit

At least in advertising, business should pick up for them right now, because holiday ads are usually filmed and produced in October/early November at the latest so it can be trafficked in time to go live right around Thanksgiving. Big national and international brands will be well ahead (sometimes over a year ahead), but smaller national brands along with regional and local brands are frequently producing their ads at the 11th hour. It'll also likely stay busy through EOY/early January because clients inevitably end up with leftover budget at the end of the year that has to be used.

With them, the tell will be February/March of 2026 because that's when anything that hits production will have been entirely in the new budget (if the brand has a normal fiscal) and July/August of 2026 (brands with off fiscals).

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Baader-Meinhof@reddit

These aren't holiday ads. 7-8 figure budget stuff I'm discussing.

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RooBurger@reddit

A local energy retailer has lax safety procedures. Increases in prices for concrete and steel means this company skimps on safety, creating dangerous working conditions for contractors.

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Electronic_Syrup7592@reddit

My very young adult son is having no luck in the job market. He’s one of the best workers I know, spent several years at his last job, and was made a shift manager at 16. He moved to a different town about an hour away that should have a lot of jobs for young people like him, but he’s put in hundreds of applications and can barely get an interview. It’s just a guess, but I think those types of jobs (fast food, retail, etc) are going to older people instead of college kids.

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CausalDiamond@reddit

Was he laid off from his previous job as a shift manager?

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Electronic_Syrup7592@reddit

No, he moved.

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aurmza@reddit

Prolly timing too. Hiring for those kinds of jobs surges seasonally and cools down in the interim. His odds will likely improve as we get closer to the holidays.

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squirrel8296@reddit

October is usually the height of seasonal retail hiring because companies want folks trained and working on their own by mid November so they are completely up to speed by Black Friday and they can help in Black Friday prep.

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Electronic_Syrup7592@reddit

It’s definitely possible, but not usually the case around here. A year ago, all of these places were begging for employees year round, and the seasonal hiring is usually in full swing by October.

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adoptagreyhound@reddit

Stores and restaurants are largely ghost towns now outside of any peak hours or peak demand they might usually have. That is definitiely having an effect on hiring.

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godzillachilla@reddit

Central MO. I work at a tractor and powersports dealership.

We don't have much in the area for row crops, and our cattle prices are high. Local farmers will be ok because the grain tariffs don't affect them as much.

Tractor sales are still down this year. Everybody wants to talk about everyone being broke, but nobody wants to talk about why.

Finance as an option instead of purchasing outright is higher than last year.

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scott32089@reddit

Business manager quit on the spot yesterday and the ADON holding the place together is leaving the end of the month. Seriously (again) considering finding another place to work but my pay, seniority perks, and schedule are pretty amazing.

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jijitsu-princess@reddit

Let me guess. A long term care facility?

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scott32089@reddit

Of course! Been here 10 years and watching it happen in real time is sad. Past 2 years in particular

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jijitsu-princess@reddit

I worked in one for a year and left as fast as I could. The director was fusing the hours of Cnas

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scott32089@reddit

Yeahhhhhh. This place has taught me to keep receipts and that words don’t mean action. Also: I check my pay stub every check. There have been a handful of times I was the whistleblower on paycheck issues. My expectation for any place of corporate work is that the business will try to fudge things expecting people won’t pay attention.

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redrumraisin@reddit

Rumors of layoffs and reductions in positions for data rating, data analysist and other ai adjacent jobs. Medical has begun cooling off a lot where I live, usually they're always looking for phlebotomists and dialysis techs, well not anymore.

At my physical job in retail hell we'd usually be hiring for holidays right now like crazy, or at least interviewing, we're not. Lots of fresh college steam grads come in dressed business casual or even formal with resume in hand for this min wage part time position like its 1930, mostly compsci, ofc everything is online-third party, and we're not even hiring actually, just on paper.

Also our holiday stock is a good 4 weeks behind and logistics coming into this town sucks, I go shopping and there's a lot more barren shelves

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-Pxzy19@reddit

In a span of 10 days, there were 3 major earthquakes from the 3 main island groups of the Philippines.

Town and village communities are active because most people sleep outside, rampant spread of fake news and misinformation generated using AI just so “vloggers” can get click or clout, and finally a village disappeared because of a dormant fault line suddenly became active.

