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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Work Outlook??
- - By Platinumbased (**) Date 08-10-2010 21:08
Just wondering what work is available in Welding, Metal Fabrication, Inspection, NDT etc is in YOUR geographical area.
I have a well paying job now (one that I happen to not enjot) but the writing is on the wall and I'm looking to relocate also.
I feel blessed to even have a job so please don't take this the wrong way as I know many people are out of work these days.  Just wondering what type of work is available in your area and the average pay, union or non-union and things like that.  Thanks!
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 08-10-2010 21:27
Not good here in Arkansas

Typical fab, job shop or factory stuff is 10-15 hr    few jobs here and there

Oilfield type work    IF your on the inside there is money to be made here  not necessarily pipeline

Rig work       not enough work to go round    (construction is down)

Aerospace   is in the tank  nothing here      Florida, Ohio and California have some stuff popping up tho.
Parent - - By Platinumbased (**) Date 08-10-2010 22:19
Well it's only fair that I say what it's like where I am which is central NY southern tier and PA region as this is where I work:

1) Many fab shops or manufacturing jobs have gone to 3-4 day weeks with one or two days of unemployment to keep people working (paid vacation?).  Skeleton crews doing the work and getting beat up bad as layoffs have been massive.

2) Trade unions are real bad.  Ironworkers have about 75% unemployed with government being the only jobs going.  Pipefitters are better due to government work but it's drying up fast maybe 20% laid off, mostly school construction work.  Sheetmetal is around 75% laid off.  Boilermakers have nothing and about 90% laid off.  This is from the Union Trades meeting held last month.  The rank and file are ready to revolt.

3)  Natural Gas Marcellus Shale is drying up also.  Lots of Obama EPA attention being drawn to this area.  Water well contamination allegations from fracking operations.  Pipelines are slowing down.  Lawsuits from enviromental groups flying like crazy.   

4)  Power plants:  Jamestown NY  clean coal Carbon capture plant cancelled.  Huntley Clean Coal near Buffalo NY plant cancelled. All these are union jobs lost from trades that supported Obama with millions in campaign contributions.  Shut down by Obama EPA.  The guys I talk to are so mad they want to tar and feather the union bosses. 

5) Paper Mills.  Too little work to even mention.

6)  Steel Mills.  See #5

7)  Chemical plants.  See #5

Sorry for the bad news but it is what it is. 

I'm looking to relocate and wonder what's out there.  Are there any welding jobs that pay over $25 hr with benefits out your way?

Thanks!
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-11-2010 11:40
Platinumbased you sound like me, I hate my dam job and am thinking if i don't get layed off by October i'm moving on. Louisana here well I've been seeing some things pop-up, alot of fitter/welder jobs which I am realizeing now i gotta learn to fit. Louisiana,Texas sometimes, Alabama Florida sometimes and VA is the places I have seen pop up every couple of weeks with some good welding jobs
Parent - - By Platinumbased (**) Date 08-11-2010 19:53
Keep your spirits up Chris2626.  My first welding job was in Florida.  1986.  I doubt I could handle the heat anymore.  I need some cooler climates to work in other than the south.  I'm in my mid 40's and getting pretty worried about my future.  Working in a sweat shop pounding wire in my late 50's is not what I had planned for.  I saw too many guys like that in my early days in the trade.  Very few were happy and ALL made sure their kids didn't take up the trade.  This was in the 80's-early 90's.  I saved some money away so I'm not in quite as bad shape as they were but it's still scary.  My pensions are in big trouble also.  Trying to keep up with the technology but nobody wants to hire me.  I'm computer literate and really want to learn orbital welding but you don't even have to be a manual welder to run one of these so I get passed by.

If you're young, like under 30, I suggest going back to school or getting some advanced training in robotics or something other than pounding rod.  We're all going to be replaced by technology or third world labor very soon.  The writing is on the wall. 

I'm not giving up but it's getting very frustrating sending out hundreds of online resumes and not getting one single call.
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-12-2010 04:07
I just made 31. I work in a production shop and well I see some of these guys who look like there dam near 65 when in reality there like 50. I am seeing now after 2 years at this place this fast pace production stuff is very stressful and will wear a person down and am starting to think if I stay here forever it maybe me, or it could be all the drugs and booze these people have taken also in there years. I really don't know anything about fitting and am seeing that is really what is hurting me big time. I see so many jobs that are a welder/fitter position, as much as I don't want to fit I am seeing I must learn it. I don't know how much longer i will be at this job because i think soon there gonna start laying people off.

