THE UNEMPLOYMENT THREAD

[aTOMiC]

I guess it's high time there was an open discussion on this topic.

My name is Tom and I've been unemployed since April of 2010.
"Hello Tom!" - a chorus of voices respond.

My career field has always been Land Surveying or Civil Engineering and as of 2006 both of those professions, along with the construction industry, died along with the housing market at least they died a fiery horrible death here in Florida.
I watched as my then employer slowly lost ground and closed up shop and then I was lucky enough to find another company which in turn quickly lost ground and closed up shop leaving me stranded. I've been waiting ever since hoping things would finally turn around to no avail.

I'm going to say something that I never thought I'd be so depressed and desperate to say...I actually miss staff meetings. Dear God help me I miss employee insurance meetings and filling out timesheets and getting yelled at by a boss.
I finally recognize that I've hit rock bottom and I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.
Thankfully my wife has been able to keep her job so all is not lost and I still have internet access.
Unfortunately, in my area near Tampa, I'm not sure I can get a bag boy job at the local supermarket.

I hope I'm alone in this but I know I'm not. I'm sure dANdeLION will chime in if he discovers this thread.

[dANdeLION]

I thought dANdeLION got banned years ago.

[High Lord Tolkien]

this thread scares the living crap out of me.
I'll find out in a few weeks if I'm in the same boat.

[dANdeLION]

Other than 2 jobs lasting about 6 months each, and a very part-time gig, I've been unemployed since 3/3/08.

[sindatur]

I was laid off in Jan 2008 from an accounting position, because my position was moved from California to Texas, and was out of work for 10 months, when my work brought me back in an Operations position in Nov 2008.

Then in early Nov 2010, I was informed that my new position was being transferred from California to Texas, and my last day would be December 23, 2010. In mid-December, they decided they didn’t know enough yet, and couldn’t afford to let me leave (plus they got projects they hadn’t counted on getting, so they were too busy for their headcount), so, they asked me to accept a rescinding of my layoff, and told me they would guarantee me a month notice if/when they do let me go again.

So, I waiting to be told at any time, that I have only 30 days left

Still, every paycheck counts, so, I live in hopes of things getting better before the inevitable notification.

[aTOMiC]

sindatur/HLT my thoughts and prayers are with you both.

________ since you are in the same boat I am I more than feel your pain. I can't wait for things to get back to normal. UGH.

[Vraith]

On the bright side, at least you're in a field and region that is likely to come back. [I know...small comfort, and I'm not meaning to be dismissive of difficulties right now.]
Extremely luckily, my wife got hired immediately upon finishing Grad school, and her initial 1-year contract is extended and may become permanent, so all I have to do is move, [which I'm doing this weekend...from terrible winters to god-awful winters] and hopefully find/establish something there, cuz I've gone from turning away @ 10 peeps a week to only working @ 10 hours a week.

[dANdeLION]

No offense, but my boat has more holes than yours. Because I owe child support that I am unable to pay, the government has all but labelled me a criminal. They have suspended my driver's license and registration, and have threatened to put me in jail once already, and will likely do it again in March.

[aTOMiC]

No offense, but my boat has more holes than yours. Because I owe child support that I am unable to pay, the government has all but labelled me a criminal. They have suspended my driver's license and registration, and have threatened to put me in jail once already, and will likely do it again in March.

Yeah that adds a wonderful dimension to the situation on top of the usual frustration of not being able to find work.
There's always a sadder story but none as the one you have to live every day.

What a downer this thread is. I should be banned.

[dANdeLION]

If only you had the willpower to ban yourself by yourself, or at least the money to hire the Terry Brooks Hack Team to infiltrate this site, ceding you the Administrative authority to ban yourself.

[Vraith]

No offense, but my boat has more holes than yours. Because I owe child support that I am unable to pay, the government has all but labelled me a criminal. They have suspended my driver's license and registration, and have threatened to put me in jail once already, and will likely do it again in March.

Like a number of laws, I understand the child-support thing as an idea...yet a lot of times [especially now when, among all the other difficulties, credit-report checks have about as much influence on whether you get a decent job or not as your skills/experience/references] the penalties/process are part of the reason you can't meet the obligations to begin with.
And FWIW, I didn't mean to imply my sad story is sadder than anyone elses...I'm actually, while in a bad place, in a better place than I could easily have been...and I actually meant the response in relation to Atomic's original post. For both of us, it ain't pretty...but it could be worse.

[aTOMiC]

No offense, but my boat has more holes than yours. Because I owe child support that I am unable to pay, the government has all but labelled me a criminal. They have suspended my driver's license and registration, and have threatened to put me in jail once already, and will likely do it again in March.

