DU: How does YOUR Job situation look? (poll)

[FirstLight]

Just a little photograph of our economy , as it is reflected HERE...Our news reports are dismal, let's have some stories to make the numbers more personal.
I'd really lke to know your "industry/profession" too...

If you are not looking for work or have given up, do you have a plan B? training? relocating?

Please share!

[H2O Man]

1. Other.

Retired. But the employment options in my area are grim.

[EstimatedProphet]

2. Still working, for now

But the job ends within the year.

[Juneboarder]

3. Still working, but always on the watch...

I process loans for reverse mortgages and the number of loans has been down since the end of '07. There isn't enough staff for more layoffs, so the company would have to shut down if it came to that point.

[ogneopasno]

4. Other: I resigned from my newspaper job last August and am making almost as much as I did there by

freelancing.

[Cabcere]

5. Curently looking for work

I had an interview for a part-time position last week, and I'm still waiting to hear back about that. *crosses fingers*

I graduated in May with a degree in Anthropology, which is virtually useless at the Bachelor's level, but I don't have the funds or the focus to go to grad school at this point in time. I'm thinking about doing some volunteering at the local free clinic and maybe getting some training so I could be a medical office assistant or something like that, but again, I'm not really sure. :shrug:

[KG]

6. laid off. worked in housing industry. may take about 2 years before i'm working again

[doc03]

7. I have 38 years seniority and was

notified they are shutting our plant down in the next month. This will be the first time in over 200 years no steel furnaces will be operating in the Upper Ohio Valley. The Union is being overly optimistic saying things could pickup in April and May. I don't think we will restart this year and most steel analysts say the industry will improve little before 2011. I turn 62 in April 2010 and expect to go straight from unemployment to retirement myself, that is if I still have a pension coming. This will affect 1100 Union jobs plus an undetermined number of management positions.

http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/519879.html?nav=515

[madrchsod]

16. shutting down a 5 year old arc furnace make 0 sense at all

they should be buying all the scrap they can afford. at least it does`t take a lot of time to restart an electric arc furnace. when nws&w went under the new owner took less than 6 months to restart two furnaces. my brother in law was in charge of the shut down and then he was in charge of the restart....

[doc03]

19. Well actually it does make sense, we have mountains of iron

ore bought and paid for. What the company is trying to do do is preserve cash, we can use up that ore rather than buy scrap. We are also sitting on mountains of coke and have cut back the coke ovens as far as possible to keep them operating.

[MilesColtrane]

30. Maybe a silver lining in the rapidly deflating dollar.

Foreign steel's got to be getting more expensive to make and ship over here. Hopefully that means that your plant will be firing back up soon.

Got my fingers crossed for you.

[doc03]

32. Our company is owned by a Russian billionaire

he had 53000 employees in Russia and they are hurting even worse than us, it's bad worldwide. Bush not only screwed up the US he has screwed up the entire world.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. What is this "job" of which you speak?

When I feel the need to be kicked in the teeth, I go through the dehumanizing ritual of looking for work. Then I go back to free-lancing with greater appreciation.

[madrchsod]

9. my wife works in the mental health field

and i`m drawing my social security starting this month. our daughter is laid off until the auto industry goes back to work but she makes almost the same on unemployment as her 40 hr take home pay

[mnhtnbb]

21. Hubby works in mental health field. He's been laid off from one clinic

beginning end of Feb. Two other clinics are threatening imminent closure (he still hasn't been paid
for Dec from them). Thank goodness he started collecting social security last November.

We've adjusted our budget to reflect 3 days/week less income, adjusted for social security income.

Not in danger of missing the mortgage payments, but entering semi-retirement sooner than planned.

[boobooday]

10. Still working, knowing that layoffs are coming for sure

And I was the last one hired in my department. Gulp.

[RetailSlave]

11. Still working - barely....

getting about 15 hours a week combined from TWO jobs... But can't get unemployment, because I technically still have the jobs. If I quit, I can't get unemployment because I quit. So I go to the library a lot, where its warm, and look for a third job.

[FirstLight]

12. FWIW I gave up for the time being...

I am just going to have to up my ante by doing some training stuff. Thank GOD I am on Section 8 housing and have been signed up with the Job One center up here and they enrolled me in a Federal Program (WIA- Workforce Investment Act) They help younger "at risk kids" get training and get into the workforce, but they also help single mommies like me and others who may be undereducated to get training for better marketability.

