Who else is unemployed and looking for a job?

[Quantess]

Every day I look through craigslist job postings, email some of them to myself, then set about writing a cover letter to go with the resume.

Or, I set about filling out online applications. Those stupid online applications always time out on me, or have glitches. I don't think I've successfully completed a single on-line application. It's very frustrating and time consuming.

And another thing...the pay has gone down, noticeably!

I'm in Oregon now, where we have the 2nd highest unemployment rate. Michigan, of course, is #1. To an unemployed person, this recession really blows.

[MrSlayer]

1. I've been out for three months.

No work in sight. The construction industry has been crushed by the Bush depression. I can't even get any side jobs because no one has any money for home improvments. I don't know what I'm going to do. Unemployment is a joke, a mere third of my take home pay. I may have to go back to the street. Fucking sucks.

[Quantess]

4. Can you believe how bad it's become?

I hate to sound so negative, but I can't help it! I know it's best to have a positive attitude when you're looking for work, but it's hard to not get depressed...

Did anyone imagine it would ever get this bad back in 2000? I knew Bush was bad news, but I had no idea he would complelety fuck up this country. Okay, so it's not 100% Bush's fault. More like 75% Bush's fault. And that's not counting the other republicans' contribution to this economic disaster. Factor them in, and you've got 95% of the blame. Thanks a lot, assholes!

Keep looking, and good luck!
:hi:

[MrSlayer]

14. No, I didn't expect it to dry up like this.

We've had several major projects canceled, hotels, office buildings, casinos. It's bad. The last contractor I worked for will hire me back as soon as they are able but they can't give me a time frame. It was supposed to be a quick three week shut down but things have gone so slow they still can't put anyone on. My local has 600+ members out now, it hasn't been this bad since 1992. I was always told that if you have a trade you'll always have work, I'm here to say that is not so.

Luck to you as well.

[Quantess]

25. Thanks!

:hi:

[datasuspect]

35. what kind of trade?

can you weld?

[yy4me]

36. I was just reminded of how long I have been unemployed. The

notice that my 26 weeks was up came with last weeks filing. I filed for an extension but am not hopeful of finding anything soon. People with more expert skills and are much younger have a better chance than a 67 year old with few computer skills.

I never would have believed we would come to this. Of course, I worry about myself but I worry more for those with greater responsibilities. The bills don't end just because your job does. I, like everyone else who is unemployed, have cut out every non-essential expenditure. It has come down to juggling again. My current circumstances seem just like things were when I was married 45 years ago and we didn't have 2 cents to our names. A 45 year 360 degree cycle.

[LeftyMom]

2. Me until a few days ago.

It took me over a year to find something, and it's a definite pay cut over my last gig.

[Quantess]

5. Congratulations. It's definitely better than nothing.

:hi:

[LeftyMom]

7. True.

If I have to take a pay cut (and in this economy that was probably a given) at least I found a job I like doing something worthwhile.

[Quantess]

10. CA isn't exactly a hot job market either.

My friend in SF has been looking for a writing job since she graduated with a BA in technical writing---last summer. She regrets not taking the $15 hour receptionist job she was offered in January.

I regret not taking the $12 hour non-profit job I was offered in January, as well. I may have enjoyed it.

[LeftyMom]

11. I took the first thing I was offered, terrible pay and all

I figure it's easier to find something better when you've already got something, and at least some of the bills get paid in the meantime (oh, how I miss the days when I had savings...)

Sacramento's horrible right now, since the state gov't is on a hiring freeze and doing the mandatory furlough days, and that's the big employer here. And almost everything is hurting because of the complete collapse of our housing market. There was a cover story on last Sunday's Bee about houses selling for $25,000 or less. Fixers in dodgy neighborhoods for that price, but still, $25,000 for a house. That's the kind of thing you hear about in the rust belt, not in California. Houses in good neighborhoods are going for maybe half what they were two years ago, even less in more marginal areas.

[Quantess]

16. That's insane! $25,000 for a house in Sacramento?

What could $50,000 buy, I wonder...
That's outrageous.

[LeftyMom]

28. Cute house, maybe even with a pool in a dodgy to marginal neighborhood,

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1158396099.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1156329029.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1156095207.html

Condo in Woodland (Woodland, ick)

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1156301951.html

Condo pretty close to the river and Sac State

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1155610193.html

etc.

I wish I were looking to buy. It'd probably be cheaper than renting at this rate.

[fizzgig]

3. i'm horribly underemployed

i lost my job at a newspaper about 15 months ago (it was bound to happen sooner or later) and have been unable to find real work since. i took a horribly crummy part time job in an effort to stretch my unemployment, which was cut after i had to file an extension. i decided i was done with newspapers and this is a horrible time to be making a career change. there has been a bit of job growth in my area, but it's all service sector and, with my education and experience, i'm not an attractive candidate for those jobs. the only reason i got the job i have now is because they hire everyone and anyone.

i hope it gets better for you.

[Quantess]

8. Newspapers are a dying breed.

It is a bad time to make a career change, but sometimes the change is inevitable.

I'm confident I'll get something, but I'm not at all confident it will pay more than $12 an hour...

[fizzgig]

18. i'm willing to bet there's a big difference between our cost of living

but i'd be thrilled with $12 an hour. i'm making half of what i used to and would be happy if i could find something that paid $10 an hour. my fiance is the only reason i'm not living in my dad's basement.

[Quantess]

21. The wage kind of depends on the region, also.

We're both wage slaves (or are going to be), no doubt, but some areas have a higher cost of living than others. Not sure where you live. Oregon Minimum wage is something like $8.00 per hour, but I'm so qualified, so professional, and so over-educated, that it's kind of a slap in the face for all I've ever accomplished at this point in my life to get less than $12 an hour. Maybe I'll have to settle for less, we'll see.

