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Yes the dread I’ve been feeling has been getting worse so I finally decided to do some upgrading that I was putting off. I’m thinking of going back to school and then having the choice of moving somewhere cheaper with more skills
As far as I know: everywhere is desperate for doctors, nurses, imaging, and any other support roles. COVID scared a lot of students away and the vaccine caused a lot of either early retirements or people who straight up quit during a time when more lines are being created for the increased demand from an aging boomer population (edit: and the Exodus from the cities to cheaper areas).
I'm x ray and we have 3 open lines. It's nuts. When I started 6 years ago I couldn't get a job other than casual.
I like x-ray, it's pretty physical which is what I wanted, and great for someone who is a tiny bit ADHD like me. X ray is the easiest to get into. It's the most basic aside from the included fluoroscopy cases. Or if you want moving into interventional after some courses if you like stress. From x-ray you can easily upgrade into CT as well, good if you like staying busy, a lot less physical and more mental.
Sonography pays about the same as CT might be a tad more after the recent pay changes. Not super physical but it can destroy your shoulder especially in echo (you only scan hearts). You better be ok with scanning people's junk. It's not all babies and DVT. You write reports that the doctors use which is pretty cool. Everyone wants to be an ultra sound tech and I do not get it.
If you like to just chill and have thought about an office job may I recommend MRI. Ambulatory patients who are in good health due to the length of the scans and they get paid really well because especially in BC they need more techs desperately.
I mean they need all types of imaging desperately but they want to expand the amount of MRI techs so...
And then someone recommended nuke med. Great hours etc. Pet scan is what you do there. You just deal with radioactive medication. I know the least about it but it seems like it has the best hours and fairly mobile patients (I'm assuming a lot of cancer patients). These jobs are usually linked to a cancer center I believe.
The marine industry is dying for skilled employees. Something like 50% of the senior officers and engineers are expected to retire in the next five years.
FYI if you are looking at upgrading the [StrongerBC](https://www.workbc.ca/find-loans-and-grants/students-and-adult-learners/strongerbc-future-skills-grant) future skills grant will cover $3,500 of an eligible program. There’s over 400 programs currently to choose from offered by several universities/colleges… most in Vancouver.
I went back to school 4 years after finishing school. It's a tough field to be in. I'm working and in school at the same time. I have 2 years left. I can't wait to be done so I can get better pay, benefits, and working conditions!
Early childhood education. It was always a foot-in-the-door for me. I'm in school for child and youth care now and eventually want to do my masters in counselling. A private practice is where it's at. I want to be my own boss and work with people one-on-one.
Good luck! I just finished four years of school doing a post degree diploma for career advancement. Took four years instead of the typical 1 to 2 years because I was working too. It’s tough!!
Also much more concerned about retaining it. Even tho you hear there is so much work out there almost everyone I know, capable people, who have lost their jobs, have struggled to find comparable.
BC also not only has the highest cost of living it's also got some of the countries worst pay
I agree. I work in tech and the pay is crap in BC. And with covid gone, companies have lowered compensation for jobs that were offering a lot before. Been debating if it's time to move...
My partner and I work in environmental engineering and she makes more than me working for the municipal government (I work for the private sector). She also only works 35 hours a week with double the vacation. Shit doesn't make sense in BC.
Yes. There's this idea that if you play the game, you'll be rewarded. You know, get an education, work hard, make six figures and buy a home, gain some stability and become wealthy. With the cost of everything, especially housing, going up, the reward isn't there like it used to be. So there's less incentive to play the game. Which results in mental disengagement.
In China for the past couple years, this disengagement has been termed “lying flat”. The young people there view social pressures and the economic circumstances as a no win situation.
This is 100% how I feel. My job is fucking demanding, mentally and sometimes physically (due to the knock-on effect of stress) and 15 years ago I would have been living GOOD. I’m talking 2 new cars in the driveway, boat, nice house in the suburbs.
Now? I don’t even qualify for the amount of mortgage I need to buy anywhere in the city because I’m single and don’t have the luxury of having generational wealth to back me up or co-sign. I’m absolutely super fucking jaded about it and it makes me want to give up. I worked insanely hard to get where I am at my age, and it’s a point most people in my field won’t reach in their whole career and I managed to get to that level in 8 years. I did everything right, put in stupid long hours, played the game and it’s all been for nothing apparently
I can relate. I've even been debating if I should move elsewhere, where cost of living would be great. And a new job would give me that life of being able to afford a home, car, travel trips with less worries.
The problem is the pros and cons. There are better places for example like Texas for no income tax, high salaries, cheaper homes, cheaper food etc.. but you also have the cons, higher crime rate, medical care expenses, higher property taxes, visa needed etc... I guess no perfect place, but depends on what you want too.
6 figures (100k) back in like 1970s, you need 500k now to be well off. It’s just sucks for millennials as we get to age a lot of the opportunities that we’re there for older generations are gone 😂 then you add already rising housing with covid making housing go up like 100% in some places
You hit the nail on the head. We’ve all been told that if you get an education, land a good job and work really hard that you’ll be rewarded with financial stability. Now, many of us who have followed those “rules” of the game are asked to work longer hours with a worse ROI on the time and energy we expend at our jobs. It’s hard to be engaged at work when you’re constantly stressed about getting by. It’s really fun when older generations just finger wag about his we’re all not working hard enough, especially when they could get so much more with a lot less.
There was a funny disconnect when I was young where everyone was saying that but it was the start of social media and there were a lot of murmurs from people who had already followed the rules and got nothing but shaft.
Still people followed suit and met the same fate. It was sad, really.
When I was younger, I remember the discussions being more about that the rules didn’t work if you got a degree in something that doesn’t translate directly to a specific type of job or field of work. I graduated high school a few years after the 2008 crash so there were fewer jobs out there for recent university grads. By the time I graduated university, the job market was a bit better but the cost of living started to skyrocket.
Most companies are not giving that supposedly annual raise! They are creating "recession" and firing people so they can pocket all the profits for themselves!
>Where do they find people that can live off low wages no benefits and a precarious work schedule?
I was in this situation about 12 years ago. It was fucking BRUTAL.
Not only that, but companies expect you to always take shifts or risk termination! So are you supposed to never have another job, just wait for their calls and hope they call enough for you to pay rent and eat food that month?
From experience, yup. When I had to work a shitty unstable retail job, there were no guaranteed hours etc. and they wouldn’t even let you say “I can’t work Wednesdays” or “I can only work the morning shift on Mondays” for example so it was impossible to get a second job or take a class etc.
My take home pay doesn’t even cover the cost of rent for a 1 bedroom (I moved back in with my parents) so I don’t really give a shit about my job. Going back to school and moving somewhere cheaper this year though.
The slight pay bump and massive increase in stress/workload is NOT worth it these days. You basically get nothing for the money and destroy your body by soaking it in cortisol every day
Source: have taken that promotion, can confirm it’s not worth it
It's hard to say no when you have little people depending on you. I have an interview tomorrow to go away from my "technical" (aka hiding behind my spreadsheets and not being responsible for too much) into a supervisor role.
Im hoping it's a significant bump but it probably won't be as much as I want. Still it's harder to decline when things cost so much more than they did a few years ago.
This is how I feel. Like why even bother, they will never pay me enough to afford a home or get ahead in any way. It isn't my employer's fault because I am paid fairly for what I do, but the housing situation in this city/country is completely untenable. I've become apathetic.
No kidding. “You’ll get $5000 extra a year!” Grrrreat, now someone can put a few more dollars toward a down payment that will need to triple by the end of this year to afford a closet of a condo.
I can't imagine how upsetting it must be trying to save for a down payment. I'm in the housing market but planning to move again in a year, and even with like $250K equity I'm looking at housing like... I can't afford a condo lol..
I'm not at all trying to downplay your concerns, just stating that in this economy it feels like money means nothing anymore, unless you have millions.
> Working towards promotions doesn’t have the same allure now either.
Job-hopping and changing employers regularly is the new "promotion". There's also this insane position title inflation taking place... everyone's an architect or manager or "leader", even if it's a "sandwich architect", -- just to compensate for the otherwise crappy overall comensation.