I am getting enrolled in a program thru CSUSacramento for a certification. Hopefully by the time I am done, the mrket will have improved.
I figured what better time to get that schooling under my belt than when the economy is in the tank. I just hope I will be able to find something when I am done within a year...which seems really optimistic.
Part of the prep work is that I have to research the market that I am interested in (right now, labor relations, HR) and it is strange to ask about the job market in times like this!

[onehandle]

13. Let's put it this way... The client my job depends on got bail out money.

The whole thing has been shaky for over a year.

I keep my resume up to date and I'm reformatting my portfolio site.

[Betsy Ross]

14. Independent technical writer

Looking for full-time job or a few more clients. Very few hours billed for December and almost none in January. Where will the March mortgage payment come from?

[fasttense]

15. Laid off in June of last year

Still looking for a job. Prospects are dismal.

[Blue_Tires]

17. other: lost my job in november

got a much-lower paying job for now, but still looking for a better one

[Occam Bandage]

18. I'm a research assistant for a patent lawyer. I'm laid off come next week.

Downturn's hit my employer as well; he's putting his legal-history research on indefinite hold.

[Phoonzang]

20. Steady work, safe position, good benefits but.....

because of this economy I can't leave. I don't really like my job or where I live at all. So I've got to stay here while what's left of my 20's waste away and by the time I leave I'll be in my 30s probably still single. Great.

[Nay]

47. Same here, Phoon--safe job, good pay and bennies, but boy,

I don't like where I live and my job is less than appealing. But I'm in my 50s and have to retire from this job! It's now a matter of when -- at age 62, or will I have to do this until 66? And will my retirement money cover a damn thing? I fully realize there are a lot of ppl out there hurting and of course I consider myself lucky for what I have. But damn. I didn't really expect to have to spend so much time in my golden years working at something I have zero interest in.

[OhioChick]

22. IT field.....Job's hanging by a thread. n/t

[radfringe]

23. scary...

they've laid off more people in the production area

consolidated HR for region... the head HR guy in our plant is (as the memo put it) "..free to pursue other opportunities..."

our department is being moved down the road to another "smaller" building this week, work space have gone from 8'x8' cubicals to 4'x8' cow stalls

[JackDragna]

24. I'm a science teacher, so life is good.

I'm pretty well liked where I work and I'm an in-demand commodity. Granted, I make squat, but I'm happy.

[mnhtnbb]

25. Happiness is worth something!

[dusmcj]

26. layoffs currently in progress, fairly confined to specific divisions /nt

[IDemo]

27. Laid off as of Friday n/t

[MilesColtrane]

28. Freelance musician here.

There is less overall work now as compared to a year ago, and the higher paying jobs have evaporated leaving below-subsistence level wages.

The union contract I work under during the summer is up for renegotiation this year. Some luck, huh? Too bad we couldn't have timed that better.

The pit orchestra had already resigned ourselves to the fact that the entire structure of the contract was going to be changed.
Currently we receive a 12-16 week salary. (very similar to symphony employees, minus any health benefits)

The new contract will be on a strictly per-service basis. Also, I have a feeling that they're going to ask us for concessions on this, the last year of our current contract.

Not good.

I'll make less than $1,400 this month, and next month doesn't look much better. I'm starting to dip into my puny savings to get by.

I have no real plan B. If things got real bad, I guess I'd humbly ask to move in with my mom, or brother, but that would just kill me as I haven't had to ask for any help from them for over 25 years.

[RebelOne]

29. Still working, but doing more work with no more pay.

I'm a copy editor for outdoor publications. There were 3 copy editors including me. Just before Xmas, the company laid off the other 2. We publish 30 hunting and fishing magazines for most of the lower 48 states. Each of us did 10 apiece. Now, I am doing all 30. Well, at least I have job security for the time being. I think this company is going to go belly up in the near future. Nobody is buying advertising. That's where our revenue comes from. The money from the subscribers and newsstand sales is just a drop in the bucket.

[aceaser]

31. Still Working

People there are jobs at there. If it is not in you field, then at least get some type of job until your field opens up. I rather flip burgers than remain unemployed.

[Theres-a]

34. No one is suggesting otherwise. I'm series. nt

[Le Taz Hot]

37. LOL!

Excellent response. :rofl:

[Nay]

50. Good heavens, aceaser, could you possibly be any more illiterate? Jesus.

It's painful to read your stuff. Is this how you write at your workplace? God help us all.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

54. Welcome to DU, aceaser.

[TwilightGardener]

33. Other: hours cut down dramatically, finally quit last summer, not immediately looking for work

right now.

edit to add: If I need to, I can always pull my nursing license out of "inactive" and find work.

