# What do I do if I'm unemployed indefinitely? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057 "2009-05-29T18:02:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/21 "2009-05-30T00:34:31Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > Consider Amazon Mechanical Turk. I have no idea how much cash you can make there, but it’s something. Well, I’ve made $.05 in the first night! But in all seriousness, thanks for mentioning that. I’d never heard of it, but that’s actually a pretty cool site. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/22 "2009-05-30T01:06:24Z")
I started working for my landlord. Since he wants me to pay rent he has an incentive to give me work, or so I tell myself. That means I mow lawns, trim trees, paint houses, even did some roofing work (I _hate_ roofing…!) I worked for the US Census for about two months I worked selling candy for about 3 months last year. I’ve sold stuff on E-Bay I’ve taken part time jobs. I’ve free-lanced. Basically, if it’s legal, ethical, and I can get someone to pay me money I’ll do it. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/23 "2009-05-30T02:39:11Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Have you looked for jobs with City or state agencies? Most of these jobs are never posted anywhere other than their own emplyment websites, at times a civil service exam is required, it depends what you do. Or federal jobs, like at the post office? ([usajobs.com](http://usajobs.com)). The correct website address for government jobs is [http://www.usajobs.gov/](http://www.usajobs.gov/) The .gov one is the legitimate gummint jobs website. 🙂 You can specify the city you’re looking for and the radius for them to search for available jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/24 "2009-05-30T04:24:18Z")
Since the OP is mainly seeking advice, this is probably better suited for IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/25 "2009-05-30T07:27:12Z")
Roughly, how old are you? Healthy? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/26 "2009-05-30T08:34:20Z")
Sorry to hear of your situation. I’ve been laid off since February, of 2008. It’s demoralizing to see companies lay people off after you’ve tried to get hired by them. A couple of things to think about. If you have equity in your house and can sell it then you can buy a used mobile home to live in. That helps retain some of your equity and reduces all of your expenses considerably. You can liquidate the principle in a Roth IRA without penalty. Both you and your wife can donate plasma. You can take in a boarder. One of the things I did as a kid was offer to clean empty grass lots near businesses. All that takes is a pair of gloves and some trash bags (this is something the vacuum trucks can’t do). If you have an aviation background you could wash planes. That would bring in $200 a plane but would involve buying the right chemicals and equipment to wash and polish everything. It’s tough work for the money. Hang in there. I know it sucks. It will get better. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/27 "2009-05-30T09:02:19Z")
Flipping thrift stuff on ebay is potentially renumerative but it’s hard because it’s dependent on a fairly deep knowledge of the product and ebay pricing for same, and a decent supply which waxes and wanes with contributions. What the others said about the newspaper being dead. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/28 "2009-05-30T18:05:37Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Well, I’ve made $.05 in the first night! But in all seriousness, thanks for mentioning that. I’d never heard of it, but that’s actually a pretty cool site. It’s taken almost a year, but I’ve made close to $1,000.00 from working for AMT. It helps if you can type fast and you like to write and rewrite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/29 "2009-05-31T06:03:34Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I’m now on Federal emergency unemployment, having been virtually unemployed (a few one-day temp assignments) since last October. I’m registered with a couple of temp agencies that I’ve done well with in the past; but even they, professional job placers who have a financial incentive to see me work, can’t find anything. Even the fast food joints aren’t hiring, and the local paper now prints it’s help wanted ads double-sized, since they wouldn’t have enough to make up a full classified section otherwise. There is **nothing** I can find that I’m qualified for (G.E.D.), and even people with much better training than me are having employment problems. I can’t even find openings to apply for, as an exercise to prove I’m trying. What do I do if the last cent of unemployment runs out and I still don’t have a job? To put it in it’s bluntest terms, if I don’t get a job soon, my wife (retired, too sick to work) and I will lose our house. Maybe one of my wife’s children would take her in (me, who knows?). > > I just can’t believe that in this day and