Talking to the folks at the local 3, they have never seen so many Journeys on the out of work list for so long. That does make me feel better. If they said this is a common occorance, I might be shaken a bit. Union or non, Jobs are slim pickens right now.
There are a few things that would concern me about California. 1 The way the state spends money. 2 CARB, think about the costs associated with the ever changing emission requirements. That certainly hurts contractors, to the point where a lot of the bigger ones are looking for more work out of CA. Im really waiting to see excavation contractors and truck owners to tell California, good luck, you want something moved, or built, you can do it yourself, were going elsewhere.
That being said, I think things are looking fairly secure for folks in the trades. Lets face it, much of todays generation wants to sit in front of computer in an air conditioned office. Not many of them really seem to want to bust their tails outside in the dirt and weather. All these people still need roads, bridges, sewer and water systems, buildings, and their homes built. The big thing you need to remember is to put cash away. When things are rolling coals and you're making money hand over fist, put it away. I always try to live on a budget that is equivalent to my unemployment wages. This way when things are slow, I have a pile of cash in the bank, and very little in the way of bills.