Wayne’s World: Winter 2014 Edition

Observations, Opinions and Musings from the Woods of Maine

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah,

To those of you who may celebrate different holidays or even none at all, I hope you have a wonderful winter season. As the solstice approaches, I know we can all appreciate some brighter and longer days ahead.

One bright spot for all of us as consumers, is the drop in the price of oil. This is a huge stimulus to the economy and nothing needs to be “shovel ready”. It is said that every penny decrease in the price of gasoline puts 1 billion dollars in the pockets of consumers to spend other ways – and we are not transferring our wealth to the Mideast or other oil producing regions where our own money is inevitably used against us or to support tyranny.

There are analysts out there who say this does not bode well for the overall world economy; this is a reflection of a global downturn and this will negatively impact our own economy. That may be so, but I’m getting tired of worrying about the rest of the world. It’s not that I’m unsympathetic to the plight of others – I just care more about Americans.

We have lived in depressed state for far too long and anything that helps the middle class put a little more food on the table or save on heating costs is just fine by me.

Hopefully, more dollars for consumers and a more pro-business Congress will be a prescription for more growth and better opportunities.

If you work outside the staffing industry, you have little or no idea of the regulatory burden our industry is carrying. There are different laws across all types of jurisdictions – laws about paid sick time, background checks, HIPAA and the ACA. It’s almost impossible for a small to medium sized agency to monitor and comply with all the rules.

In our own company, I estimate we have expended considerable money already, and will spend several hundred thousand dollars over the next few years using a combination of internal resources and outsourced experts to achieve compliance.

The practical effect of all this is less time devoted to our core focus, higher rates for clients and/or lower rates for temporary workers. These are costs which simply cannot be fully absorbed by EDI Staffing.

I know I speak for all the folks at EDI Staffing when I say thanks to our many, good clients and thanks to so many good consultants and candidates we have worked with during this year.

Last week, I looked out my office window and saw two partridges in a pear tree – not one, but two! I’m hoping this was a good omen.

Be safe, enjoy the season, and have a very healthy and happy New Year!

-Wayne from Maine

*Any opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the opinions of EDI Staffing.

EDI Staffing has helped clients address their permanent and contract staffing needs since 1994. Our experienced recruiters each have a specific area of focus, and we maintain an active database of more than two million EDI, EAI, IT, ERP and e-Commerce professionals. As a result, we have the expertise and resources to match qualified professionals for your opportunities.