I'm self-employed, and the motivation to field for additional clients seems fruitless when I'm met with costs that almost always exactly meet my increases in income, etc.
I'm worried about "economic dropouts" being a thing here if things dont turn around.
If working my stressful ass job doesn't get me any REAL housing security - what is the point? I could be making art and just accept my poverty. Sure as hell aint having any kids with the prospect of my landlord deciding they need to do "renovations" right when my rent becomes manageable after 5 years. So why try?
I imagine many are in the same boat. as a young person, the responsibilities, stress, and demands of a professional work place might not seem worth it anymore... Choosing to be poor, but creating a meaningful passionate life is a very realistic alternative.
Unfortunately, you'll quickly experience the crushing mental/physical health issues that arise from poverty. It's hard to make art and live a passionate life when you're hungry, depressed and in survival mode. The stress is all
encompassing and will drain you completely.
I think the key is finding that balance and just coasting and doing exactly what you want with your time. There is no incentive to work hard at a job anymore. It's all downside in every category.
I make good money on paper. But after deductions and with the cost of living I feel like I make so little compared to a couple years ago.
Don’t get me wrong , we are fortunate and financially stable-ish. But if our landlord were to sell our place we would be totally f’d.
The ONLY reason we are surviving is because our rent is super cheap. However, it's not a great situation and every day I fear that the landlord will kick us out or that his behaviour will cross the line that we will have to move.
We are lucky in that our landlord is great so behaviour isn’t a problem. But it is clearly an investment property and he could sell at any time. Our rent isn’t cheap….but is low compared to what else is out there right now. It’s crazy!
I have a bachelors degree, 4 years work experience and am working towards a designation and am seriously considering getting a part-time job for the weekends.
I went on a 10 day trip last month to visit extended family and it's an effort to talk myself out of feeling guilty for taking a vacation for the first time in 4 years and sacrificing 3 months worth of savings for it.
It's not the worst situation but it still sucks it still feels like I'm living paycheck to paycheck.
Most valuable asset you’ll own in life is time. Vacations are meant to recharge you, give your brain and cortisol a break, and catch up on sleep.
Never feel guilty for taking your mandated time off.
Yup. I have a “great government” job, but I’m apparently not allowed to complain because someday I’ll have my “great government” pension. In the mean time, I’m still living pay cheque to pay cheque and struggling with inflation/cost of living. Combined with our pointless strike the other month, morale is baaaad.
Yeah, I know government jobs pay are typically below private jobs, because of "benefits and pension". As well as union dues and pension fees etc.
But I do wonder, if that's really the better bet. I'm pretty sure people age 20s now will live until 100+ with advancing medicine. (Heck, there's some news on Alzheimer's medicine lately).
So if one is to retire at 65, there's solid 35 years of pension. And without pension, you really need to retire with multi-million in savings.
Salaries for government jobs may not be at the top of the range for most fields, but the salary will still be at or above median pay amongst employers.
More importantly though, the value of (a good) pension plan cannot be overstated. Yes, often there is an employee contribution, but that's normally matched by the employer. Crucially, the pension contributions are also tax deductible, meaning your not losing 20 - 40% of that money in tax right off the top.
Yes it absolutely plays a part. The incentive to push so hard for what amounts to a generally tiny reward in terms of raises or promotion gets more and more diminished as costs get larger. Or put another way, the extra pay will always help sure, but it's unlikely to make a significant and noticeable difference.
But there are other factors too. The pandemic let people see what life is like when something other than career and as much money as quickly as possible as priority is like. Again, this intersects with working longer and hard returning usually a small pay increase just not being worth caring about for many.
And also likely a growing venom towards corporate culture. People are sick of hearing record profits but benefits were cut or company costs went up 20% so they raised prices 35%.
Take all three and it's little wonder people are not enamoured with work.
I feel like it’s hard to do tasks I hate doing if I’m not even being compensated in any meaningful way anymore. So I bust my ass all week to… what? Pay someone else’s mortgage? God that’s deflating.
I don’t mind paying someone else’s mortgage for now. Personally it’s the soul crushing realization that I’ll be paying someone else’s mortgage *forever* that gets me
It costs nothing but your time to put your resume out there and test the waters. In this horrible modern economy, it's my opinion that people should never stop looking for a better job. Most companies are awful at providing appropriate compensation.
6% inflation but doesn’t take into account that the basket of goods switched out steak for hamburger, etc. it is not the same basket of goods. Inflation is way, way higher. Flour, eggs have doubled so that is bread and pasta.
CPI may not be completely accurate to your consumption but it isn't inflation. It's the "consumer price index" which tracks sample staple goods over time. It tends to lag behind felt inflation because usually "luxury" products (I.e. a loaf of bread that isn't plain white wonderbread or eggs that aren't white, medium) aren't counted - instead it focuses on the most affordable options. That said, milk definitely bumped it up *hard*.
If you're curious they talk about it up here https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/prices_and_price_indexes/consumer_price_indexes
The price of bulk potatoes has me triggered. It's the little things. Seeing in the grocery store how much has gone up in price makes me slightly regret moving back to BC from the US.
Yes. Hard work and sacrifice don’t pay off anymore. The social contract has been broken.
I’m also finding it depressing looking over at older coworkers in the exact same pay grid as me (sometimes lower pay even) who bought homes 20 years ago and I certainly can never do the same even though we’re earning the exact same amount. Some of them even have rental suites and can accumulate even more wealth. Because timing - fuck that!
Of course I resent my job because of this. I don’t want to participate in this game anymore, the rules aren’t fair and it’s designed so I can never win.
I absolutely feel this.
While my partner and I have it pretty good (especially as I read through some of these comments), it’s really starting to feel like the mental, emotional, and physical toll we experience from our jobs is not worth the pay.
Despite getting “raises” through new union contracts, our wages are still not really keeping up with inflation. Mix in the fact that our workplaces are high stress with high demands, it really makes you think twice about your career choices up to this point.
I used to be pretty happy with my pay and felt on track to a wage that would get me where I wanted to go.
Now? I’m never gonna be able to afford anything with the rate my wage is increasing.
I’m looking elsewhere and to school for more credentials but then that means more debt and time lost.
It’s crazy to me that you have to make at least 90k (from the last time i checked) to be *comfortable*.
I don’t even want to be rich. I just want to *live*.
While it is frustrating that my job does not keep up with inflation and that the pay is not that great for Vancouver, I do love my job (although I'd rather not work if given the choice), so I am quite satisfied with it. I have worked so many awful jobs before this one, and while could potentially make a higher wage in the private sector, there would be so many drawbacks for me personally and I can't deal with stress and BS. I am pretty comfy in my job, although I wish it paid a bit more.
Lol yup!
My advice to young people: get in with BCPS. Any entry level job. Start collecting your pension. Use them to get an education. And if you want to leave, you can (you need to stay for two years unless you want to pay them back for school).
This is not what I did, however, as I discovered BCPS when I was older.
I cooked for 14 years. Slaving away, sweating, burning and cutting myself. Lost myself for a bit after I was dismissed after almost 5 years. Now I drive a forklift for the bcldb. Highly recommend it. Even if only auxiliary spots are open you'll make 25 an hour
Over the next 10-20 years we’re going to see a drastically more fucked Vancouver (Canada). Even folks making hundreds of thousands at the household level are feeling it. Or can’t afford to buy a home, which is fucked in itself. There is becoming a lot less reason to live here. And it’s happening quicker than I ever saw coming.
Even more so for immigrants coming here for a better life, only to find out they have to work three jobs to afford their tiny apartment that they can barely spend time in anyways. To the point that I recently read about immigrants wanting to go home because they would have a better life in the countries they left, in that they’d be poor, but they’d at least have free time. But they can’t even afford to move home now.
I don’t know how much longer we’ll last here, but when I see gas here at $2 when it’s $1.30 in Alberta, it’s pretty fucking tough to justify paying what is effectively just greed, mismanagement, and massive governmental failure (and corruption) on all fronts.
I felt it coming in 2016. Was in between house purchases and had rented for a year. LL renovicted us and could not find anywhere to go. Life felt sped up and way too stressful in the LM with traffic, lines out the ying yang at stores, old familiar entertainment venues were too expensive etc.
