Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The layoffs happened around 2008-2009 so it was a while back. I have no idea what is going on there as I left the Bay Area a while ago and I don't have many contacts who still work at Novartis.
I know about the ID move because a friend just got a pretty good job in ID (infectious disease), and then a few months later the news breaks that they're moving the whole division to cali for some high profile MD/PhD in San Fran that will be running it. That's his place of residence and they're moving a division for it. Um, wow. Any way, she got a different job at Novartis in another department. Some folk are making the move, others have to stay behind. The co is funding their salaries for two years tho, so other departments are scooping them up.
Again, more than 400 folk from marketing got laid off last year. That's rough. I also just heard Goldman Sachs (I know I'm spelling that wrong) is laying off in financing and off shoring the jobs. It's a rough sector to be in right now, like all sectors. eta: save fine dining. My dh has been making good money all year as a fine dining waiter. The rich are still dining, that's for sure.
I don't know if it will pull the US out of the recession. I do know that some are flourishing. I don't know if R&D in the US is going to benefit the common joe. It may further disparity. But, I attend our town hall meetings and I keep up with the comings and goings in my neck of the woods. My company is doing well. I doubt they would be investing to date if they didn't think it would pay off. And the fact remains that China and India aren't innovating. Americans aren't attending uni in droves in China and India, rather it's the other way around. Maybe I have tunnel vision, but if it's not innovation (the creation of new products, particularly in the sciences for my interests), then I'm not sure what will contribute to picking up the economy.
I know my perspective is not common on this forum. The reality is that I have done well in the last 4 years and it's in part due to the melt-down. I never thought I would be able to afford a home close to Cambridge (in a nice neighborhood with a nice sized plot of land). I work for a company that has made record profits during the recession. This in turn lends to benefits for their employees.
Congrats! You work for a good company if it trickles down rewards to the rank and file! That's getting rarer these days.
You will be surprised.
Anyway, the question is what you mean by "innovation". Here is where our difference is: I have learned that the greatest innovation that recently came from US is facebook and youtube. True, it is innovative. And indeed, I don't see Chinese or Indians (because of cultural and social reasons) come up with such invention. But the question is if that's what will create millions of jobs and lift up our sunken economy.
I am also supportive of environmental issues. I have friends who strongly believe that our economic future is in "green" jobs. They want me to imagine thousands (or more) people working in (well paid) recycling jobs and wind farms. But my imagination is limited. I confess.
There have even been wind turbines made in China by American companies that got Obama's "green jobs" Federal grants out of our tax money. So much for green jobs in America unless we wake up.
I know about the ID move because a friend just got a pretty good job in ID (infectious disease), and then a few months later the news breaks that they're moving the whole division to cali for some high profile MD/PhD in San Fran that will be running it. That's his place of residence and they're moving a division for it. Um, wow. Any way, she got a different job at Novartis in another department. Some folk are making the move, others have to stay behind. The co is funding their salaries for two years tho, so other departments are scooping them up.
Again, more than 400 folk from marketing got laid off last year. That's rough. I also just heard Goldman Sachs (I know I'm spelling that wrong) is laying off in financing and off shoring the jobs. It's a rough sector to be in right now, like all sectors. eta: save fine dining. My dh has been making good money all year as a fine dining waiter. The rich are still dining, that's for sure.
A lot of pharmaceutical companies have had layoffs during the Financial Crisis (Genentech was especially bad although that was due to the Roche merger). You spelled Goldman Sachs right so no worries. Goldman usually lays off 10% of its staff every year regardless of how well it does since that is its SOP and because it wants to get its weakest performers (very short sighted in my opinion).
Did you know there are training classes available for HR folks on how to write a job ad that will get no response? THEN they can get the h1-b visa for the position.
Who needs a training class you just put
Must have 5 years experience using ACME 2345.7C DNA sequencer on a Thursday.
I think my all time favorite was an ad for an IT position.
Must have 5 years experience with Windows Server 2008
I know about the ID move because a friend just got a pretty good job in ID (infectious disease), and then a few months later the news breaks that they're moving the whole division to cali for some high profile MD/PhD in San Fran that will be running it.
Why do pharma/biotech companies keep moving to states that have high taxes, and high costs of living? The govt in California is richer than most entire nations, charges 10+% income taxes and high sales and property taxes and still can't manage to make a viable budget. They could move to states like Texas or Alabama and get employees for half the price, pay less taxes, and the employees would probably be happier being able to own a home in a state with nice weather and an affordable cost of living.
I wouldn't move to CA for anything. It is bad enough living in IL where the state and local govts are out of control and taxing people out of house and home and teetering on bankruptcy.
What happened to science? The answer is that many of the biggest American companies are dumbing-down their innovation in exchange for better cash flows (and higher stock prices). Just observe how IBM transformed from a top computer innovator to a company that purveys services and software. "Tech" nowadays is more associated with iPads, social networks, coupons and search engines and not supercomputers.
What happened to science? The answer is that many of the biggest American companies are dumbing-down their innovation in exchange for better cash flows (and higher stock prices). Just observe how IBM transformed from a top computer innovator to a company that purveys services and software. "Tech" nowadays is more associated with iPads, social networks, coupons and search engines and not supercomputers.
This right here.
If money was invested right back in 2001-2003, we would be making CPUs using nanotechnology, but no one wanted to invest in that for medical, technology, or any other reason.
It used to puzzle me how two bit hackers could hack Sony several times or how overseas scammers could create viruses that fit so well into Windows .guis. Then I realized the companies were not really hiring the best people and had outsourced too much of the work. I miss the times when hackers were hired by companies and governments, not hunted down for their abilities.
This right here.
If money was invested right back in 2001-2003, we would be making CPUs using nanotechnology, but no one wanted to invest in that for medical, technology, or any other reason.
And that is exactly why pharma has been the biggest loser (of jobs) for the past few years. They did not spend enough on R&D, their pipelines for new drugs dried up, and now they have a huge drop in revenues. Since developing new drugs takes ~10 years they are going to be hurting for some time to come.
Eli Lilly's CEO thinks his biggest problem is that there are not enough American Scientists (that would be quite a shock to the tens of thousands laid off). This reminds me of when the CEOs' of the big three automakers went to DC in corporate jets to beg for bailout money. He must sit in his corporate office or play golf at the country club completely oblivious of reality. CEO's like him are exactly why businesses and the economy are so screwed up.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