[fizzgig]

23. i'm in n. colorado

and our minimum wage is what is federally mandated, $7.28 an hour. never mind the fact that the only way you can survive on that is to have no debt, never have an emergency and live in a shithole with roommates. it was such a blow to my ego to have to take a job that pays that little, but i have to do what i can to survive.

[Quantess]

24. I know. We're just doing what we can to survive.

Hang in there!

Very few Americans (or people worldwide) have not been effected by this horrible economy. It sucks for almost everyone. Except the financial CEOs... they have it great, and are living high on the hog, on our dime.

Good luck to you, and I hope for the both of us, that it gets better!
:hi:

[fizzgig]

27. good luck to you too

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. Printed daily newspapers are ill

But many will remain for a long time, and there'll always be a demand for news-gathering and dissemination, no matter what it's "printed" on.

[Quantess]

31. Even if it's printed on toilet paper?

LOL.
I suppose, when everyone is too broke to afford internet access, they'll have to rely on their newspaper again.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading the daily newspaper, but if I were the one paying, I would not subscribe.

[Oeditpus Rex]

32. Subscriptions may be a thing of the past before long

It would actually make more economic sense now to charge for electronic versions and give away the printed product, since there's no such thing as an ad-blocker for newsprint and there isn't likely to be. Besides, there're a great many free weeklies in the U.S. that have survived for many years. Dailies could and should come up with a way to emulate their model.

[XemaSab]

6. I lost my 50K job August before last

I have been unemployed or semi-employed since then.

Most recently, I have been going door-to-door for the census for $11 an hour. x(

[Quantess]

12. That's a big difference in pay!

Talk about a lifestyle change.

A few days ago my brother told me to look into getting a census job, but now they aren't hiring anymore. $11 an hour isn't much, but if you're walking all day, you can skip the gym. At least you're getting your daily exercise and fresh air.

I hope your next job pays better, at least.

[XemaSab]

41. Biology: Getting paid to walk around all day.

Census: Getting paid to walk around all day.

Only one pays a LOT more. :(

[Ohio Joe]

9. I've been out of work since last July

Really blows.

[Quantess]

13. How is the unemployment in Ohio?

Probably not good, seeing as you're next to Michigan.
Good luck!

:hi:

[firedupdem]

15. Me since July of last year. Sucks and is very depressing. n/t

[Quantess]

17. Being out of work is naturally very depressing, yet you must maintain a positive attitude.

How does that work?

Or at the very least, you need to go through the motions of looking for work, and be your own cheerleader if/when you get an interview. But yes, it sucks.

Good luck to you! :hi:

[LostInAnomie]

19. I've been out of work for two and a half months.

I'm kind of lucky though because I'm just furloughed. I'll have a job to come back to when the economy picks up a little. Until then though, I'm squeezing every penny.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

20. me

and my dog

[Quantess]

22. So, get a sheep, then at least your dog gets to herd.

Bet your neighbors would like that. :)

[intheflow]

26. Does underemployed count?

I'm also spending a crazy amount of time applying for job, something with benefits would be nice, but honestly, I'd take any of the jobs I'm applying for. Not that I'm getting any interviews. :(

[Quantess]

30. That's how I feel, too.

The time spent on each "job interest" is a lot of time. Do you agree that most online job applications have major flaws and are user-unfriendly?


I have been underemployed for a few years, now. It was my voluntary decision to leave a high-demand health/education career back in 2005, and now I couldn't go back if I wanted to, because of licensing snafus. ASHA told me I would actually have to go back to graduate school, to return to the profession I left in 2005.

For now I'm unemployed.

[annonymous]

33. I have been unemployed since February.

There is virtually nothing in my field (clerical/secretarial) and I don't qualify for unemployment because I was at my last job for 5 months. I have looked a bit but very few jobs are even worth applying for. Some of the jobs require security clearances and I prefer to avoid that. Unfortunately, that's the type of job available in my area (Baltimore-Washington).

[Blue_Tires]

34. i'm grossly underemployed and looking....

[graywarrior]

37. I actually got two interviews from one place but they hired the other guy who is younger.

[Blue Diadem]

38. My husband is, since Feb.

and the job he was laid off from was paying 1/3 less than what he made before. In the last 10 yrs, he's been through 2 plant closings and a year of being unemployed and now this.

We're seeing the same thing with any jobs available and there aren't many here in Ohio. The pay is actually insulting.

[undeterred]

39. Employed, but at the lowest paying job I've ever had

in my field. So I am looking in my spare time. I just applied for something that pays $2.50 an hour more than I am making now, but its $3 an hour less than I got at my last job. Its awful out there.

[cherish44]

40. I'm underemployed

I make about $600 a month at my part time job. I work at a small publishing company, everyone is part time and either makes minimum wage or works on commission. No benefits. A couple months ago our receptionist told them she planned on leaving, wanted to find a job with more hours but she would stay on til they hired someone else. They ran an ad for her position, an 18 hours a week, minimum wage job. Some of the applicants included people with masters degrees who graduated magna cum laude, in fact 50% were from people who were highly educated former professional people who were willing to take a part time minimum wage job answering phones. Eventually the receptionist decided to stay on realizing she wasn't going to get another job in this economy. (We live in a very rural area...there's NOTHING). She did get more hours, our graphics person (basically a stoner kid who didn't show up most of the time) left so she was trained to do his job in addition to her receptionist duties. So twice the work, slightly more crappy pay. Just as a heads up, if I'm lucky enough to land a full time, minimum wage job answering phones I'm SO outta there! Seems there's a lot of writers and editors here looking for work. So if you're willing to live on $600 on month and live in Bumblefuck, it'll be golden opportunity for ya!