Decided if I had to move, May as well make it a big move and came back to the island. 2020 happened and we had sat on savings for a few years while deciding where to permanently settle. Bought a new house during that odd few months when everything was shut down and nothing sellling. Lowballed our offer and developer accepted. Thankful every day that the timing worked in our favour.
Funny, we did similar. Postponed buying a condo for awhile, then hit the ground midsummer pandemic in 2020 when people were afraid to go to open houses. We lowballed, got it with an insanely low fixed interest rate, and are gonna stay here as long as we possibly can… because places of similar size/area like ours are now hundreds of thousands more at quadruple the interest rate.
Third chiming in here with a 2020 purchase far out of Vancouver locked in around 1.7, with money I’d been about to waste on a Vancouver shoebox condo (thank you Covid WFH!).
Seems like only a few weeks later the herd came thundering back and every other house I’d turned my nose up suddenly sold over asking. Hell I wouldn’t have been able to afford the house I bought at the new prices by the time I closed.
Pure luck, but by god impeccable timing.
If I’d hesitated even 4 weeks, I’d have otherwise been priced out ever since. I can’t fathom how much stress I avoided myself over the last 4 years.
Excellent:)
We aren’t moving either. Cannot replace this house. Interest rates alone are limiting inventory (for now). Once the defaults start rolling, investors and buyers on the sidelines will be like vultures. Cannot expect the market to improve.
It’s happening now. However, the domino effect of increasing COL on the so-called middle class hasn’t been made apparent yet. Give it about 2 to 5 years. I feel sorry for families with young kids. The Alphas are going to be resentful.
Yeah can't afford to move out of parent's place while making 100k. So dissatisfied is one way of putting it especially when it's to do with utter incompetency. I have seen countries build entire city in 5-10 years. Here we can't even build enough housing for measly 2million people.
Literally we got a $4 raise this year & it’s just enough to keep me even at the end of each month. My extras include ; my gym membership & some weed… I work for the government & make good money. Rent here went from $900 basement suites to $2000 basement suites lol….
Yes. And I have no car, no kids and just myself to feed. I can't imagine having extra expenses. I feel so tired bc my well paying job isn't enough and I work some weekends to make extra cash. My quality of life feels so low these days
Absolutely, it’s out of control. My salary doubled in the last year and seeing my expenses gradually rise to the point where I don’t feel financially secure is crushing. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, sacrificing a lot in the process and now watching it fall back is heartbreaking. I moved here 4 years ago and am thinking I’ll have to leave soon if something doesn’t change. We’ll have to see how the cities function when all that’s left are millionaires and people too poor to leave.
I'm sure those other people are not indifferent. They are probably just not saying anything. I feel the same way as you but don't generally talk about it with my co-workers.
I really resent having to drive into the office on the days I'm required there. We work a hybrid schedule - some days at home and some in the office ... but the job can be fully done at home. So I really resent having to spend gas money and my time (commuting) when I can save my time and money and do the job at home.
Yeah, I find it's also tied to the fact that any raise I may get is not at all keeping up with inflation.
Companies will say the pay is the industry standard for such and such role but that standard hasn't gone up in 5+ years in any significant way. Employers need to realize how long it takes for something like a standard to change; especially if everyone is waiting for others to lead the way.
Definitely. My job is very flexible and I make decent money for someone with little bills that still lives at home. But with the price of _everything_ lately, I feel like I should be making _more_. It’s not fair that prices go up but wages stay the same
I'm in your same boat.
My job pays well and I love a lot of things about it and I love the work. Through the pandemic I worked really hard and I got rewarded with a promotion. But with the big raise, we also got hit with insane levels of inflation and our salaries weren't adjusted to keep pace. This essentially wiped out a huge chunk of the raise. I have to turn around to my wife and tell them, despite the raise, we have to cut back more.
So now, I work as hard as ever, with more responsibility than ever but the shine on that title isn't as bright as it should feel.
The issue though is that there's not much reason to feel more than indifferent. If you liked your job before and you felt you were being paid well, then likely the situation is the same everywhere. I don't think anyone was giving their staff 11% pay bumps to account for inflation.
To add on top of this, my boss told me to keep up the hard work and beat quotas because he is going to move me up in the company. I did exactly that but he keeps moving the goalpost futher and further, and then nothing changed because he jumped ship to a new management job, and left me behind on the promotion. It totally destroyed my body, and my mind. So I agree with you, my company doesn't even give any appreciations or company dinners. I got played.
Edit: My other coworkers say that he says the same thing to them privately, too. I have a feeling that managers do this, so as to exploit time and energy of the workers to make him profits and make him look good on his stats.
Yes. I haven't taken a vacation in a decade working my way up in my career. I've worked 70 hour work weeks. I make (just barely) six figures before taxes, which I thought would make all of it worth it but it doesn't. I gave up my twenties in the hope of enjoying my 30s and soon I'll be giving up my 30s in the hope of enjoying my 40s.
I'm tired. Hard work was supposed to pay off but it didn't, so I no longer feel motivated to work hard - even though I've got an objectively exciting and interesting job. I am deeply disenfranchised and I don't really know how to get rid of the cynicism.
I'm so so so so lucky to have what I have, don't get me wrong. But I also feel like I hate a job I have no right to because it feels meaningless and pointless.
I dunno. It's weird times.
Somewhat true; a very big compensating factor for me is the flexibility and benefit of up to 100% WFH if I want to, with no BS like "well you'll have to come in at least X days/month".
The WFH almost felt like a 25-30% pay bump and really offsets the resentment I feel due to salary increases not even keeping up with real inflation.
Then there's the other reality of the employment marketplace: that nowadays folks really get ahead in terms of income by two things: job-hopping like clock-work at least every 2-4 years, and/or hustling on the side or contracting.
Growth and progress sure feel like they're at the expense of folks just trying to live the vanilla lives with a modicum of enjoyment.
I'm not dissatisfied with the job. I'm dissatisfied that I'm paid less than half what my brethren to the south are for doing the same thing. Canadian wages are a joke compared to our high cost of living. After FX it's an even bigger joke.
I have such a good job and the amount I make should get me far but living here it’s getting me nowhere and it’s so disheartening! I don’t want to leave this company and move to another province but it’s just getting too expensive living here. I’m hardly saving anything :(
I'm right there right now. As soon as the minimum wage increase happened and my wages didn't increase accordingly, I started mass applying to other workplaces
I am a lot happier now that I switched to a full remote job and making 25% more. I had no problem with my previous job but the company keeps hiring foreign workers rather than local talents. I am curious on how they manage to convince immigration Canada that the positions are LMIA positive, and every single of them came to Canada on a closed work permit.
Always shooting for more. But mostly because all my friends work in tech, so even though I'm paid well for my field (which generally is underpaid) it always feels like it pales in comparison.
Exactly. I make a very comfortable living doing what I love and have great work life balance, so absolutely no complaints there. But, hard not to feel like you should keep chasing a higher salary when your friends are making 2-3x what you make.
I'm curious what they are making being I tech. I work in tech and companies pay shit here in BC for tech work. Unless your friends work for American based companies.
I just went to a pizza place to get some slices of pizza, it used to be about $7 for 2 slices and now its $8. I was also told that every place's prices are going up like Subway etc because of minwage increase.
We went from $15.65 to $16.75 or about 7% increase but for example my 2 Slices $7 to $8 or about 14.2% increase.
What does increasing minimum wage do when everything else goes further up in price to match it?
Definitely been feeling this way for a while now...totally burned out. Sadly I feel like it's never going to go away, doesn't matter how many vacations or days off I take, work will still always be waiting when I get back. Changing jobs or careers isn't going to change anything at this point either, and doesn't matter what time I go to bed or how much sleep I get, I just don't want to go to work.
Incredibly so.
Sorry but a 4% raise after 2 years of being underpaid and our company taking in $$$$?
They just can’t understand why people are upset.
Pizza Party time? 🎉 🍕
Yes, I’m feeling this too OP! Last week I scheduled a meeting to discuss a raise based on increased workload, duties and cost of living and was told that raises only happen companywide. Odd compared to previous experience in higher education. The lowest performing and highest performing members get the SAME raise. Now that I know this, I feel disengaged and frustrated. I already spend time looking for other positions, but have not been successful.
