Employment status

[Behind the Aegis]

Poll question: Employment status

I thought it might be interesting to see where DU'ers are in employment matrix.

Underemployed = you have advanced degrees/knowledge, but are working beneath your education/skill level (e.g. you have a degree in Sociology and work as a check-out person at Target). It is not "I am not paid what I am worth," because so few of us are (firefighters, cops, teachers, housemoms/dads).

Unemployed = job was outsourced, you quit, or company went bust and you still are not employed elsewhere.

On edit: give a bump now and again....I'd like to get a wide range of people. If it looks like it going to fall off page two, kick it, please. Thanks!

Poll result (127 votes)
Employed...Love my job!	(24 votes, 19%)	Vote
Employed...Hate my job!	(12 votes, 9%)	Vote
Underemployed (see above description)	(11 votes, 9%)	Vote
Unemployed (0 - 6 months)	(13 votes, 10%)	Vote
Unemployed (7 - 12 months)	(3 votes, 2%)	Vote
Unemployed (1 year to 2 years)	(5 votes, 4%)	Vote
Unemployed (2 years to 5 years)	(10 votes, 8%)	Vote
Unemployed (more than 5 years)	(10 votes, 8%)	Vote
On edit: Employed...I like/tolerate my job (it pays the bills).	(20 votes, 16%)	Vote
On edit: Other...you need to explain why you chose this option!	(19 votes, 15%)	Vote

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[benburch]

2. Self-employed!

Run http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org / - Listener Supported Liberal/Progressive Media.

My boss *is* a slave-driver, though.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. I thought about adding that...should I go back and add?

However, self-employed is still employed...what thinks you?

[phylny]

27. Self-employed here, too :) n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

36. Self-employed, too.

I'm the toughest boss I've ever had.

[CatBoreal]

40. Me too!

Love being able to go to work in my pj's.

[sandnsea]

41. Me too

Travel web sites that I don't spend near enough time on, like this one that is way past due for an update www.pacific101.com . Grrr DU! And this site, that needs more time too www.lightupthedarkness.org

[SeattleGirl]

3. Well, most of the time I love it.

Get to work from home with my puppy as office assistant (she reminds me when it's time for a break!), good support, stuff like that. But, like with many jobs, it has its days!

[petronius]

4. There's a pretty big gap between those first two choices

personally, I'd prefer something intermediate.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Such as?...hurry...I have only an hour to edit!

[petronius]

9. Perhaps: "Employed - satisfied with my job" ?

[Behind the Aegis]

10. How's about "satisfied/tolerate?"

[NMMNG]

5. (other) Employed, tolerate my jobs

I'm dealing with them until I get my Master's and get a real job.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. That sounds like underemployment!

Good luck on your master's in.....?

[NMMNG]

11. Library and Information Science

I have two full-time Human Service jobs right now. I'm just burned out on the field and need a change, plus the field doesn't pay a living salary.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Try education!

I have a master's and 10 years professional experience and STILL can't get a job where I want (location)! Library and Info science is a very malleable field, you will be able to look in a variety of places! Good luck!!!

[NMMNG]

15. Once upon a time I thought of that and actually took an intro course

in Early Childhood Ed. Then I discovered I wasn't cut out for it. Over the years I've become less and less interested in and tolerant of children, so education is not for me.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. LOL!

My degree is in higher education. I work(ed) with college students as a counselor/adminstrator....sometimes it was like working with "little kids" and that was usually the parents!

[NMMNG]

17. I've encountered many "parents from hell" in my years

as a human services employee. They can make some of the most asinine, unrealistic demands at times. It's been 18 years and I'm overdue for a change, to be sure. If it paid enough to live on I might stick it out, but when I have to work two jobs, 7 days a week just to survive I can't deal with it.

[ladylibertee]

13. Nice to see most of us like our jobs.LOL So far.

[nashville_brook]

14. kickee

[Hardrada]

18. Antiquarian Book Dealer

and local historian. Don't know where I'd fit on your chart though since my wife could retire from teaching and we inherited land we will rent so my work is really more of a morale builder than a necessity.

[Behind the Aegis]

19. This sounds like an other...

...or self-employed (employed...love the job, like/tolerate, or hate it). This, to me, sounds like an "other."

[bananas]

20. You left out "retired"

and other categories - "disabled", "semi-retired", "partially disabled", etc.
A person could be "semi-retired" because they don't need to work, but like to, or because they don't like to work, but their retirement funds aren't enough.

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Good point!

Past my edit time...but we can count it under "other." Besides, I used all ten options. Sorry, I forgot that! It wasn't intentional. I thank you for pointing it out!

So, all you retirees..."other" is your option in this poll.

[titoresque]

21. Other

I have a little part time job but it doesnt pay the bills, it eases the bills. Mainly Im a stay-at-home mom and my partner makes the money.