Like a number of laws, I understand the child-support thing as an idea...yet a lot of times [especially now when, among all the other difficulties, credit-report checks have about as much influence on whether you get a decent job or not as your skills/experience/references] the penalties/process are part of the reason you can't meet the obligations to begin with.
And FWIW, I didn't mean to imply my sad story is sadder than anyone elses...I'm actually, while in a bad place, in a better place than I could easily have been...and I actually meant the response in relation to Atomic's original post. For both of us, it ain't pretty...but it could be worse.

I understood your meaning Vraith and agree with you. For the record.
I think ________ is just being _________.

[dANdeLION]

My post makes sense, if you follow the threads that inspired it.

[Vraith]

If only you had the willpower to ban yourself by yourself, or at least the money to hire the Terry Brooks Hack Team to infiltrate this site, ceding you the Administrative authority to ban yourself.

I just want to underscore the point underscore is making does make sense if he had underscored somewhere the thread he is R eferencing.

[JazFusion]

My husband has been unemployed since January of 2009. I was a stay at home mom to my son before he laid off. Then I went back to school. I've been on the job market ever since and haven't found any work. I graduated this past October with a degree in Medical Assisting. I've filled out hundreds of applications; there are jobs out there, but everyone wants a medical assistant with experience in the medical field. I have none. All I have is my degree and 3.74 GPA.

We're swimming in a sea of debt. We broke our lease because we can't afford to live here. The management company says we still have to pay until the end of our lease in June: that's $3800 right there. We'll see if they take us to court because of it.

We still might have to file for bankruptcy. We've only ever had one car. We have no assets, no 401k, not even a savings account.

On the 29th we will be moving back in with my in-laws. Of course, they think we're degenerates who won't get jobs. As if we want to mooch off people forever.

I still have student loans to pay back, credit cards we've used to pay for food because New Hampshire's state help is shit.

At this point we'll never own a house. Or a second car. Or possibly even live in our own place. The in-laws say we have until June to get back on our feet. After they kick us out then, we'll probably end up moving to my mom's in Louisiana. Maybe not. Maybe we'll just end up on the streets because no one wants to take us in.

I can't describe to you how soul-crushing this all is. Especially since we're not the only people in this situation. I have a four year old I can't even provide for. I won't ever be able to get pregnant again to give my son a sibling.

I'm only 26, and I can't even provide for my family. I'm a failure as a mother, wife and woman.

[dANdeLION]

You're having a tough time for sure, but that doesn't make you a failure.

[sindatur]

Yea, it's not the folks who can't find jobs that are the problem, it's the jobs that can't be found that are the real problem.

[High Lord Tolkien]

This part:

My husband has been unemployed since January of 2009. I was a stay at home mom to my son before he laid off. Then I went back to school. I've been on the job market ever since and haven't found any work. I graduated this past October with a degree in Medical Assisting. I've filled out hundreds of applications; there are jobs out there, but everyone wants a medical assistant with experience in the medical field. I have none. All I have is my degree and 3.74 GPA.

Makes this part seem silly:

I'm only 26, and I can't even provide for my family. I'm a failure as a mother, wife and woman.

You reinvented yourself for your family.
Going back to school and doing well is freaking hard.
Talk like that again and I'm going to reach into my monitor and punch you.
I did the same thing for computer administration back when the economy was BOOMING in the late 90's and it took me a LONG time to get a job that didn't suck.
Same thing, "nice certificate but we need experience".
So I worked a few crappy part time jobs and kept on applying.
Don't give up.
The economy is the failure, not you.

[dANdeLION]

I just checked my email, and this popped up:



Does this mean that single women are no longer interested? Is that Justin Bieber there at the bottom? WTF?!?


Now I feel like a loser!

[drew]

I was laid off Aug 31 2009.
(Ironically my wife left me two weeks later...and moved in with someone who is unemployed!!)

Right away, I started working under-the table...very easy to do in the Transportation industry.

I had planned to go obtain my Driving Instructors licence and teach Drivers Ed; but then a guy I used to work with (and for, for a short time) had to take six months off on disability, so I starting working for him...still under-the-table

Well, that six months has turned into over a year now, though he is back to work, and we work together now.

Just in case anyone from Revenue Canada lurks here, I won't mention that I haven't paid a cent of income tax in nearly eighteen months.

I'm actually shitting bricks about it!!! I want to keep working for this guy, but I don't know what I'll do about claiming my income...its not like I've been able to put anything away. And most driving jobs don't pay very well, the few that do are already taken!!