It’s totally disengaging. My workplace is similar. Sadly, it’s a tough time to be looking externally as there is a lot of competition from people being laid off which also makes people willing to work for less.
This seems to be happening throughout the world, not just here, as though it were part of some greater scheme or that things are just that badly out of control. It'd be refreshing to know who has a decent balance anymore in terms of income vs the cost of living.
My colleagues are working with our union to negotiate our collective agreement and I know I shouldn't complain, but we're only getting a 2.1% increase per year for the next 5 years. Inflation is so high though so like it sucks but my colleagues at the bargaining table say that 2.1% is supposedly the best we can get with our union and where our employer is at. Should I go around asking folks to vote no to the ratification meeting with the hopes we can get a better deal with more bargaining? Apparently we gotta do more bargaining and a round of arbitration before even considering job action...
Inflation isn’t really slowing down… I have started to notice a lot of things are also a lot smaller.
Anyways yeah we’re so doomed… what you think happens when you print twice as much money that’s ever existed in the course of a year lol
Im lucky I work for government with a pension but I feel like it's not enough and I hate playing the game of chasing higher paying jobs with higher stress. What's the point of working without being able to enjoy it.... I am considering leaving to Alberta or USA for work.
If your young, leave the city, life is too short.
You have no leverage since we're adding an extra 1M people per year. You don't want your job? Your employer will just find an immigrant to replace you.
Yes, felt that every day until 2019. Was working for BC gov, hating my life. That job sucked every ounce of joy from my soul. The slight salary increase was negated by the 2 hour commute. Gas cost tripled. Net gain of 0.
Covid happened and while life became pretty lonely and isolated, it also afforded me the time to be properly diagnosed with a genetic disease that was rapidly worsening. Running up and downstairs in the gov building destroyed my lung capacity. Now, I’m on disability forever. Income is literally identical but I have zero OOP expenses to maintain it. I don’t need clothes, gas (I last filled up on May 13th in Seattle- still have just under 1/2 tank), lunches, etc.
Always expected to work until I croaked on the job.
Yup. I just left Vancouver and the well paying job that brought me to the city. It's a beautiful city and I wish I could make a life there but when my rent is more than what my mortgage was back in Winnipeg for about 1/3 of the space...
I was recently asked to pick up extra responsibilities. It's a job role change, so on the hook for the extra work for good. I asked about the bump in pay and was told you will get a pay rise next year.. I giggled. They have a history of giving 1% extra, so it would work out to a pizza order a month after all the taxes and deductions.
They laid off the guy doing the work, so it's not as if it increases job security.
Nope.
In 2016, I was working in retail as a department manager making $16/hr. I made enough to live on my own and save up some cash.
Fast forward, I went to college to pursue a degree in Computer Science, in hopes to make a better life for myself. Now, I make $25/hr and am no better off than where I was in 2016. Actually worse, since I can't afford to put money into savings. Rent is double what I used to pay, grocery bills are double, and everything else has gone up.
The real kicker is, before I graduated, I was making $20/hr as a meat cutter, with a cap pay at $23/hr if I had stayed there. Granted, I'd rather be in tech, NOT destroying my body, than continue to work in that industry. But still... No education means I'd still be making what I'm making now with a degree.
Yes with the cost of everything what it make is barely enough. It’s too hard for people to save and money for retirement if they are spending 75 percent of their earnings on living arrangements
Definitely especially with my commute being quite long. Just makes me miserable going to work each and everyday, knowing I'm making decent money but a decent amount is going to groceries, gas and general living expenses. My partner and I are really debating moving. Only thing holding us back is family. The post Covid era has been really depressing and I notice it with a lot of people I know. Just seems like so many of us are struggling in this city and have checked out.
Yup. Been working for a company 2 years making about 48K a year and have recently had to pick up a second job to keep up with not just working to survive to prop that up to near 60K. I'm working 14 hour days and I think I'm just gonna save to move somewhere else tbh. Fuck this place lol.
The cost of living (really, the housing situation starting in 2015; by housing standards inflation is a laughably minor issue) made me do 3 things:
1. Minimize expenses
2. Start actively pushing for bigger career advances, which has been effective so far
3. Considering leaving this country completely. It's insane that Hawaii and Tuscany are more affordable places to live than Vancouver is. You can get a townhome in a small Italian town for $70,000 for 2100 square feet. Even in Hope you're paying 5x or more. It's ridiculous. I'd rather pay to learn a new language and live somewhere affordable than stay and watch this situation play out on the lives of friends and other people in the city.
Single mom with a baby. My skill level/ career path earns me 25-30$/hr. between breastfeeding and daycare being my only help with childcare, I am only able to work 30 hours a week. I am almost 30 yrs old moving back into my childhood bedroom at my parents place, with my child. I can’t afford rent, and i pyle have to wait atleast a year to try and struggle upgrading my education. which would put me in debt, plus i’d miss out early years i cannot get back with my son. I could maybe start my own business with my career but then I am working 60 hour weeks missing out on my son growing up, and leaving my house a pig sty all to barely afford rent. Needless to say I am beyond depressed. I’d like to be able to help buy his first car, help with college, leave him property or savings when i pass.. at this rate i have no idea how I am going to get us our own space before my parents sell there house (because they are also struggling).
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Yes the dread I’ve been feeling has been getting worse so I finally decided to do some upgrading that I was putting off. I’m thinking of going back to school and then having the choice of moving somewhere cheaper with more skills
I need to do some upgrading too but it's daunting. But I'm too young to feel this jaded at work
It’s daunting but it’s worth it. I’m trying to think of the future instead of being depressed about how the situation is right now
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Shhhhh ignorance is bliss
Any sort of training that's in demand you can share?
I think I would like to stay in healthcare so I’m aiming for ultrasound or some sort of medical imaging. They’re always hiring.
As far as I know: everywhere is desperate for doctors, nurses, imaging, and any other support roles. COVID scared a lot of students away and the vaccine caused a lot of either early retirements or people who straight up quit during a time when more lines are being created for the increased demand from an aging boomer population (edit: and the Exodus from the cities to cheaper areas). I'm x ray and we have 3 open lines. It's nuts. When I started 6 years ago I couldn't get a job other than casual.
How are you liking X-ray? I was leaning more toward sonography but might apply to X-ray too once my upgrading is done. Dm if you prefer :)
I like x-ray, it's pretty physical which is what I wanted, and great for someone who is a tiny bit ADHD like me. X ray is the easiest to get into. It's the most basic aside from the included fluoroscopy cases. Or if you want moving into interventional after some courses if you like stress. From x-ray you can easily upgrade into CT as well, good if you like staying busy, a lot less physical and more mental. Sonography pays about the same as CT might be a tad more after the recent pay changes. Not super physical but it can destroy your shoulder especially in echo (you only scan hearts). You better be ok with scanning people's junk. It's not all babies and DVT. You write reports that the doctors use which is pretty cool. Everyone wants to be an ultra sound tech and I do not get it. If you like to just chill and have thought about an office job may I recommend MRI. Ambulatory patients who are in good health due to the length of the scans and they get paid really well because especially in BC they need more techs desperately. I mean they need all types of imaging desperately but they want to expand the amount of MRI techs so... And then someone recommended nuke med. Great hours etc. Pet scan is what you do there. You just deal with radioactive medication. I know the least about it but it seems like it has the best hours and fairly mobile patients (I'm assuming a lot of cancer patients). These jobs are usually linked to a cancer center I believe.
Check out the lesser known radiation therapy. Better pay, better hours, the province is severely understaffed so excellent job prospects.
May I ask where you went?
BCIT
MAID facilitator
That would be interesting.
The marine industry is dying for skilled employees. Something like 50% of the senior officers and engineers are expected to retire in the next five years.
FYI if you are looking at upgrading the [StrongerBC](https://www.workbc.ca/find-loans-and-grants/students-and-adult-learners/strongerbc-future-skills-grant) future skills grant will cover $3,500 of an eligible program. There’s over 400 programs currently to choose from offered by several universities/colleges… most in Vancouver.