I think first thing Monday morning I'm gonna go have a talk with my supervisor and see if I can get transfered over to the fitting department. It's more almost like assembling/fitting. Most the parts are laser cut and all but it would be a good step towards fitting. I know my eyes won't be able to take the abuse forever no matter how well I take care of them so learning to fit would be a good think because I do enjoy this kinda work. I never thought I'd be saying that I'm gonna crossover to be a fitter.
Do wonder what will happen in another 10 years though of how much more stuff will be built overseas. All I know is there isn't to much good quality stuff built in the USA anymore it seems like. I hate to say I work for the company I work for because quality went out the window a long time ago. I work very hard to do quality work but see the people around me lay down such sh*t and it just keeps getting sent down the line.

I have heard alot and seen on like youtube about alot of robots there useing to weld these pipelines up. Where do you even go to school to run these things if thats what you're refering to??
Parent - - By Platinumbased (**) Date 08-12-2010 11:21
They're called Orbital Welders.  I took a 40 hour training course on one several years ago at the pipefitters union hall.  They use a wire fed GTAW (TIG) with a water jacket to keep it cool.  Very slick setup with pre-written programs for wall thickness and pipe diameter. All you do is fine tune it once you enter the program.  They take some time to learn but you don't have to be a manual welder to run one and quality is as high as it gets.

I've been trying to find an outfit to put me on running these for close to a year now with no luck.
Parent - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-12-2010 19:07
Yes I did see that on youtube by mistake, that thing is awsome, the short video of it was saying how they hardly ever have a bad weld useing it. I think it was on a pipeline somewhere in Iraq but not sure
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 08-15-2010 07:57
If you want to make good money with orbital welding.....check out the international jobs on laybarges.    You WILL have to hunt to find one that's open.
Parent - By mightymoe (**) Date 08-16-2010 01:04
Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC needs welders. You'll have to go thru ua local 150.
Parent - By yorkiepap (***) Date 08-11-2010 12:00
Hey Platinum,
Check the Pittsburgh Craigslist on the "Manufacturing" & "Skilled Trades" sections. There have been continuous ads for welders ranging from shop pipe positions, fab shops, TIG welding, container welding, etc.. These positions vary in location in the Pittsburgh metro(35mi radius) & some have mandatory overtime. Wages are "DOE" & some are test requirements. Don't know if anyone else may be interested..... there is some work here in this area.....not the greatest wage scale, although steady work & a bit lower living expense. Hope this may help someone.....

Denny
- - By HELLTACO (*) Date 08-14-2010 18:32
Almost all welding in the southwest is now done by the LWU so you can just about forget comming here for a welding job.  Unless you belong to the LWU.
We have give the shops a break from the high wedges that they had to pay befor white flight.  We work hard to try to get the job done.
Parent - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-15-2010 03:54
I know i look online and see few 11 an hour jobs but god it's DEAD a friend out in Colorado keeps saying when you moving back and I'm like probally never, there are no jobs
Parent - - By awspartb (***) Date 08-15-2010 17:34
What is LMU?
Parent - By Mat (***) Date 08-18-2010 01:48
Northern British Columbia is slow, but Canfor, CN and random clients are keeping us somewhat steady work wise, enough to keep 4 of us working anyway.
- - By New-Welder1 (*) Date 09-26-2010 05:12
Im in florida, not much going on here thesedays, In my area id say about 1/4 of the fab shops are out of business and the others are just keeping the doors open.
Sure hope for better times to come soon
Parent - By Bob Garner (***) Date 09-27-2010 15:39
Happy to say that the NASSCO Shipyard here in San Diego CA has a contract for several new Navy ships.  They will be re-hiring again, after their recent layoffs.  I can't say how many new jobs will open up, though.

Bob G.
- By weld4JC (*) Date 09-27-2010 18:44
I heard there is a lot going on in Houston
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Work Outlook??

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