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UPS driver has a blunt take on America's economy after delivering Christmas packages

The delivery drivers know the economy as well as just about anyone.

via Elvert Barnes/Flickr

A UPS driver on a phone call.

Certain professions have an inside look at the economy because they’re on the ground floor and see things change firsthand. For example, the advertising business knows that a recession is coming six months ahead of time, and realtors often get a good idea of how the economy is changing before the shock hits everyone else.

Delivery drivers are another group of people who can get a good idea of how the average person is doing. They have more packages to deliver when the economy is doing well and fewer when things take a turn for the worse. That’s why a TikTok by UPS driver Donate McCauley (@dontaymccauley) has so many views. After delivering Christmas packages, he thinks things are going well for most people at the end of 2024.

“I thought everybody was broke. I thought we were trending towards a recession, and y’all been complaining all year about finances, and y'all say that until Christmas,” the UPS driver said in a video with over 100,000 views.

@dontaymccauley

credit card debt going crazy. #ups #peakseason #Texas #foryoupage

“I see y'all actually do got money. And y'all making us pay, for every house got, like, 3, 4 packages. I'm loaded up,” McCauley continued. “Every day I'm going out with 400 packages on this truck, and y'all killing us, man, give us a break. But I thought you ain't have no money, though?”

Was the U.S. economy good or bad in 2024?

The post received many comments; some said they are having difficulty getting by this year, while others say they are doing pretty well these days. It’s another example of the lukewarm way that people have viewed the U.S. economy since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

“Broke as in it costing me a whole helluva lot more to live than it should. I will always have money for Christmas one way or another,” Lisa Marie wrote. “We’re using After Pay. I did LOL,” Juanita added.

“I have been saying this ALL YEAR. Every restaurant, every tourist attraction, special event, and retail store is PACKED most of the time in my small ‘poor’ city,” SteelersGirl wrote. “I said this to my husband a few weeks ago. Everywhere I go, people are buying stuff. Car dealership was packed last week, too. The economy seems ok,” Wiat What wrote.

Another delivery driver chimed in, and she shared McCauley's sentiment. “USPS here. I have been saying this for the last year,” ChicagoGirl wrote.

ups truck, ups, package delivery, brown truck, ups truck parked, delivery truck A parked UPS truck.via Mike Mozart/Flickr

Did Americans spend more in 2024 on Christmas?

The confused delivery driver who says that people are saying one thing but spending in another tracks a pre-election poll. A survey taken in September 2024 found that 62% of respondents said the economy was weak, while 38% said it was strong.

Regardless of how individuals feel about the economy, the numbers don’t lie. 2024 was a strong holiday season for retailers. Visa says that spending is up this holiday season 4.8% over 2023. "This holiday shopping season, we’re seeing increasing consumer confidence as people sought out in-store experiences – and went online – to purchase gifts and celebrate the holidays with friends and family,” Wayne Best, chief economist at Visa, said in a statement. “This spending growth demonstrates the adaptability of both consumers and retailers and the overall strength of the economy.”


What will Christmas spending be like in 2025?

This year's Christmas season is expected to be less robust than last year's. Inflation, tighter credit lines, and tariff pressures mean that, according to Zeta, there will be a 27% drop in American shoppers looking to spend $1,000 or more during the holiday season. There has also been a 2% increase in those who say that they will spend less than $100 (34% up from 32%). The bottom line is that consumers will be more deliberate about their spending this holiday season, and more people will be seeking discounts.

This article originally appeared last year and was updated.

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Gen Zer's teary video after going around town with a stack of resumes gets wave of support

Gen Z often gets a bad rap in the workforce. But job hunting is difficult right now, regardless of your age.

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People couldn't help but feel for a young woman who broke down in tears after going around town with a stack of resumes.

It can be easy to write-off younger generations as entitled, lazy and unwilling to work hard, without taking into account the very real challenges being faced.

Just like their “whiny millennial” predecessors, Gen Zers often find themselves in this predicament—unable to land a job, much less one that reflects their personal values, all while being labeled as“difficult” for wanting something better.