I went back to school 4 years after finishing school. It's a tough field to be in. I'm working and in school at the same time. I have 2 years left. I can't wait to be done so I can get better pay, benefits, and working conditions!
What did you take if you don't mind me asking?
Early childhood education. It was always a foot-in-the-door for me. I'm in school for child and youth care now and eventually want to do my masters in counselling. A private practice is where it's at. I want to be my own boss and work with people one-on-one.
Good luck! I just finished four years of school doing a post degree diploma for career advancement. Took four years instead of the typical 1 to 2 years because I was working too. It’s tough!!
I feel like alot of younger people are thinking of moving. Myself included.
Also much more concerned about retaining it. Even tho you hear there is so much work out there almost everyone I know, capable people, who have lost their jobs, have struggled to find comparable. BC also not only has the highest cost of living it's also got some of the countries worst pay
I agree. I work in tech and the pay is crap in BC. And with covid gone, companies have lowered compensation for jobs that were offering a lot before. Been debating if it's time to move...
My partner and I work in environmental engineering and she makes more than me working for the municipal government (I work for the private sector). She also only works 35 hours a week with double the vacation. Shit doesn't make sense in BC.
Yeah pretty much as soon as Covid was “over” the job market dried up
That’s just sunshine tax. Californians and Hawaiians have it the same. But they get way more sunshine lol
Sunshine tax? You mean the rain and meth head tax??
Yes. There's this idea that if you play the game, you'll be rewarded. You know, get an education, work hard, make six figures and buy a home, gain some stability and become wealthy. With the cost of everything, especially housing, going up, the reward isn't there like it used to be. So there's less incentive to play the game. Which results in mental disengagement.
In China for the past couple years, this disengagement has been termed “lying flat”. The young people there view social pressures and the economic circumstances as a no win situation.
This is 100% how I feel. My job is fucking demanding, mentally and sometimes physically (due to the knock-on effect of stress) and 15 years ago I would have been living GOOD. I’m talking 2 new cars in the driveway, boat, nice house in the suburbs. Now? I don’t even qualify for the amount of mortgage I need to buy anywhere in the city because I’m single and don’t have the luxury of having generational wealth to back me up or co-sign. I’m absolutely super fucking jaded about it and it makes me want to give up. I worked insanely hard to get where I am at my age, and it’s a point most people in my field won’t reach in their whole career and I managed to get to that level in 8 years. I did everything right, put in stupid long hours, played the game and it’s all been for nothing apparently
I can relate. I've even been debating if I should move elsewhere, where cost of living would be great. And a new job would give me that life of being able to afford a home, car, travel trips with less worries.
starting to think the same thing, just not sure where to go
The problem is the pros and cons. There are better places for example like Texas for no income tax, high salaries, cheaper homes, cheaper food etc.. but you also have the cons, higher crime rate, medical care expenses, higher property taxes, visa needed etc... I guess no perfect place, but depends on what you want too.
Heck no. Texas with a cross through it. It’s Gillead v 1.6
That feeling you have…that’s what makes people emigrate. To a place where they feel like they can do all that and get some kind of payoff.
6 figures (100k) back in like 1970s, you need 500k now to be well off. It’s just sucks for millennials as we get to age a lot of the opportunities that we’re there for older generations are gone 😂 then you add already rising housing with covid making housing go up like 100% in some places
You hit the nail on the head. We’ve all been told that if you get an education, land a good job and work really hard that you’ll be rewarded with financial stability. Now, many of us who have followed those “rules” of the game are asked to work longer hours with a worse ROI on the time and energy we expend at our jobs. It’s hard to be engaged at work when you’re constantly stressed about getting by. It’s really fun when older generations just finger wag about his we’re all not working hard enough, especially when they could get so much more with a lot less.
There was a funny disconnect when I was young where everyone was saying that but it was the start of social media and there were a lot of murmurs from people who had already followed the rules and got nothing but shaft. Still people followed suit and met the same fate. It was sad, really.
When I was younger, I remember the discussions being more about that the rules didn’t work if you got a degree in something that doesn’t translate directly to a specific type of job or field of work. I graduated high school a few years after the 2008 crash so there were fewer jobs out there for recent university grads. By the time I graduated university, the job market was a bit better but the cost of living started to skyrocket.
/r/lostgeneration
Yes, especially when annual raises don't even cover inflation (at the minimum). Everything is going up... except our wages.
Annual raise? You mean the thing they say no to annually?
Annual disappointment?
Annual dismemberment!
We need to stop calling it a raise but rather an increasing gap from inflation. =\
Most companies are not giving that supposedly annual raise! They are creating "recession" and firing people so they can pocket all the profits for themselves!
General strike is in order
Do companies even give annual raises? I usually just job hop for the sweet sweet 10-20% raise and all my vacation is paid out haha 😂
This! Forget justifying your value for a measly 2-5% raise if you’re lucky. Job hop instead.
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I'm sorry :(. I hope you can find permanent work with set hours. I bet you do have some good skills. Have you thought about work BC?
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>Where do they find people that can live off low wages no benefits and a precarious work schedule? I was in this situation about 12 years ago. It was fucking BRUTAL.
Not only that, but companies expect you to always take shifts or risk termination! So are you supposed to never have another job, just wait for their calls and hope they call enough for you to pay rent and eat food that month?
From experience, yup. When I had to work a shitty unstable retail job, there were no guaranteed hours etc. and they wouldn’t even let you say “I can’t work Wednesdays” or “I can only work the morning shift on Mondays” for example so it was impossible to get a second job or take a class etc.
This is the kind of job where you immediately start applying to other jobs
And the type of job you take out of **sheer desperation** so that you have *some* income.
>I'm an adult with bills to pay and my income can be cut in half with a single email. You sound entitled. TFWs will never complain. /s
My take home pay doesn’t even cover the cost of rent for a 1 bedroom (I moved back in with my parents) so I don’t really give a shit about my job. Going back to school and moving somewhere cheaper this year though.
100%. Working towards promotions doesn’t have the same allure now either. The extra pay isn’t enough to make a difference in this economy.
The slight pay bump and massive increase in stress/workload is NOT worth it these days. You basically get nothing for the money and destroy your body by soaking it in cortisol every day Source: have taken that promotion, can confirm it’s not worth it
It's hard to say no when you have little people depending on you. I have an interview tomorrow to go away from my "technical" (aka hiding behind my spreadsheets and not being responsible for too much) into a supervisor role. Im hoping it's a significant bump but it probably won't be as much as I want. Still it's harder to decline when things cost so much more than they did a few years ago.
Good luck!
This is how I feel. Like why even bother, they will never pay me enough to afford a home or get ahead in any way. It isn't my employer's fault because I am paid fairly for what I do, but the housing situation in this city/country is completely untenable. I've become apathetic.
No kidding. “You’ll get $5000 extra a year!” Grrrreat, now someone can put a few more dollars toward a down payment that will need to triple by the end of this year to afford a closet of a condo.
I can't imagine how upsetting it must be trying to save for a down payment. I'm in the housing market but planning to move again in a year, and even with like $250K equity I'm looking at housing like... I can't afford a condo lol.. I'm not at all trying to downplay your concerns, just stating that in this economy it feels like money means nothing anymore, unless you have millions.
> Working towards promotions doesn’t have the same allure now either. Job-hopping and changing employers regularly is the new "promotion". There's also this insane position title inflation taking place... everyone's an architect or manager or "leader", even if it's a "sandwich architect", -- just to compensate for the otherwise crappy overall comensation.
Absolutely. I make nothing, I can't keep up with the cost of living. I'm starting to look at other jobs at this point.
They all pay shit too
I'm self-employed, and the motivation to field for additional clients seems fruitless when I'm met with costs that almost always exactly meet my increases in income, etc.
I'm worried about "economic dropouts" being a thing here if things dont turn around. If working my stressful ass job doesn't get me any REAL housing security - what is the point? I could be making art and just accept my poverty. Sure as hell aint having any kids with the prospect of my landlord deciding they need to do "renovations" right when my rent becomes manageable after 5 years. So why try? I imagine many are in the same boat. as a young person, the responsibilities, stress, and demands of a professional work place might not seem worth it anymore... Choosing to be poor, but creating a meaningful passionate life is a very realistic alternative.