age someone willing to work can’t find _something_, however lousy, that they’re qualified for. Son of a bitch, is this really the Great Depression II, complete with soup kitchens, shantytowns and men who haven’t worked in years?? Definitely get online and find your local Department of Economic Security website. It is humiliating, degrading and sad, but in a couple of simple steps with one very bad, long visit (the service was fine; the sad people were, well, very, very sad) to my local DES office I received $200 in food stamps monthly and free health care (or reduced in some cases). This was a huge help to me, especially the health care. It also includes prescriptions. Food “stamps” are also no longer so degrading to use at the store. I go to a store that has a self check out and I have a food stamp debit card so no one ever has to know that my groceries were just free. My unemployment payment is currently $60 per week. I’m going to have to let my condo go into foreclosure and file bankruptcy but I’ve made peace with it. There is really nothing else that I can do. The BLS says the unemployment rate for the Phoenix metro area is 7.2%. I don’t follow trends but I do know that I have **never** had difficulty finding some dumb clerical job and right now I cannot buy myself even an interview. And I’ve had a lot of jobs (not that my resume reflects that!) It is extremely bad out there. I feel for you, Lumpy, I truly do. 'Cause I feel for me too! All we can do is keep trying and hope things get better for all of us that want to work and can’t find anything. But really, please do get to DES ASAP. Here in Arizona I filled out the application online and they called the next day and told me what documentation they needed me to bring in. I was amazed at the speed of the assistance. Please also call your mortgage company and tell them the situation you’re in and see what they have to say. I know that there are lenders out there willing to work with people to avoid what I’m having to do. Last resort: The SDMB Commune. We just need to decide where! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/30 "2009-05-31T12:44:33Z")
At least as of last weekend Kohl’s in Woodbury (a long way from you though) had a huge Now Hiring sign - mostly for night stockers. I commented to my husband on it because huge now hiring signs seem strange right now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Real\_Regency\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@The\_Real\_Regency\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Real_Regency_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/31 "2009-06-01T12:58:51Z")
Try getting hired at the nearest UPS hub as a package loader/unloader. They’ll probably want you to work a year solid without vacation and it’s very physical, but the starting pay is decent and there should be some (limited) benefits as well. You’ll probably have your choice of shifts as well, although overnight traditionally pays the most. They primarily advertise on university campuses but I’m sure that a trip to the hub’s HR office can provide you with the info you need. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/32 "2009-06-01T14:35:43Z")
Training would be involved, but you could look into becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). MCTC has the program, along with Normandale and a bunch of other community/technical colleges in the area. I believe the course runs 2-3 weeks, and you have to pass a test to complete the certification. There would also be a cost for the course, and possibly the test. But it seems that nursing assistants are always in demand, and the pay isn’t bad ($9 - $11 per hour). I’ve heard that it’s not a great job, but it is work, and it’s steady, with opportunities there for advancement. It could be worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/33 "2009-06-01T20:49:38Z")
**Lumpy** , come back and let us know how you are doing. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/34 "2009-06-01T21:35:47Z")
Just in case anyone’s interested… the restaurants, fast food places, hotels, gas stations etc. around here (the New Hampshire seacoast) are hiring because its the start of tourist season. I don’t know where you could live on entry-level wages though - maybe at one of the many local campgrounds, or the student-type housing around UNH. But if you have experience at restaurant work or bartending you might do ok for the summer. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/35 "2009-06-02T22:21:14Z")