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Elegant-Procedure-74@reddit

I work in a bookstore, just started there earlier this year in the spring. (My dream job I love it). I have noticed the last few weeks and especially the last week or so (since the shut down officially started) people are very very short. Everyone seems to be in a rush / impatient at the register. We pitch our memberships and various other things, and I understand most people may not be interested but I mean it’s my job. I gotta do it lol.

However it seems like both myself and interactions coworkers, customers seem very unkind and hostile from the get. It used to be “oh no thank you” now it’s a lot of dirty looks and people being very loud / aggressive when saying no. And like we get it, once they say no that’s really it, but just the way people seem so hostile now is just very sad to see.

And again I understand people may only shop once a year but it’s still part of my job to pitch.

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baby_philosophies@reddit

Anytime I begrudgingly go into target, I noticed that the fashion is screaming 2008.

Brands and fashion are pulling symbolism from royalty in the past and that is usually a sign of companies and people trying to justify their existence with "divine right" symbolism.

I predict a resurgence of 80's styled things like big hair, gaudy jewelry, platform shoes, and specifically the "Italian Villa" maximalism every mom aunt and grandma wanted in their kitchens in 2008.

(I know all of that is not from the 80s. I just mean the maximalism the 80s had. The bigger is better (even if it's cheap) attitude)

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undeniablysarah@reddit

100% 80s are coming back even in music right now we are getting 80s vibes

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Bimfoot@reddit

It's a shame that the class war lyricism that really popped in the 80s hasn't made a comeback.

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ThrowawayRage1218@reddit

Which in fairness, the 80s had a huge comeback in the 2000s too. I'm not too sure Target fashion is quite the thing to judge by here. They've always dusted off their unsold stock every 20 years. It's just the 2000s' turn. (Which...really pains me to say. My back hurts.)

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Brands and fashion are pulling symbolism from royalty in the past and that is usually a sign of companies and people trying to justify their existence with "divine right" symbolism.

Will the plebs from the Districts get to go to the Capitol to watch The Games?

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baby_philosophies@reddit

Only if they spend half their years credits.

But I think it'll be worth it to see real live blood 😜 (that isn't from starvation or fighting over bread in the streets)

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Tin-Tin-K@reddit

SE Michigan - Seeing an uptick in layoffs due to closings and offshore hiring. Definitely experiencing some grocery item shortages and discontinued items on the shelf and online.

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Dobbys_Other_Sock@reddit

I work in a non-profit that is not Jewish specific but there’s a lot of overlap with the Jewish community. We now have a police car parked in our parking lot indefinitely, and we are part of the patrol route now. We also have security in site anytime someone is in the building and have had to go through some pretty extensive safety trainings. Just last week our local rabbis was threatened leaving a county commission meeting after speaking out against all public schools being required to start the day with a Christian prayer. (The vote failed by one vote, it will pass on the next attempt)

From the non-profit perspective - we need to hire about three more people and that’s not going to happen because the money just isn’t there. In fact we’re behind this year because the IMLS was gutted and people are being mired conservative about their giving

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mega_vega@reddit

I live in Texas in one of the top five most populous metros. I work in a state grant funded program related to addiction at a hospital that is 50%ish grant and state funded (the city’s community hospital that doesn’t turn anyone away). I have heard from colleagues around the city that grants are getting slashed left and right, like half of the grants have been completely ended and cut so far this year. A detox program that was one of a kind based on serving those in poverty is now closed, and it was the only one in the entire city. All of my coworkers at the hospital are on edge, because I’d these health insurance cuts go through, our hospital is going to explode with new patients (since we take the uninsured, and nowhere else in the city does). We already have mild wait times, and we all know that’s going to skyrocket if these health insurance cuts happen.

On slightly related topic- in my city all of the shelters are now on a minimum one week waitlist due to incredibly high need. Our city’s main government funded rental and utility assistance now is pretty much operating on lottery because the applications are at higher numbers. They open online applications one day a month at 9am, and the site closes you out when they reach capacity. The last application I did in august, the site shut me out at 10:20am. One hour and twenty mins!