But the truth is, even hard-working people are struggling right now. That goes for people who are employed (many of whom are living paycheck-to-paycheck, despite having well-paying jobs) and those looking for employment.

Job hunting is particularly grueling, as looming fears of recession have caused companies to make candidates go through more obstacles than a contestant on “American Ninja Warrior” just to get one interview. Followed by six more interviews. Followed by crickets.

With these types of barriers set in place, how is an age group, likely just out of college, with virtually no workplace experience, supposed to stand a chance? And furthermore, how can they not be distraught when their survival is on the line?

This is why a video shared by 26-year-old Lohanny Santos has struck a chord with so many.

In the clip, tears stream down Santos’ face after going around the city with a “stack” of resumes and being rejected by every potential employer she reached out to.

The college grad explained how she had two degrees—one in communications and one in acting—and spoke three languages. Not even this was enough to get her an interview.

“It’s honestly a little bit embarrassing because I’m literally applying for, like, minimum-wage jobs,” she says. “And some of them are being like, ‘We’re not hiring’ and it’s like, ‘What?’ This is not what I expected.”

Far from being entitled, Santos concluded the video by wiping her eyes and saying “ … I'm just going to keep trying."
@lohannysant I got tear stains on my resume 😔😔😔 #nyc #unemployed ♬ original sound - Lohanny

Luckily, this is where the story turns around. After her video went viral, with over 23.4 million views on TikTok, Santos received a wave of support from viewers.

“Never feel embarrassed. You should feel proud that you’re pushing your pride to the side and being realistic,” one person wrote, commenting on the fact that Santos had begun her job search after her aspirations for being a TikTok creator weren’t paying the bills.

“This is precisely how you apply for jobs before the internet. nothing to be embarrassed about as this gives you real world sales experience,” another added.

Some even provided some tips. One person suggested: “Don’t ask if they’re hiring. Just say you want to apply & speak to a hiring manager. Be assertive.”

“GIRL APPLY TO BE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT!!! BARELY AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED AND WITH THREE LANGUAGES THEY WILL WANT YOUU,” another exclaimed.

Not only that, But Santos revealed with Business Insider that her following skyrocketed overnight, that she was being offered opportunities not previously available. In a follow-up video, she even shared that she scored a brand deal.

A brand deal which…..may or may not have taken her out to London? Not a bad gig. And it certainly seems like those TikTok dreams aren’t so unattainable after all.

@lohannysant I woke up like this for real. Brb let me wake up. #nyc #london #travelday ♬ original sound - Lohanny

Most people want to be contributing members of society. But times are tough for a lot of folks out there, regardless of age, background and education. A little compassion, as we see here, does in fact go a long way.

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One very simple thing we can all do to bring jobs back to the United States? Sign me up.

This holiday season, if you're buying gifts for people, you might have to endure, at some point ... ahem. This:


GIF is from "South Park."

Holiday shopping can be a grind. But even though you're busy, there's an admirable reason to stop and think for a moment about what you're buying.

A lot of what you see in the mall or online is made in other countries, often in subpar working conditions. But you have a choice.

If we try to find just a few more American-made items, it can mean so much for people in this country.

Jobs. Employment. Wages for your neighbors.

One of the reasons the recession was so hard to rebound from is that we've lost so many of the good-paying jobs to outsourcing — that is, sending jobs overseas. When that happens, other jobs go with them.

It's not just the widget-makers who lose their jobs. The surrounding communities do, as well.

The local grocer, and hairstylist, and pub, and restaurants, and lawyers, and dentists ... all kinds of jobs disappear when factories close and move overseas.

Many of the white-collar jobs that support manufacturing also go.

Here's a short piece of the video below that illustrates it in the form of a menacing magnet, sucking up all the good jobs. "Magnet-zilla," if you will.

GIFs from Million Jobs Project/YouTube.

I've lived in Michigan for over 25 years, and when auto suppliers or even automakers close their doors, this is exactly the effect.

