Y'all Been Checkin' Lumber Prices?

[etpm]

Probably due to every one thinking they deserve $15.00 or more for a starting wage regardless of their skill level or competency.

That's because they do. I have never in the last decade paid anybody less than 15 bucks an hour. Even floor sweepers. If you check minimum wage it has fallen way behind the $2.65 when I was 18. I'm not a cheapskate. Folks work hard for me and I pay them a decent wage.
Eric

 

[jyoutz]

Probably due to every one thinking they deserve $15.00 or more for a starting wage regardless of their skill level or competency.

That is the starting wage now, even for fast food jobs.

 

[Bearsixty7]

That is the starting wage now, even for fast food jobs.

Not everywhere, but that's my point. Not every job or worker is worthy of $15/hr. There are lots of entry level jobs still only worth $8-10/hr. People thinking that $15/hr should be the entry level minimum pay don't understand economics and inflation and how it will negatively impact everything. More and more small businesses will be closing. Those that don't close will simply raise the cost of their product or service.

 

[Bearsixty7]

That's because they do. I have never in the last decade paid anybody less than 15 bucks an hour. Even floor sweepers. If you check minimum wage it has fallen way behind the $2.65 when I was 18. I'm not a cheapskate. Folks work hard for me and I pay them a decent wage.
Eric

We'll have to agree to disagree. Glad you were successful enough to pay those wages. If a business can, then great. I have no issue with that. My issue is with every one thinking that should be the minimum wage for ALL entry level jobs. There are many small businesses, in small towns where that will kill business. So now more people will file for unemployment and guess who pays for that?

 

[jyoutz]

Not everywhere, but that's my point. Not every job or worker is worthy of $15/hr. There are lots of entry level jobs still only worth $8-10/hr. People thinking that $15/hr should be the entry level minimum pay don't understand economics and inflation and how it will negatively impact everything. More and more small businesses will be closing. Those that don't close will simply raise the cost of their product or service.

It is reality. When McDonalds is paying $15/hour to start and Walmart/Amazon is paying higher still and offering benefits such as retirement 401k and health insurance, small businesses are losing employees. I think that in the end, small businesses will be proponents of some kind of voluntary health insurance program, because they cannot afford to offer this, but can’t hire employees without it. Times are changing fast and it isn’t all about politics.

 

[Jstpssng]

I’m a forester. The thing that really is frustrating is that the stumpage prices for timber still aren’t much better than a few years ago. The price increases are on the sawmill and retail sales component of lumber.

We’re seeing the same thing here. I think it’s partly because that extra is getting spread to a lot of people rather than one person or entity getting the entire pile; but also because they aren’t sure that prices will hold. At least many owners here are putting some of that money back into the mills... a trend which was going the other way for most of the time I’ve been in the industry.

 

[LD1]

Probably due to every one thinking they deserve $15.00 or more for a starting wage regardless of their skill level or competency.

This is a big thing in my area.

Lots of local employers that employ entry level jobs and highschool kids are struggling. Landscapers, general labor on a construction crew, local restaurants, etc.

17-19 year olds, with no work experience, minimal work ethic, and noses glued in their phones are wanting 20-25/hr starting out because they think they are worth that.

Blows my mind and makes me wonder why they think they are worth so much. I dont live in a wealthy community...and most of the parents of these kids only have average middle class jobs making ~25/hr.

But then I start noticing all the spam crap all over facebook.....work from home entry level data entry positions, etc and claiming $30/hr with no experience, no need for a license, etc. Got me wondering if some of these kids actually believe jobs like this to be true? Maybe thats why they think they can demand $25/hr as a junior in highschool working a summer job for a local landscaper?

 

[plowhog]

I recently tried to help my excavator/dirt work guy hire a few extra workers. In N. Nevada.

If you know how to operate a shovel, the going "start" rate of pay here is $20/hr with a $3,000 cash bonus at 90 days. If you pay less, no one will respond.

Those who respond are in two categories: those willing to actually work, and those who don't want that inconvenience but want the money. He never could get anyone hired who stayed on....

 

[ning]

See my above post. One of the tricks of the elites is to make the underlings believe that it's the poorer among them that are the cause of their ills.

 

[goeduck]

That is the starting wage now, even for fast food jobs.

At those rates if a fast food place had to live off of the business they would get from people like me, they'd be out of business. Eating out at sit down and even fast food places has become very expensive. We just are not doing it like we once did, pandemic or not.

 

[Diggin It]

LUMBER Commodity
1,114.30 +45.00 +4.21%
Official Close 12/13/2021

 

[yanmars]

With all the storm damages wood prices could see increases IMO.

 

[Jstpssng]

MSN

Now I'm thankful that I bought my sawmill... even if it is mothballed until spring.

 

[Torvy]

So, if that article is correct, prices for my lumber should be up, too.

 

[KubotainNH]

Any updates from ya'll who are tracking this? I'm contemplating having a garage built. Thanks!

 

[Diggin It]

^^^ Substitute 'boards' for rent ......






.

 

[rbstern]

Any updates from ya'll who are tracking this? I'm contemplating having a garage built. Thanks!

It's not great. Lumber futures are currently trading at about $1160 per 1000 board feet. For perspective, $350 to $500 per $1000 b.f. was typical during the previous decade. In 2021, it peaked at $1500, and recovered to as low as $470 in September. Since then, it's been marching up. Inflation and fuel cost are adding to the problems.

I don't think you'll see favorable lumber pricing again for a while.

 

[5030]

Right back up to almost what it was during the 'so called shortage'. Think I'd go with a brick house instead.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Right back up to almost what it was during the 'so called shortage'. Think I'd go with a brick house instead.

There was definitely a real shortage. I work for a company that treats lumber and ships it to Lowe's, builds and ships their fence panels, and remanufactures a lot of products from lumber, treats that, and ships it.

We struggled to get material in from Mills for a while. When Covid first started to get serious, many mills shut down or slowed production, anticipating the industry to halt with the Covid restrictions that were being put into place. However, businesses like Lowe's did not get shut down and were deemed essential, so business actually skyrocketed for us.

The mills were behind and demand was up, and apparently they can set prices wherever they like. Demand is up, supply is low, price goes up.

Business hardly ever slowed down, and I fear that prices will never again be what we used to consider "normal". Houses are flying up where I live left and right.

 

[rbstern]

Anybody know if steel buildings are getting hit as hard with material costs as post/stick framed buildings? I know steel has shot up, but I don't know how quickly that flows through to finished product purchasers in that world.