That was me. I’m 51 and worked multiple jobs in college and was continuously employed since 16. I worked for one company for 25 years. The last company was making billions with a B in profit and chose to pull out of the depressed US market. There was little warning and I was taken by surprise. This happened BEFORE crap was married to fan. I doubt I will ever fully retire.
This thread is downright depressing…
To add to the mix: graduated with a masters’ some 9 months ago, and moved in with the significant other in another state. He’s got a good enough job to support both of us, but is located in the middle of nowhere, meaning that chances of me getting a job in my field are slim to none.
Hooray for housekeeping.
Popping back in with an update. My interview went really well. It seems like a great place to work. I’m missing one sub-specialty that would make it a slam-dunk. In a different economy, I’d say I had the job. But since there are so many of my peers in the market right now I’m just going to hope for the best.
I have another interview with a different company on Monday, so maybe things are starting to turn around? I hope so, for all our sakes.
Well, haven’t really worked since before finishing grad school in Dec 07. Finally got a job as an administrative assistant (when I should be an urban planner) in October of 08 and got laid off due to lack of work in March 09. Nothing of note since. I’m almost at the “hell with it, I’ll just be a housewife” stage.
Quite a while…let’s see, for a year before I went back to college almost a yr ago. (a few temp jobs aside…census and a dept. of trans. position) My UE extensions were running out and I figured, hey, been wanting to go back to school for a while and I can get the funding so WTHN?
For those who say Obama has done nothing, I say consider this widow with 2 kids who was able to keep food on the table/a roof over our heads and go back to get a higher degree only because of the UE extensions and Pell Grant and student loan increases HE initiated.
Hopefully, there will be more work available by the time I graduate. In the meantime, I prefer to keep busy and do something productive. I have a damn good resume, but sent out literally thousands of apps. and nothing.
If a person has a BS or BA they can’t get a Pell grant. There are a few scholarships - but most people have to take out loans for a masters.
I just found out my current employer is hiring and my hours are extremely part time - it is quite discouraging. I do think it is age discrimination. Ironically I have better attendance and work ethics (show up on time and actually work - don’t have friends hanging out and not talking and texting on a cell phone at work).
Spend alot of time job hunting and finding many people in the age of 50 and beyond are getting the boot - not sure why really - often the payscale they are earning is just the same as a younger worker - some have suggested it might be seen as a way to reduce health insurance costs - but then some of those people didn’t get health insurance either.
Graduated May of 08. Still unemployed.
Working retail to make ends meat. Still doesn’t work.
I haven’t actively applied for a job in a good 8 months…why try anymore? They always say no…
Since it is Presidents day - most places were closed - but the employment office was open - now those folks were very grumpy - me I just wanted to use the computers to job search and type out some resumes and cover letters for a couple job interviews I have lined up this week - since I don’t have a printer and their services are free - and I am just keeping quiet and typing and printing away - you would think they would be happy and leave me alone to do my thing - some of the people who came in were clueless about computer use - not unusual in my area - and some of them were frustrated with the way my state has job searching set up. But hey I tried to just stay on task - but still the employees at the place had to get nasty with me for being there - I was just trying to use the services that are supposed to be there to be used - and I have to say - ironically I seem to have more computer savvy - job search know how and know what is out there than the people who work there do - but as we all know it is who you know not what you know. The employment office is obviously clueless as to the lack of jobs - they kept interrupting me as I worked on my resumes to say something about a job to apply for - which I have already applied for over and over again - what I wanted to do was be left alone to do my cover letters and resumes for the job interviews I HAVE set up this week - not to be interupted to be told again about so and so has a job listed at the Indiana career connections (same jobs over and over - most of which do not even exist). There were at least 20 computers not being used at all - so it wasn’t as if I was prevented someone from using a computer or something. I just wanted to do my work and be left in peace to write the things and proof read them. I have a ton of education - I won’t qualify for any state funded education programs. I am not stupid or lazy or unable to read and understand things. But on other days when I do ask a question - they act like it is killing them to answer a question. And like I have said they are trully delusional about the job situation out there - of course they would be happier to just sit around and stand around and talk to each other rather than assist us anyway. By the way I have spent 20 plus years applying to jobs actually working at the employment office and at social service agencies - but almost everyone is this county is related to each other and that is how people get hired. It is networking - not knowledge or work ethic. Hey I know the people working there can’t chance the system - but they at least have a cushy job in a heated environment - not lifting hundreds of pounds or doing some kind of cna work - you would think they would be grateful.
Well, it looks as though I’m not going to get to the 21-month mark: the Census Bureau called me today, I’m starting a temporary, full-time job on Wednesday. No bennies, but the pay is better than minimum wage (though a fraction of what I would make in my chosen profession, were there any jobs available in my chosen profession).
Phew!
I took a test last Wed so sometime this week I’m supposed to get a call back to let me know if I passed and if so then whether or not I’ll get a job.
This is my last week of unemployment unless a six week extension that the legislature is working on goes through. If it doesn’t go through then a census job could be a good lifeline for me.
I’ve been severely underemployed since October '08. Since then I’ve had a one 4-week temp assignment, my failed stint as a security guard that lasted three weeks, and a smattering of one-to-four day light industrial calls. Enough that with the extensions I haven’t exhausted the last gasp of my unemployment but I’m getting short again.