When jobs move overseas, the surrounding neighborhoods and communities are drained of their economic lifeblood.

Here's an example from Detroit's Southwest side:


Delray neighborhood, Southwest Detroit. In 1930, this area had 23,000 residents. In 2010? 2,300. Womp womp. Image by Notorious4life/Wikimedia Commons.

"OK, smart guy, what do you propose to do about that?"

It turns out it's not that hard to make a difference. It could be as simple as buying one more American-made item for every hundred purchases you make. Just one.

Yes, it really is that simple.

The folks from the Million Jobs Project, an organization trying to raise awareness about this concept, have consulted with economists who say that all it takes to get jobs going again is for each of us to spend 5% more on American-made goods. When you fit that into your holiday shopping, that likely amounts to just one gift.

Where can you find American-made goods?

The website for the Million Jobs Project has a list of goods still made here.

Here's how you can make a difference, as explained in the video:

"Out of 100 purchases you make, maybe 20 of those are already made in the U.S., and all you need to do is buy one more American made thing. That's 5%. Just one more thing."

Not much to it.

I'm in. You?


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How a shoe repair shop bouncing back from tragedy can be a model for a new economy.

True
CNBC's The Profit

Ronda Morrison runs a shoe repair shop in Detroit. It's a family business dating back over 60 years.

And with a name like "House of Morrison Shoe Repair," they obviously want it to stay in the family. That's where Ronda's 25-year-old nephew Keenon came in.

Ronda and Keenon Morrison. Image via New Economy Initiative/Detroit Lives!/Vimeo.

Keenon had worked with Ronda in House of Morrison since he was a kid, learning the ropes to one day run the business, as his grandfather and aunt had done before him.

All GIFs via New Economy Initiative/Detroit Lives!/Vimeo.

But tragedy struck the family, and House of Morrison's future took a turn.

On the July 4, 2014 holiday weekend, Keenon and his 16-year-old brother Kalen died in a car accident. Reeling from the loss, Ronda began to lose her will to keep running the family business.

"My plans went totally down the drain with his death," Ronda told the Detroit Free Press. "When that happened, the House of Morrison's fate was on the chopping block."

Ronda pushed on, deciding that getting back to work might help her cope. And it turned out her timing was perfect.

Before the accident, she'd applied for a $10,000 small business grant with the Detroit New Economy Initiative (NEI). Amid the grief over the loss of her nephews, she had completely forgotten about the application.

But two days after Ronda returned to work, she got a letter.

She took it as a sign that House of Morrison was meant to persevere.

With the money, Ronda can do more than keep the business open. She can help others learn the trade.

The grant gives her a chance to do more of what her father always wanted for House of Morrison. "I'm going to do exactly what my father did," she says. "Open his door to train people out of the community."

Their proposal included launching an apprentice program for members of their community struggling to find work, investing in business software that will help them be more efficient, and opening new locations once they've built up their customer base.

Small businesses like House of Morrison are working to rebuild Detroit through people-centered enterprise.

In 1950, Detroit, a manufacturing powerhouse, was the richest city per capita in the United States. As people flocked to job opportunities in the Motor City, the population swelled to over 1.8 million.

Detroit in 1942. Photo by Arthur Siegel, U.S. Office of War Information/Wikimedia Commons.

But free trade gave companies a way to boost their profits by moving manufacturing operations to countries with cheaper labor and fewer regulations, putting millions of American workers out of work.

And Detroit was in the middle of it all.

The city saw an exodus as the jobless became economic refugees in new cities.

In 2010, the population had shriveled to just over 700,000. And in 2013, Detroit became the largest American city to declare bankruptcy.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Since then, Detroit has become a canvas for creative ideas to spur urban renewal.

And groups like NEI are helping by funding small businesses, like House of Morrison, that "represent the innovation and ingenuity of Detroit's small business market."

As the country continues to bounce back from the Great Recession, we should look to Detroit for ways to do it that go beyond the conventional economics that brought the city and the country to their knees in the first place.

Watch NEI's profile of House of Morrison:

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