Is there a Recession going on at all?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

There has been a downturn both in Ireland and UK for about 3/4 years now but how real is it?

Obviously gov revenues are down and deficits are up. Unemployment is up a lot in the South and a bit in the North but everywhere you look there are few signs of any real downturn.

For anyone who has lost their job the recession is real but there is no shortage of new cars about North and South, weddings are still as big as they were, everywhere you go people have IPhones/blackberries and every child in the country has the latest games/gadgets. The fleadh in Cavan recently had massive crowds and every major concert seems to be sold out.

Everyones income is down a bit but is this recession not really hitting people the way the one in the 1980s did?

Go chat to someone who has lost their job and their house and see how the recession is . . . people are getting it tight because you are a middle class person everyone you know is middle class and most likely affected but not hugely but you can be sure a number of people are feeling the pressure and it's unlikely to ease in the short term!

I know plenty of people who have lost their jobs, some found work pretty quickly, some seem to comfortable enough on the dole especially in the South. They can afford to go out for meals, have the odd weekend away,send their children to Irish dancing etc.

I am not in a middle class ivory tower. We didn't have loads during the boom and we have a bit less now. I am grateful to have my job.The downturn is correcting the craziness of the credit fuelled boom and spending is down substantially because people aren't able to access the credit they were a few years ago.

Ya people used called them jobs.

[maggie]

Very sad news for the 575 workers in the Talk Talk call centre in Waterford today.

[Orangemac]

These hammer blows keep coming, Carrick On Shannon and now Waterford. Sad news for all.

Meanwhile this kind of s**t keeps on going.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bord-gais-retirees-to-get-euro440000-package-despite-price-hikes-2857158.html

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/hands-tied-over-mccarthy-pension-16046039.html

There is supposed to be €4bn of cuts in December budget but the government will continue to go for the easy targets rather than challenge the vested interests.

[Mayo4Sam]

I work in Bord Gais and I'd say 90% of people I talk to are disgusted by things like the above, even lads I know going for the redundancy package, it'll work out at about 72% of a lads wages for ten yrs if he's 55 now, ridiculous. Another story in the press last week about furniture for €300k for a new office. Most people are embarrassed by it, thankful to be in a job but it's the unions that run the place, unskilled workers that were trained by BG and need a bonus to change anything in their contract including things that improve their jobs, it's a fuckin joke and annoys me. Union reps in their bully new starters into joining the union and then mobilise these clowns when there's a vote on pay cuts or pensions. And we all get tarred with the same brush, I who could blame anyone reading shite like that.

On another note I always think there's jobs there if you want them, a lot of lads I know just dont seem to want a job enough, are beaten before they ever go near the job. I've been laid off twice since 2008 and have gotten two jobs, I also started working for myself, even though I'm on about 30% less salary wise in my 9-5 job I'm much better off when I include the self employed stuff. And to be honest, when you have a job there's nothing better than a recession, websites like city deals etc give great value for meals, weekends away with the missus etc
However I do count myself eternally luckily, I had mortgage approval in '08, 100% mortgage, two months before I was laid off, stalled it cause I felt the dark clouds at work, thank f**k!

[ludermor]

I work in Bord Gais and I'd say 90% of people I talk to are disgusted by things like the above, even lads I know going for the redundancy package, it'll work out at about 72% of a lads wages for ten yrs if he's 55 now, ridiculous. Another story in the press last week about furniture for €300k for a new office. Most people are embarrassed by it, thankful to be in a job but it's the unions that run the place, unskilled workers that were trained by BG and need a bonus to change anything in their contract including things that improve their jobs, it's a fuckin joke and annoys me. Union reps in their bully new starters into joining the union and then mobilise these clowns when there's a vote on pay cuts or pensions. And we all get tarred with the same brush, I who could blame anyone reading shite like that.

On another note I always think there's jobs there if you want them, a lot of lads I know just dont seem to want a job enough, are beaten before they ever go near the job. I've been laid off twice since 2008 and have gotten two jobs, I also started working for myself, even though I'm on about 30% less salary wise in my 9-5 job I'm much better off when I include the self employed stuff. And to be honest, when you have a job there's nothing better than a recession, websites like city deals etc give great value for meals, weekends away with the missus etc
However I do count myself eternally luckily, I had mortgage approval in '08, 100% mortgage, two months before I was laid off, stalled it cause I felt the dark clouds at work, thank f**k!

Ditto, i came across an email from a brokeR back in 2007 offering me a mortgage of 540K!!

[laoislad]

I work in Bord Gais and I'd say 90% of people I talk to are disgusted by things like the above, even lads I know going for the redundancy package, it'll work out at about 72% of a lads wages for ten yrs if he's 55 now, ridiculous. Another story in the press last week about furniture for €300k for a new office. Most people are embarrassed by it, thankful to be in a job but it's the unions that run the place, unskilled workers that were trained by BG and need a bonus to change anything in their contract including things that improve their jobs, it's a fuckin joke and annoys me. Union reps in their bully new starters into joining the union and then mobilise these clowns when there's a vote on pay cuts or pensions. And we all get tarred with the same brush, I who could blame anyone reading shite like that.

On another note I always think there's jobs there if you want them, a lot of lads I know just dont seem to want a job enough, are beaten before they ever go near the job. I've been laid off twice since 2008 and have gotten two jobs, I also started working for myself, even though I'm on about 30% less salary wise in my 9-5 job I'm much better off when I include the self employed stuff. And to be honest, when you have a job there's nothing better than a recession, websites like city deals etc give great value for meals, weekends away with the missus etc
However I do count myself eternally luckily, I had mortgage approval in '08, 100% mortgage, two months before I was laid off, stalled it cause I felt the dark clouds at work, thank f**k!

Ditto, i came across an email from a broke back in 2007 offering me a mortgage of 540K!!

I'd say your're into the Broke Back(Mountain) alright 

[ludermor]

I work in Bord Gais and I'd say 90% of people I talk to are disgusted by things like the above, even lads I know going for the redundancy package, it'll work out at about 72% of a lads wages for ten yrs if he's 55 now, ridiculous. Another story in the press last week about furniture for €300k for a new office. Most people are embarrassed by it, thankful to be in a job but it's the unions that run the place, unskilled workers that were trained by BG and need a bonus to change anything in their contract including things that improve their jobs, it's a fuckin joke and annoys me. Union reps in their bully new starters into joining the union and then mobilise these clowns when there's a vote on pay cuts or pensions. And we all get tarred with the same brush, I who could blame anyone reading shite like that.

On another note I always think there's jobs there if you want them, a lot of lads I know just dont seem to want a job enough, are beaten before they ever go near the job. I've been laid off twice since 2008 and have gotten two jobs, I also started working for myself, even though I'm on about 30% less salary wise in my 9-5 job I'm much better off when I include the self employed stuff. And to be honest, when you have a job there's nothing better than a recession, websites like city deals etc give great value for meals, weekends away with the missus etc
However I do count myself eternally luckily, I had mortgage approval in '08, 100% mortgage, two months before I was laid off, stalled it cause I felt the dark clouds at work, thank f**k!

Ditto, i came across an email from a broke back in 2007 offering me a mortgage of 540K!!

I'd say your're into the Broke Back(Mountain) alright 

Ah Jasus!!

[Mayo4Sam]

I'd like to distance myself from Luder's comments