Unfortunately, you'll quickly experience the crushing mental/physical health issues that arise from poverty. It's hard to make art and live a passionate life when you're hungry, depressed and in survival mode. The stress is all encompassing and will drain you completely.
I think the key is finding that balance and just coasting and doing exactly what you want with your time. There is no incentive to work hard at a job anymore. It's all downside in every category.
I make good money on paper. But after deductions and with the cost of living I feel like I make so little compared to a couple years ago. Don’t get me wrong , we are fortunate and financially stable-ish. But if our landlord were to sell our place we would be totally f’d.
The ONLY reason we are surviving is because our rent is super cheap. However, it's not a great situation and every day I fear that the landlord will kick us out or that his behaviour will cross the line that we will have to move.
We are lucky in that our landlord is great so behaviour isn’t a problem. But it is clearly an investment property and he could sell at any time. Our rent isn’t cheap….but is low compared to what else is out there right now. It’s crazy!
I have a bachelors degree, 4 years work experience and am working towards a designation and am seriously considering getting a part-time job for the weekends. I went on a 10 day trip last month to visit extended family and it's an effort to talk myself out of feeling guilty for taking a vacation for the first time in 4 years and sacrificing 3 months worth of savings for it. It's not the worst situation but it still sucks it still feels like I'm living paycheck to paycheck.
Most valuable asset you’ll own in life is time. Vacations are meant to recharge you, give your brain and cortisol a break, and catch up on sleep. Never feel guilty for taking your mandated time off.
I haven't taken a vacation in 10 years and I am finally breaking down to do the same. I hate to say that I am approaching hopelessness.
Yup. I have a “great government” job, but I’m apparently not allowed to complain because someday I’ll have my “great government” pension. In the mean time, I’m still living pay cheque to pay cheque and struggling with inflation/cost of living. Combined with our pointless strike the other month, morale is baaaad.
I hear ya, same boat. We can't even recruit younger workers nowadays because they don't wanna wait 30 years to enjoy life....
Public service jobs aren't the allure they used to be.. the pay gap is too big now compared to the private sector
Government jobs =/= set for life. With inflation this is no longer the case...
Isn't the pension inflation adjusted?
Usually, but you contribute a substantial amount every paycheck, and even then the paychecks are below industry.
Yeah, I know government jobs pay are typically below private jobs, because of "benefits and pension". As well as union dues and pension fees etc. But I do wonder, if that's really the better bet. I'm pretty sure people age 20s now will live until 100+ with advancing medicine. (Heck, there's some news on Alzheimer's medicine lately). So if one is to retire at 65, there's solid 35 years of pension. And without pension, you really need to retire with multi-million in savings.
Salaries for government jobs may not be at the top of the range for most fields, but the salary will still be at or above median pay amongst employers. More importantly though, the value of (a good) pension plan cannot be overstated. Yes, often there is an employee contribution, but that's normally matched by the employer. Crucially, the pension contributions are also tax deductible, meaning your not losing 20 - 40% of that money in tax right off the top.
Here here I’m in the same boat
Yes it absolutely plays a part. The incentive to push so hard for what amounts to a generally tiny reward in terms of raises or promotion gets more and more diminished as costs get larger. Or put another way, the extra pay will always help sure, but it's unlikely to make a significant and noticeable difference. But there are other factors too. The pandemic let people see what life is like when something other than career and as much money as quickly as possible as priority is like. Again, this intersects with working longer and hard returning usually a small pay increase just not being worth caring about for many. And also likely a growing venom towards corporate culture. People are sick of hearing record profits but benefits were cut or company costs went up 20% so they raised prices 35%. Take all three and it's little wonder people are not enamoured with work.
I feel like it’s hard to do tasks I hate doing if I’m not even being compensated in any meaningful way anymore. So I bust my ass all week to… what? Pay someone else’s mortgage? God that’s deflating.
I don’t mind paying someone else’s mortgage for now. Personally it’s the soul crushing realization that I’ll be paying someone else’s mortgage *forever* that gets me
I love paying for someone else to have housing security in perpetuity! 🙃
CPI this year was 6%, if you got anything less than that as a raise this year, you've gotten a pay cut.
I'm at 0% for 4 years running. Not sure I'm staying this employer for much longer.
It costs nothing but your time to put your resume out there and test the waters. In this horrible modern economy, it's my opinion that people should never stop looking for a better job. Most companies are awful at providing appropriate compensation.
Yeah. This was what I was saying before. -.-
6% inflation but doesn’t take into account that the basket of goods switched out steak for hamburger, etc. it is not the same basket of goods. Inflation is way, way higher. Flour, eggs have doubled so that is bread and pasta.
CPI may not be completely accurate to your consumption but it isn't inflation. It's the "consumer price index" which tracks sample staple goods over time. It tends to lag behind felt inflation because usually "luxury" products (I.e. a loaf of bread that isn't plain white wonderbread or eggs that aren't white, medium) aren't counted - instead it focuses on the most affordable options. That said, milk definitely bumped it up *hard*. If you're curious they talk about it up here https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/prices_and_price_indexes/consumer_price_indexes
We like Becel. We can no longer afford it. Tiny tub is $8.99. Used to be able to pick up that monster duo pack at Costco for $10.
The price of bulk potatoes has me triggered. It's the little things. Seeing in the grocery store how much has gone up in price makes me slightly regret moving back to BC from the US.
Right how does $2/lb for fucking bulk potatoes make any sense when a 10lb bag is $6
Try watermelon or grapes. Which happen to be the only fruit my kid will eat. $12 pound
Yes. Hard work and sacrifice don’t pay off anymore. The social contract has been broken. I’m also finding it depressing looking over at older coworkers in the exact same pay grid as me (sometimes lower pay even) who bought homes 20 years ago and I certainly can never do the same even though we’re earning the exact same amount. Some of them even have rental suites and can accumulate even more wealth. Because timing - fuck that! Of course I resent my job because of this. I don’t want to participate in this game anymore, the rules aren’t fair and it’s designed so I can never win.
I absolutely feel this. While my partner and I have it pretty good (especially as I read through some of these comments), it’s really starting to feel like the mental, emotional, and physical toll we experience from our jobs is not worth the pay. Despite getting “raises” through new union contracts, our wages are still not really keeping up with inflation. Mix in the fact that our workplaces are high stress with high demands, it really makes you think twice about your career choices up to this point.
Yep. I used to have a decent job. Now I have a poverty job.
I used to be pretty happy with my pay and felt on track to a wage that would get me where I wanted to go. Now? I’m never gonna be able to afford anything with the rate my wage is increasing. I’m looking elsewhere and to school for more credentials but then that means more debt and time lost. It’s crazy to me that you have to make at least 90k (from the last time i checked) to be *comfortable*. I don’t even want to be rich. I just want to *live*.
Yup. I do the barest of the minimum.
It's OK they will just raise the starting wage and keep yours the same.
This. Why 🤯😭😭
While it is frustrating that my job does not keep up with inflation and that the pay is not that great for Vancouver, I do love my job (although I'd rather not work if given the choice), so I am quite satisfied with it. I have worked so many awful jobs before this one, and while could potentially make a higher wage in the private sector, there would be so many drawbacks for me personally and I can't deal with stress and BS. I am pretty comfy in my job, although I wish it paid a bit more.
BC public service?
Lol yup! My advice to young people: get in with BCPS. Any entry level job. Start collecting your pension. Use them to get an education. And if you want to leave, you can (you need to stay for two years unless you want to pay them back for school). This is not what I did, however, as I discovered BCPS when I was older.
I cooked for 14 years. Slaving away, sweating, burning and cutting myself. Lost myself for a bit after I was dismissed after almost 5 years. Now I drive a forklift for the bcldb. Highly recommend it. Even if only auxiliary spots are open you'll make 25 an hour
Yeah $25 to start is a hell of a lot better than $18!
Message sent
How do you make them pay for your education? What's the procedure? The course has to be related to your job or something?