All of my clients are low income and have children, and I’m doing my best to keep them in the loop about all of the new SNAP and assistance requirements so they don’t get kicked off (if we can prevent it). Nearly all of my clients are on Medicaid as well. I had a client crying to me this week because she has a newborn and is so scared about being homeless again (she finally got into an apartment after waiting over two years for a voucher). My clients are all in major distress, and I make barely enough to live myself, but I’m trying to remain calm and keep everyone present.

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One-Energy-6671@reddit

Thank you so much. You truly change the world into a better place just by being yourself. And we desperately need that. Thank you so much for being there.

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AnomalyNexus@reddit

Things feel steady. Aside from US stock market being pumped up to the max and potentially shitting the bed & taking down the global financial system when it crashes.

...but that minor detail aside....steady.

[Big corp finance] Push for RTO

[UK] Feels like uk is following in US steps politically but on 2 year lag

Also increasingly growing worried about livelihoods of friends in creative space. e.g. I'm noticing my own media consumption moving to LLMs rather than original source

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xABrownGuyx@reddit

Walked into work today to find out everyone in our D&E department was let go with the expectation more layoffs may be coming. So that was nice.

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Early_Army_3352@reddit

I was recently hired to work a seasonal job at a large department store, and the store manager told me during the interview that only one store in the area(out of six) is hiring seasonal workers this year.

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LowBarometer@reddit

I just drove from New England to Iowa and back. This is America's manufacturing heartland, and includes thousands of huge warehouses. Last year when I did this drive there were "Now Hiring" banners on almost every warehouse and plant. I saw thousands of "Now Hiring banners.

This year I saw one. Just one.

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Eric_Durden@reddit

Manufacturing is in a very bad place, every company in my area has had a hiring freeze in place for at least 6 months. If we just need a body, my company will just snag some rando from a staffing agency, if it's a skill position, management will just spread the work out to whoever is already available.

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HealthApprehensive10@reddit

Small job shop here. We have 2 or 3 weeks of rush emergency work and then radio silent for a few weeks. It's awful and not sustainable. Im trying to figure out how best to move forward. We've been in business for decades (family business, 3rd generation) but this may be it for us.

I have a few peers that are in the same boat but the amount of non industry people that tell me manufacturing is booming and it must be something I'm doing wrong is, well it's more than those that get it. Makes it hard to want to even try.

I knew this was coming. Our niche saw a huge slowdown last year. We tried to hold steady but it doesn't look good for a long time.

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PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

Yup. I see the same writing on the wall where i work. 60 years and second gen business. I know i will be one of the last to be let go because i know how to make all the bits as it were.

Scary as i have no control. So i feel ya. I have no idea what to apply for, how to get a job at my age (headed towards the middle age thing) or doing what etc. just at a loss for next steps once this boat sinks.

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HealthApprehensive10@reddit

Same here in the "What do I do if I can't do this?" Conundrum.

Im lucky I have the employees I do. A lot of times when things get slow they are happy to take a layoff. They are all big outdoorsman and have hobbies and are financially okay. But who knows when business will come back.

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PROOF_PC@reddit

This reality paired with many people fleeing from tech & IT, claiming that trades & warehouse work will be less impacted, has made it so there are 0 jobs in warehousing, manufacturing, & trades.

It feels like the only jobs available in my area are coffee shops or six-figure "Senior AI Strategist" type positions.

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totpot@reddit

I hate that people on reddit are still saying "just go to Amazon or UPS! They're always hiring!" Like, no they're not.
We're where China was 3 years ago where the rideshare/food delivery/livestreamer/onlyfans markets got so saturated with gig workers that no one could make any money anymore. (it's still bad now according to people I know who recently visited)

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totpot@reddit

Disneyland did their annual price hike. For annual passes, they have 4 tiers and prices have gone up every year for the 25 or 30 years they've had annual passes. This year, they raised the prices of the top two tiers ($1,899 and $1,474) but kept prices of the bottom two tiers ($974 and $599) the same. I take it as a sign that the top 10% are still spending, but spending elsewhere has just collapsed.

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Excellent_Set_232@reddit

https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-park-price-hike-increase-inflation-affordability-fan-reaction-disneyland-2025-10

Article takes a pretty gross tone IMO but backs up exactly what you’re saying. Even some of the people quoted in the article admit they’re going to cut back in other parts of their trip to offset the price increases. I wonder what their monthly budgets will look like between now when they book it and 6-12 months from now when they take it.