I have the cold comfort of knowing that it’s not just me, that people with vastly more qualification have been unemployed too. What’s getting old is not having a life beyond the bare minimum of paying the mortgage, the utilities and the grocery bill. I can’t do anything because I don’t have any money; I can’t justify paying $10 to see a movie because that’s ten dollars closer to losing the house.
What really has me down is that I’m currently being considered for a position that would be absolute hell if I got it: ridiculous commute, low pay, dark-thirty AM hours, and eight hours a day of bending and lifting. I know lots of people work worse and that I have no excuse whatsoever to not take it, but I simply can’t be happy about this prospect. I literally don’t know whether to hope I get this job or not.
In my more bitter moments, I think that the jobless rate is never going to go down until everyone in the United States becomes resigned to living on two-thirds as much income as they used to.
I took the test three weeks ago Friday, and scored 100% (they gave us our results immediately), and got the call today. They wanted me to start tomorrow, actually, but I have a doctor’s appointment.
So when they’re ready to move, they move fast, og bless 'em.
Had a great interview today for a perm-to-hire contract job. First substantial ‘bite’ in almost a year (aside from odd jobs and freelance work.) I couldn’t be happier and I hope the best for all others.
What this experience has taught me is that I believe the psychological community should be seriously looking into treatments for unemployment-related anxiety and depression.
I had no idea until I was laid off, with a stellar reference available, how hard it would be to try to replace the job I had. My depression about it is directly related to what I can do that does not involve obsessing over why I lost my job (laid off due to decrease in business,but it is still surreal). If I do not have enough to do, which is a challenge when you are unemployed. I feel like it happened yesterday and not almost six months ago.
I could have gotten about half a dozen jobs- I have had nibbles, more like people look at my resume (I was a veterinary office manager) and immediately offer me a job- a job that pays almost exactly the same as my unemployment pays and almost half of what I was making before. A job with no future, because it would be a receptionist job, not a manager job- those are few and far between and the vets here are having a hard time due to the economy, so they are going to train in house for a manager. This is also complicated by the fact that I would need at least 3/4 of my previous pay to make it worth the heartbreak of doing what I did for a different vet. I really loved my job. So, looking at other areas, I figured out that no matter what I did, if I stayed with veterinary or looked elsewhere, it would take me another couple of years to work anywhere close to what I was making, so I might as well learn a new skill.
I am immensely lucky that my SO has not only been supportive, but surprisingly helpful. The only good thing about this whole mess is that he had the chance to step up to the plate for me, and I had a chance to learn that I’m not in this alone. So it’s not all horrible.
I started doing Mturk transcription- I have a good (not on message boards of course 
) set of grammar skills, above average if not hyper-speed typing skills, and I found that I liked the work. Did some other freelance, cheap jobs (didn’t even pay pennies LOL) on Quicktate and other similar sources and within a month, I found a local company that does general transcription for market research and community groups that was willing to train me and offered a decent rate with room for advancement as my speed and skills improve. So it’s kind of a job- at least I’m told I can expect enough work to compare to a full time job, not too far from what I was doing before. I will have to split out my own taxes and get my own benefits, but I am finding the work more than interesting (in three days, I transcribed interviews from the cattle industry, the golf course industry, and the wine industry- cool stuff!) and I work at home and am essentially my own boss in that I decide when I will accept work and I don’t have to worry about being blindsided by people I really cared about.
It’s helping a lot to have work again, but if I have a day or two with nothing, the depression comes back. It mostly manifests in dreaming- I dream about my old job every…single…night. And it’s always the same dream; I’m working, I know they are going to lay me off, but I can do nothing about it. My transcprition files usually don’t come in until 10 am or so, but I regularly find myself up at 3:30, 4:00 a.m. If I don’t get up, I’ll just lay in bed and cry. And I hate that :P.
In my state you cannot turn down any job and still collect unemployment. The reality is the cornfields of Indiana have few jobs available = and it doesn’t sound like big cities are much better. I am finding potential employers being rather hostile - and the employment office too - they are so overwhelmed with applicants. Though if they looked at it a different way - they would be glad that they have a job - however some people just aren’t aware of the economy - they are sticking their heads in the sand.
My understanding here is that I cannot refuse a job that is at or above the expected wage for my former position. As as example, the jobs I’ve been offered are about $10 an hour, but I can refuse it if it’s not at least $15/hour, which is still substantially below what I was making. Doesn’t matter, because I’ll be weaning myself off the system soon, I have to report what I make transcribing and they’ll take that out of my payment. When I’m consistently making over unemployment, I’ll be out of it entirely.
Popping back in with an update: I received a job offer this morning and start work on Monday. I’m practically beside myself. It’s a slight pay cut but compared to what else is out there - I’m taking it! The only downside is that I’m not their first choice: she started yesterday and also **quit **yesterday. So, I’m a little concerned about that, but they **seemed **normal in the interview, so I’ll just have to wait and see.
Best of luck to everyone!
(Somebody pinch me, I can’t believe it!)
high five
Right on Shadow!
A job that pays less than your commute costs is really no job at all.