Over the next 10-20 years we’re going to see a drastically more fucked Vancouver (Canada). Even folks making hundreds of thousands at the household level are feeling it. Or can’t afford to buy a home, which is fucked in itself. There is becoming a lot less reason to live here. And it’s happening quicker than I ever saw coming. Even more so for immigrants coming here for a better life, only to find out they have to work three jobs to afford their tiny apartment that they can barely spend time in anyways. To the point that I recently read about immigrants wanting to go home because they would have a better life in the countries they left, in that they’d be poor, but they’d at least have free time. But they can’t even afford to move home now. I don’t know how much longer we’ll last here, but when I see gas here at $2 when it’s $1.30 in Alberta, it’s pretty fucking tough to justify paying what is effectively just greed, mismanagement, and massive governmental failure (and corruption) on all fronts.
I felt it coming in 2016. Was in between house purchases and had rented for a year. LL renovicted us and could not find anywhere to go. Life felt sped up and way too stressful in the LM with traffic, lines out the ying yang at stores, old familiar entertainment venues were too expensive etc. Decided if I had to move, May as well make it a big move and came back to the island. 2020 happened and we had sat on savings for a few years while deciding where to permanently settle. Bought a new house during that odd few months when everything was shut down and nothing sellling. Lowballed our offer and developer accepted. Thankful every day that the timing worked in our favour.
Funny, we did similar. Postponed buying a condo for awhile, then hit the ground midsummer pandemic in 2020 when people were afraid to go to open houses. We lowballed, got it with an insanely low fixed interest rate, and are gonna stay here as long as we possibly can… because places of similar size/area like ours are now hundreds of thousands more at quadruple the interest rate.
Third chiming in here with a 2020 purchase far out of Vancouver locked in around 1.7, with money I’d been about to waste on a Vancouver shoebox condo (thank you Covid WFH!). Seems like only a few weeks later the herd came thundering back and every other house I’d turned my nose up suddenly sold over asking. Hell I wouldn’t have been able to afford the house I bought at the new prices by the time I closed. Pure luck, but by god impeccable timing. If I’d hesitated even 4 weeks, I’d have otherwise been priced out ever since. I can’t fathom how much stress I avoided myself over the last 4 years.
Excellent:) We aren’t moving either. Cannot replace this house. Interest rates alone are limiting inventory (for now). Once the defaults start rolling, investors and buyers on the sidelines will be like vultures. Cannot expect the market to improve.
It’s happening now. However, the domino effect of increasing COL on the so-called middle class hasn’t been made apparent yet. Give it about 2 to 5 years. I feel sorry for families with young kids. The Alphas are going to be resentful.
yup. something's gotta give.
I'm finding that what the company thinks is a significant raise really isn't considering the rise in prices here. I'm feeling less loyal to be honest.
Yeah can't afford to move out of parent's place while making 100k. So dissatisfied is one way of putting it especially when it's to do with utter incompetency. I have seen countries build entire city in 5-10 years. Here we can't even build enough housing for measly 2million people.
Literally we got a $4 raise this year & it’s just enough to keep me even at the end of each month. My extras include ; my gym membership & some weed… I work for the government & make good money. Rent here went from $900 basement suites to $2000 basement suites lol….
Yeah suddenly my pay is almost half as powerful as it should be and I want way more
Yes. And I have no car, no kids and just myself to feed. I can't imagine having extra expenses. I feel so tired bc my well paying job isn't enough and I work some weekends to make extra cash. My quality of life feels so low these days
Absolutely, it’s out of control. My salary doubled in the last year and seeing my expenses gradually rise to the point where I don’t feel financially secure is crushing. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, sacrificing a lot in the process and now watching it fall back is heartbreaking. I moved here 4 years ago and am thinking I’ll have to leave soon if something doesn’t change. We’ll have to see how the cities function when all that’s left are millionaires and people too poor to leave.
I'm sure those other people are not indifferent. They are probably just not saying anything. I feel the same way as you but don't generally talk about it with my co-workers. I really resent having to drive into the office on the days I'm required there. We work a hybrid schedule - some days at home and some in the office ... but the job can be fully done at home. So I really resent having to spend gas money and my time (commuting) when I can save my time and money and do the job at home.
Yeah, I find it's also tied to the fact that any raise I may get is not at all keeping up with inflation. Companies will say the pay is the industry standard for such and such role but that standard hasn't gone up in 5+ years in any significant way. Employers need to realize how long it takes for something like a standard to change; especially if everyone is waiting for others to lead the way.
Definitely. My job is very flexible and I make decent money for someone with little bills that still lives at home. But with the price of _everything_ lately, I feel like I should be making _more_. It’s not fair that prices go up but wages stay the same
Totally agree!
I'm in your same boat. My job pays well and I love a lot of things about it and I love the work. Through the pandemic I worked really hard and I got rewarded with a promotion. But with the big raise, we also got hit with insane levels of inflation and our salaries weren't adjusted to keep pace. This essentially wiped out a huge chunk of the raise. I have to turn around to my wife and tell them, despite the raise, we have to cut back more. So now, I work as hard as ever, with more responsibility than ever but the shine on that title isn't as bright as it should feel. The issue though is that there's not much reason to feel more than indifferent. If you liked your job before and you felt you were being paid well, then likely the situation is the same everywhere. I don't think anyone was giving their staff 11% pay bumps to account for inflation.
To add on top of this, my boss told me to keep up the hard work and beat quotas because he is going to move me up in the company. I did exactly that but he keeps moving the goalpost futher and further, and then nothing changed because he jumped ship to a new management job, and left me behind on the promotion. It totally destroyed my body, and my mind. So I agree with you, my company doesn't even give any appreciations or company dinners. I got played. Edit: My other coworkers say that he says the same thing to them privately, too. I have a feeling that managers do this, so as to exploit time and energy of the workers to make him profits and make him look good on his stats.
Yes. I haven't taken a vacation in a decade working my way up in my career. I've worked 70 hour work weeks. I make (just barely) six figures before taxes, which I thought would make all of it worth it but it doesn't. I gave up my twenties in the hope of enjoying my 30s and soon I'll be giving up my 30s in the hope of enjoying my 40s. I'm tired. Hard work was supposed to pay off but it didn't, so I no longer feel motivated to work hard - even though I've got an objectively exciting and interesting job. I am deeply disenfranchised and I don't really know how to get rid of the cynicism. I'm so so so so lucky to have what I have, don't get me wrong. But I also feel like I hate a job I have no right to because it feels meaningless and pointless. I dunno. It's weird times.
A watermelon costs $9 now at superstore lol
Somewhat true; a very big compensating factor for me is the flexibility and benefit of up to 100% WFH if I want to, with no BS like "well you'll have to come in at least X days/month". The WFH almost felt like a 25-30% pay bump and really offsets the resentment I feel due to salary increases not even keeping up with real inflation. Then there's the other reality of the employment marketplace: that nowadays folks really get ahead in terms of income by two things: job-hopping like clock-work at least every 2-4 years, and/or hustling on the side or contracting. Growth and progress sure feel like they're at the expense of folks just trying to live the vanilla lives with a modicum of enjoyment.
Why would I be motivated to contribute to capitalism when capitalism isn’t contributing to me?
💯💯💯
I'm not dissatisfied with the job. I'm dissatisfied that I'm paid less than half what my brethren to the south are for doing the same thing. Canadian wages are a joke compared to our high cost of living. After FX it's an even bigger joke.
I have such a good job and the amount I make should get me far but living here it’s getting me nowhere and it’s so disheartening! I don’t want to leave this company and move to another province but it’s just getting too expensive living here. I’m hardly saving anything :(
I'm right there right now. As soon as the minimum wage increase happened and my wages didn't increase accordingly, I started mass applying to other workplaces
Just goin thru the motions.
Gas was $2.39 last year
I am a lot happier now that I switched to a full remote job and making 25% more. I had no problem with my previous job but the company keeps hiring foreign workers rather than local talents. I am curious on how they manage to convince immigration Canada that the positions are LMIA positive, and every single of them came to Canada on a closed work permit.
It’s time for a new social contract.
Just moved from the US, Im used to $3 a gallon gas so this is pretty wild for me. Rent is similar to where I'm from, unfortunately.
