Is it too much to ask for these days. I got 19.5 hours in this past week and man I have not seen 40 hours in a few weeks. I live in Dallas. Is it this slow everywhere or what.

I have been getting close to 50 and 60 a week here in KY. Besides doing new and remodel work I have 18 local business's I do maintenance on. Aside from the HVAC and Ambulance service, I hardly have time to do anything not work related.

Doing maintenance work for small shops, gas stations, restruants and such, is a goldmine. They don't care how much it costs, just that it gets done. It's a way I've found to guarantee year round work. But again it can be a hassle when you are right in the middle of a big job and they call with a light out or a froze up cooler. I have had to learn my priorities
and also how to please everyone at least some of the time. There has been lunch breaks on bigger jobs spent replacing ballasts, bulbs and what ever else pain in the butt stuff that can go wrong that owners get hysterical over. Oh well, enough soap boxing. I'd suggest seeing some owners and managers about getting some side jobs to increase the cash flow. If anyboby else does "extras" like this, give us some more hints.

Feast or Famine.

Right now for me, it's sorta feast, but I'm getting ready to take on a helper and a bunch of work. I may have enough work to get me through spring. Always little jobs on the back burner...

Then again, the bottom could fall out of the whole thing!



Sorry to hear it's slow for some of you folks.

Not slow here in Mass. Is everyone in the area slow or are you working for the wrong company?

I got my 45 hrs. with the company during the week, then worked 8 Saturday on another job. It's 5:30 AM Sunday, and I'm getting ready to go to work on yet another...something I promised to do as soon as I got the time.
Like Electricmanscott says, maybe you need to look someplace else.

Plenty of work here in Mass. as well. Most new construction is T&M as well.

Here in NJ it isn't slow either. We are hopping and most of it is renovations. People are adding to there homes, they don't want to move and I guess the rates are low.

We haven't had a 40 hour week here in Georgia this year. 45 or 50 is more common. This week the average paycheck was for 52 hours. I'm tired of paying overtime, but the guys love it and the work load demands it. I would think Dallas would be similar to Atlanta. You might want to check other employers.

work is still pretty steady here in ohio. the new construction is beginning to slow somewhat, but there is still a lot of res./com. additions and repair work going on. also, since we also do motor controls and process wiring for various industries in the area, we are getting geared up for their annual thanksgiving and Christmas shutdown work, where its around the clock for 7 to 14 days, for as many people as i can find. then, it generally slows for a couple of months in january and february. a lot of my guys volunteer to take a short "layoff" during that time, to recuperate from the shutdown "craziness". the rest of us do a lot of equipment maintenance, and service truck maintenance, in our shop here, to try to get ready for a busy spring construction startup. you gotta do what you can, when you can, ya know........

In the Dallas paper there was 1 company looking for electricians. I think it is just the Dallas area that has slowed down alot it seems

The 40 Hour week went out the window years ago over here.
We recently celebrated Labour Day, for the implementation of the 40 Hour week.
Its more like a 65-70 Hour week, over here.
I don't know of anybody who works a 40 Hour week any more.

LOL! I live in a country run by the labour union (even officially): You can end up in court for working too much and be fined for it. Max. 40 hours a week plus 200 hours of overtime per year. (If this is good or bad is debatable.)

sinse 9/11 its been slow here on occassions, but the biggest problem lately is buildings where you cant work befor 9/ 930 or after 4.....and i hate missing my lunch break.

Yep I got a resturant that the only time you can get in there is after 8pm or on Sunday, I'm usually there on Sunday. I hate to turn it down I get half price on the crab legs for being their Sparky of choice.

yep, joeh...some of my work is with the Bob Evans chain of restaurants, where you can only work after 11:00 p.m., until 5:00 a.m.
they pay very well, though......and i love their sausage gravy and biscuits!...