[WildClarySage]

23. SAHM here,

left my job b/c of pregnancy complications and didn't need the stress/bullshit of a crap office job. I'll probably go back and get my masters in psych or social work in a couple of years.

[tech3149]

24. My unemployment was a personal choice

I chose to be unemployed rather than work for a company whose ethics and practices I could not support. It's been over four years and I haven't seen another company I would work with.

[Maine-ah]

25. other- two jobs.

employed over 5 years at first job. Have a second job that I have been at for over 5 months.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

26. Employed/hate my job.

In fact, I'm drinking right now because of it. Fortunately, I'm moving across the country next year for a much better job.

[MercutioATC]

28. Love the actual JOB...hate the atmosphere.

Our facility just got a new chief and he's completely "by the book" to the point of not allowing people to bring in candy to sell for their kids' schools (not a huge deal, but it illustrates how petty he is).

We used to have a nice, relaxed workplace. Now they're firing people for minor infractions. The job itself is still great, but the working environment is terrible.

[B Calm]

29. Other.. I was injured at work on my last job and my employer

harrased me into quitting. Because of my age and disabilty I found another job but, the new job pays about 1/2 of what I was making.

[Nobody]

30. Finally crawled out of the hole I was in

I'm now working at a job with bennies and making about 65% of what I used to as a not-terribly-high-end IT professional. I worked this same job I have now for two years, a year and a half of it was as a temp and getting the job was never at any time a given.

No benefits, no holiday pay, no sick time, no health coverage, and a lot less pay. I ate rice and ramen for my meals most of the time, except when I could help someone move or paint their house and then I'd get to eat out.

I still eat the cheap stuff and heat my home to less than 60 degrees and I work under the assumption that I'll have to start over again soon. How soon, I don't know. I do know that I'll be repeating this cycle until I'm well past elderly.

At least I didn't lose my home. I'm one of the lucky ones.

[bdot]

31. I'm a vendor/contractor

I don't consider myself employeed. The company I work at makes it quite clear, you are either an employee or you are scum (temp, contractor, vendor, etc...etc..etc..)

[PowerToThePeople]

32. Other..

Underemployed, until this friday. Then, after a long weekend starting a new job (still not quite where I should be, 12% less than end of Clinton salary) but much better than the job I am leaving.

[mzteris]

33. non-paid 168 hour work week

overqualified and under"employed".........

Teacher, nurse, chauffeur, referee, accountant, chef, housekeeper, manager........ to name a few.

Oh yeah - forgot the most important - MOM!

I'm a SAHFM - by choice.

[Zynx]

34. Full time student, but before that happily employed.

Generally speaking I like to work in general, although some things(like rude customers) can make work a nasty experience.

[H2O Man]

35. Other

Retired.

[Behind the Aegis]

37. Bump

...now that we are off level 3...the poll is working again!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

38. Other: Reluctantly self-employed after layoff

At least I have a skill I can market but my income is nowhere near what it was and I can't afford health coverage. I am an older person in a youth-oriented industry. At least working at home via phone and internet, I am judged by the quality of my thinking, not the way I look.

[blondeatlast]

39. Other: Like my job, but am only part-time so far. nt

[Corgigal]

42. not working

and not looking to work. Slacking off the hubby and raising kids/dogs/cats. Husband is retired/disabled.

I'm happy I'm free. I've done the work full time single thing, work full time married with kids thing, worked part time married and kids thing..

I've been out of work for several years and I'm lucky that it worked out this way.

[bigwillq]

43. Employed

Love it.

[JohnnyBoots]

44. Other, my contract expires on Friday....then I will be unemployed

[Iktomiwicasa]

45. Self employed

[cynatnite]

46. Other: Housewife and mom here - It's a full time job

It's a full time job I do here. Hubby is a truck driver and on the road during the week. I'm mom and dad during the week, pay the bills, and manage everything else while he is gone. I am the head of household and he would agree.

[NMDemDist2]

47. other, self employed but I don't know how much longer I can hang on n/t

[gulfcoastliberal]

48. Unemployed 7-12 mos, BA Degree

Thinking of going to linmen school and one day joing the IEW union. I don't think they can outsource repairing utilities to Bombay just yet. Sounds like a safe bet and I joined a lineman BBS and they recommended the school I'm thinking of going to. It's a 5 month school and then you get certified. Sounds good to me, even apprentices start from $15-25/hr.

[Cobalt Violet]

49. (other) A few of the above.

Although I fit your definition of underemployed because I have an advanced degree and I am working beneath my education level, I love my job.

Before I got my degree, I went to hair design school. I stopped hairdressing for quite a while to pursue other careers. I'm back to hair and I really like it.

I don't think they have yet figured out how to outsource my current job.

My career is in fine art painting which I still do but I really love the balance of get out of the studio and dealing with people of all ages rather intimately. I'm enjoying it.

[Seansky]

50. Now that you are talking about employment, would you consider this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...