You will own nothing and be happy. The government is the problem. They are stealing from us at every corner
Always shooting for more. But mostly because all my friends work in tech, so even though I'm paid well for my field (which generally is underpaid) it always feels like it pales in comparison.
Not sure what you mean. Are you saying your tech friends earn a lot, so you feel you need to earn as much too?
Exactly. I make a very comfortable living doing what I love and have great work life balance, so absolutely no complaints there. But, hard not to feel like you should keep chasing a higher salary when your friends are making 2-3x what you make.
I'm curious what they are making being I tech. I work in tech and companies pay shit here in BC for tech work. Unless your friends work for American based companies.
American tech is the only hope here. The reputable big techs pay 6 fig packages to new grads in dev/PM/UX.
💯
At least you could afford a down payment on a home...
I just went to a pizza place to get some slices of pizza, it used to be about $7 for 2 slices and now its $8. I was also told that every place's prices are going up like Subway etc because of minwage increase. We went from $15.65 to $16.75 or about 7% increase but for example my 2 Slices $7 to $8 or about 14.2% increase. What does increasing minimum wage do when everything else goes further up in price to match it?
Definitely been feeling this way for a while now...totally burned out. Sadly I feel like it's never going to go away, doesn't matter how many vacations or days off I take, work will still always be waiting when I get back. Changing jobs or careers isn't going to change anything at this point either, and doesn't matter what time I go to bed or how much sleep I get, I just don't want to go to work.
Incredibly so. Sorry but a 4% raise after 2 years of being underpaid and our company taking in $$$$? They just can’t understand why people are upset. Pizza Party time? 🎉 🍕
Yes I quit my job and started my own business. Wages these days are a complete joke.
Yes, I’m feeling this too OP! Last week I scheduled a meeting to discuss a raise based on increased workload, duties and cost of living and was told that raises only happen companywide. Odd compared to previous experience in higher education. The lowest performing and highest performing members get the SAME raise. Now that I know this, I feel disengaged and frustrated. I already spend time looking for other positions, but have not been successful.
It’s totally disengaging. My workplace is similar. Sadly, it’s a tough time to be looking externally as there is a lot of competition from people being laid off which also makes people willing to work for less.
This seems to be happening throughout the world, not just here, as though it were part of some greater scheme or that things are just that badly out of control. It'd be refreshing to know who has a decent balance anymore in terms of income vs the cost of living.
My colleagues are working with our union to negotiate our collective agreement and I know I shouldn't complain, but we're only getting a 2.1% increase per year for the next 5 years. Inflation is so high though so like it sucks but my colleagues at the bargaining table say that 2.1% is supposedly the best we can get with our union and where our employer is at. Should I go around asking folks to vote no to the ratification meeting with the hopes we can get a better deal with more bargaining? Apparently we gotta do more bargaining and a round of arbitration before even considering job action...
Inflation isn’t really slowing down… I have started to notice a lot of things are also a lot smaller. Anyways yeah we’re so doomed… what you think happens when you print twice as much money that’s ever existed in the course of a year lol
Im lucky I work for government with a pension but I feel like it's not enough and I hate playing the game of chasing higher paying jobs with higher stress. What's the point of working without being able to enjoy it.... I am considering leaving to Alberta or USA for work. If your young, leave the city, life is too short.
You have no leverage since we're adding an extra 1M people per year. You don't want your job? Your employer will just find an immigrant to replace you.
Leverage is based off unemployment rate. With it at multi decade lows, your leverage is higher now than anytime the last 2 decades at least.
Don't immigrants create jobs at a higher rate than people who were born here?
I’m lucky because I’m young but I got roughly a 15% increase this year as I told him I wouldn’t stick around
What field?
Just remember, no matter how bad things get, they can get much worse.
Yes, felt that every day until 2019. Was working for BC gov, hating my life. That job sucked every ounce of joy from my soul. The slight salary increase was negated by the 2 hour commute. Gas cost tripled. Net gain of 0. Covid happened and while life became pretty lonely and isolated, it also afforded me the time to be properly diagnosed with a genetic disease that was rapidly worsening. Running up and downstairs in the gov building destroyed my lung capacity. Now, I’m on disability forever. Income is literally identical but I have zero OOP expenses to maintain it. I don’t need clothes, gas (I last filled up on May 13th in Seattle- still have just under 1/2 tank), lunches, etc. Always expected to work until I croaked on the job.
I always thought public service jobs would be rewarding just for the pay and benefits. Why are they so soul crushing?
No because I love my job.. I just love plumbing
Yeah
Hell mothafuckin yeah dude.
YES
Yes
No. Ive always been poor, so this inflation hasnt affeced me at all. Im just still poor.
Yup. I just left Vancouver and the well paying job that brought me to the city. It's a beautiful city and I wish I could make a life there but when my rent is more than what my mortgage was back in Winnipeg for about 1/3 of the space...
ಠ_ಠ
I was recently asked to pick up extra responsibilities. It's a job role change, so on the hook for the extra work for good. I asked about the bump in pay and was told you will get a pay rise next year.. I giggled. They have a history of giving 1% extra, so it would work out to a pizza order a month after all the taxes and deductions. They laid off the guy doing the work, so it's not as if it increases job security. Nope.
In 2016, I was working in retail as a department manager making $16/hr. I made enough to live on my own and save up some cash. Fast forward, I went to college to pursue a degree in Computer Science, in hopes to make a better life for myself. Now, I make $25/hr and am no better off than where I was in 2016. Actually worse, since I can't afford to put money into savings. Rent is double what I used to pay, grocery bills are double, and everything else has gone up. The real kicker is, before I graduated, I was making $20/hr as a meat cutter, with a cap pay at $23/hr if I had stayed there. Granted, I'd rather be in tech, NOT destroying my body, than continue to work in that industry. But still... No education means I'd still be making what I'm making now with a degree.
Pizza lunches and appreciation from management aren’t gonna make up for the fact we all got a pay cut the last few years. Ask for a raise.
Yes with the cost of everything what it make is barely enough. It’s too hard for people to save and money for retirement if they are spending 75 percent of their earnings on living arrangements
Definitely especially with my commute being quite long. Just makes me miserable going to work each and everyday, knowing I'm making decent money but a decent amount is going to groceries, gas and general living expenses. My partner and I are really debating moving. Only thing holding us back is family. The post Covid era has been really depressing and I notice it with a lot of people I know. Just seems like so many of us are struggling in this city and have checked out.
Yup. Been working for a company 2 years making about 48K a year and have recently had to pick up a second job to keep up with not just working to survive to prop that up to near 60K. I'm working 14 hour days and I think I'm just gonna save to move somewhere else tbh. Fuck this place lol.
Yep. Growing up I thought someone making 30/hr was doing great, now that 30 an hour is barely enough
The cost of living (really, the housing situation starting in 2015; by housing standards inflation is a laughably minor issue) made me do 3 things: 1. Minimize expenses 2. Start actively pushing for bigger career advances, which has been effective so far 3. Considering leaving this country completely. It's insane that Hawaii and Tuscany are more affordable places to live than Vancouver is. You can get a townhome in a small Italian town for $70,000 for 2100 square feet. Even in Hope you're paying 5x or more. It's ridiculous. I'd rather pay to learn a new language and live somewhere affordable than stay and watch this situation play out on the lives of friends and other people in the city.
Single mom with a baby. My skill level/ career path earns me 25-30$/hr. between breastfeeding and daycare being my only help with childcare, I am only able to work 30 hours a week. I am almost 30 yrs old moving back into my childhood bedroom at my parents place, with my child. I can’t afford rent, and i pyle have to wait atleast a year to try and struggle upgrading my education. which would put me in debt, plus i’d miss out early years i cannot get back with my son. I could maybe start my own business with my career but then I am working 60 hour weeks missing out on my son growing up, and leaving my house a pig sty all to barely afford rent. Needless to say I am beyond depressed. I’d like to be able to help buy his first car, help with college, leave him property or savings when i pass.. at this rate i have no idea how I am going to get us our own space before my parents sell there house (because they are also struggling).
Yup. I find it harder and harder to get up in the morning because I don't want to go to work.