You might want to stop looking at want ads and online job sites. They tend to attract a million resumes for obvious reasons. You are better off networking with people or just calling up companies directly. Also, what is it exactly that you “do”? And don’t say “anything”. Employers don’t really hire jack-of-all-trades to just hang around doing whatever needs to get done. You need to be able to communicate exactly what you can do for them. You also need to be able to answer the question “why should I hire you over the 500 other applicants.” And “I’m a hard worker” isn’t an answer. A lot of people are hard workers. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/36 "2009-06-02T23:38:55Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Get creative. People are doing things they never dreamed they’d do. House-sit. Walk dogs. Pick up dog shit for people. Mow lawns. Give bartenders your name and number and be the local “tipsy taxi”. You might be able to cobble together a little something if you just stretch your imagination a bit til things pick up. > > Good luck! I love that stuff. We have so many handymen and lawn cutting services around now that it is crowded. A bunch of enterprising people want to shovel the walk in winter. Dog walkers abound. It is tough out there. A new bar is opening and the owner says he is buried in applications for every spot. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/37 "2009-06-02T23:41:58Z")
> [@PeacePlease](#): > > **Lumpy** , come back and let us know how you are doing. It’s been screwy, since my wife pulled a muscle in her back and I’ve had to more or less keep the house running for the past eight days. Thankfully she’s better now, at one point I was walking her to and from the bathroom at 4:00 A.M. Tomorrow I start a two-day temp job that doesn’t pay much but at least extends my unemployment insurance. Thanks for the leads everybody, I’ve been checking them out as time permits. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/38 "2009-06-03T05:10:32Z")
What I was getting at Lumpy, is that the US Military is still hiring, ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/39 "2009-06-03T06:40:21Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > You might want to stop looking at want ads and online job sites. They tend to attract a million resumes for obvious reasons. You are better off networking with people or just calling up companies directly. I wouldn’t go so far as to say _stop_; why abandon anything that has any chance of succeeding, unless you’re so crunched for time that it’s not worth it (and why would you be, if you’re unemployed)? Just don’t put a lot of hopes into it, if you want. As for networking, well… I haven’t had a steady job for quite some time - multiple years. I’ve been freelancing with one of my old companies (and a few other places), but it hardly pays the bills, and I’ve been draining savings at a very slow but relatively steady rate. Fortunately, I’m pretty cheap. But I know a LOT of people in my chosen industry and elsewhere, and never had so much as a nibble from anyone. That makes me very VERY skeptical about the value of this “networking” thing. I’m starting to think it’s a huge con. ---
**Author:** ![NRichards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@NRichards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NRichards)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057/40 "2009-06-03T07:13:42Z")
I can definatly relate. I lost my job at a pharmacy I was working last november. On Thanksgiving, to add insult to injury. I filed unemployment, but my state (NH) is so backed up I still haven’t seen it. I went unemployed for 4 months, and with no money coming in…well I’m sure you can imagine. I’ve managed to keep my car, but that’s about it. Yes, I became homeless. I spent my days at the library, on a job search site, sending resumes to ANYTHING in a 2 hour radius from the town I live. Even if I wasn’t qualified (high school diploma). I would also send resumes in town to EVERY business. Even if they were not hiring. Responded to EVERY ad in the paper. Eventually I heard back from a place that I thought would never consider me, and now I have my dream job. Unfortunatley I work for a non-profit, so the pay is very low. I have a tremendous amount of debt from not working, and can’t yet afford an apartment. I am renting space at a campground (living in a tent) and saving up for a security deposit. I’m hoping to be in an apartment by November. It’s funny, at a staff meeting the other day someone was complaining about how we are not getting raises right now. I wanted to scream “You are upset you don’t make enough money? I’m sorry, but I LIVE IN A F\*\*\*ING TENT!!!” It’s important for you to exaust all resourses, which it sounds like you are doing, and everyone has had really good suggestions. You also need to keep yourself in a good state of mind. This IS temporary. This WILL get better. You WILL find work. It’s all just a matter of when. Might things get worse first? Probably. But the important thing to rememeber is if you lose hope, what else do you have? Oh, and something I should mention. I never would have thought I would be thanking God that I live in a tent, but living in a car in winter has made me appreciate it. You will be amazed once things turn around how you will never look at your life the same way again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-if-im-unemployed-indefinitely/498057.md?page=3)