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nw342@reddit

Silver and gold are hiting record highs with no end in sight....very worried about that

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Unusual_Specialist@reddit

I went to my local gas station this last week. Parked in the very far corner & noticed every gas pumps ranged from $4 to $20. I live in a state with the highest gas prices, so I had flash backs to 2008. Genuinely concerning.

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baby_philosophies@reddit

2008 is a specific time. Huh.... Makes ya thinkkkk

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

I didn't go full Joe Exotic but it took over a decade to financially recover from that.

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derek4reals1@reddit

They shut down 2 Lowe's Markets (Lowe's version of a grocery store) in my area code (the806). The two grocery stores shutdown were the only ones in their respective counties.

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Food deserts are a huge problem. Fuck DG.

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SynisterSilence@reddit

A BIG multi-family residential contractor in my area (that has offices nationwide) has had to undergo a great amount of internal restructuring including eliminating a lot of positions, firing a lot of people, to offset the costs of tariffs.

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JamesRawles@reddit

Logistics/Freight Broker: We just had more layoffs. Freight remains low, and prices are going up due to less drivers on the road. They banned non domicile drivers, and drivers are getting swept up by ICE.

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bikumz@reddit

At least on the east coast, booming at the ports pretty consistent rate. Also more late time work starts than usual meaning more in a rush to load/unload cargo.

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

I think part of this could be that there was recently a significant wave of retirements of pilots, and companies ratcheting down on harbor transit safety after the Key Bridge incident. Running in a lot of the mariner circles in my area, a large number of folks retired all at once in the mid-atlantic, and we already had a pilot shortage. I think the late time work starts could be a follow on effect from that, since companies want to wait for ideal conditions.

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bikumz@reddit

Ships have always docked at random times at least for us, it’s the actual start times of working that are changing. Companies in the past have had ships dock at night and won’t start until the next day. But now starting more often at 7pm or even midnight which I’ve had 2 of in the past 10+ years before this month or so, but have had 3 in the past 2 weeks if that makes sense.

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

Maybe I am wrong then, it happens a lot. That doesn't sound like an issue with docking support, which makes me wonder what did change.

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bikumz@reddit

We’ve only ever had issues with pilots and such like tugs on extremely busy days. As in usually a tug on standby right by the ship as the ship is finishing up, even before final cargo is unloaded/loaded. It generally seems now more than ever they want quick turn around times vs saving money on labor.

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

Fair enough, my perspective is heavily skewed towards port ops for naval bases here on the east coast, and only as an outside observer at that. So I've probably just got a really bad read on the situation. Thanks for the actually informed take!

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bikumz@reddit

I’m just a small bean in a big pot my take doesn’t mean much. It’s just like yours what I personally see just different perspective. I just rarely see them throw money around like this, especially this time of year it’s usually not like this at all for us.

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jasere@reddit

I’m just

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sherwood_bosco@reddit

Agreed. I lack the vocabulary to properly express just how tired I am of all the actively evolving bullshit.

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AllPraiseExtinction@reddit

Me every morning trying to keep up

gif

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Too real.

I'm tired, boss.

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LupusDeiAngelica@reddit

100% this.

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ThisIsAbuse@reddit

Construction related industry. As far as my job - I am riding the AI infrastructure wave as long as possible. There are no other waves to ride anyway. Other than this market my company remains deeply concerned about the other markets we serve in 2026.

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squidwardTalks@reddit

I have a family member in multi-family dwellings architecture, and she has projects through the end of the year but everything else is on hold. The reasoning I was told was tariffs, supply shortages, and market uncertainty.

The last couple years they were so busy they couldn't keep up.

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ThisIsAbuse@reddit

This is one of the worst markets, as has been corporate offices.

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fragrant-final-973@reddit

Pleasantly surprised that several of the higher ed orgs told to bend the knee aren't keen on signing the compact.

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HDauthentic@reddit

Auto body repair parts are now easily acquirable for most models of major brands, but repair business is fairly slow

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bikumz@reddit

This is awesome news. Just gotta get the word out so people start bringing their cars back in for repairs. Know a lot of guys sitting on minor stuff putting it off because they think their car will be in the shop for weeks or months waiting for parts.

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