[FSogol]

35. My company is actually hiring, unlike other similar firms around us. n/t

[Nay]

51. I have noticed that here in VA the recession/depression has yet to

hit anywhere near as hard as it has elsewhere. House prices haven't fallen much if at all, but that may be because they didn't go nuts in the first place (except in NoVA). Is that your take on it, too, FSogol? I can't say I love living here (I'm in Richmond), but hell, Mr Nay and I still have jobs and the semblance of a future.

[FSogol]

60. Yup, you are correct. Plus the State didn't go wild with spending during

the upturn so we are better off than many states. *Knock on wood*

[Coyote_Bandit]

36. Other

:rant:

Long-term unemployed. Single female, 40 something, well-educated with history of significant job responsibilities. My only loyalties are to myself and my family.

Looking for work - though I've determined that I am largely unemployable based on the now well over a thousand rejection letters I have received.

Doing what I can to bring in cash - which means that desk in the spare bedroom that does not generate enough income to pay basic living expense represents job creation. It also means that my assets, savings and retirement funds are being rapidly depleted.

Working to acquire blue collar portable skills working with tangible stuff that represents real prodctivity. Labor is a global commodity so maybe I can go to another country to earn a livlihood. I'm convinced there are far better opportunities elsewhere. The prospect of third world health care really doesn't bother me since I have not seen a medical doctor (optometrist and dentist excluded) here in the US for any reason in over a decade.

I have very little hope that my personal circumstances will improve anytime in the forseeable future. I am living the American nightmare - and there is no comfort in knowing that there are many others who share my circumstances.

My personal experience tells me that all the concern over unemployment statistics has little effect in actually helping the people behind the numbers who are most directly impacted by those job losses.

If we had any sense of national community then folks would shop at Mom and Pop stores instead of big box stores (and that includes that large online retailers) and they would buy US manufactured goods - including cars. The fact that most folks don't indicates that many (not all) are selfish, greedy, ignorant and uncaring how their choices impact others - and that it an indication of a lack of community. It also indicates that far too many are ignorant of the distinction between value and cost.

:rant:

[sohndrsmith]

67. sadly - circumstances shared here (waves hand in cameraderie!) : )

I know, there is little to smile about. This year has been the worst for me, and it's tough just to find the positive things to keep going.

I can truly empathize... really. My jaw dropped when I read your post - your experience has so many similarities to mine it's uncanny.



((((hugs))))

[justabob]

38. looking for work

but it is problematic (aside from the economy). I can no longer work in my industry (restaurants) because I have been suffering back problems since Thanksgiving. I got a job, but found I couldn't do it. This is the first time I have not been able to work through the pain. I can't stay on my feet more than an hour or two, and bending, lifting etc is definitely out. All of my experience has involved physical work, so I don't know what to do. I continue to put out apps for office work, but with little experience I haven't gotten any calls. I have been trying to think of something I could do at home or online, but aside from the shady deals we have all seen, there is nothing. I suppose disability is an option, but I don't even know how to start that process. If I had any money, I'd finish my bachelors degree, but that is impossible now too. I am very scared.

[kentauros]

39. Still working.

Our company has only "lost" one contract from it being put on hold due to the economy. The rest are still in the works, so plenty of work coming for this year and several years after. This company is tiny, too, less than a dozen people, though they have been talking about expanding in anticipation of the coming contracts.

I haven't gone out looking in the market here lately (Houston) but if the pipeline industry isn't hurting so much, perhaps it's time for another mass-immigration to Houston, y'all ;) Just research it and see what kind of openings are out there. Most companies here hire through contract employers.

I work as a pipeline design mapper. It requires experience in AutoCAD Civil 3D, though I also have experience in ESRI ArcGIS and some piping design. It's specialized work, so retraining in AutoCAD is a first step. The energy industry here employs people in many fields and it's not the only major business in town, either, just the primary one.

[FirstLight]

40. Wow, I had no idea what I would get when posting this...

ALL our stories are to be read & re-read, so that each of us can understand what every angle of this crisis looks like. It is affecting ALL of us, even those who are employed. Save a very few, most of us are underemployed or unemployed....just hanging on...

(as am I, freelancing - I only have one regular client, and she has scaled back so far I am only seeing about %40 a week. My secretarial job at my church - dried up, no money. ...so I am familiar with many of your stories as well...)

I mentioned the program I found out about and got picked up by for a reason. These are sometimes little-lknown programs that only get reccomended to the "movers & shakers" of the social services crowd. I have been through the system a couple short term periods in my life, and been assisted with housing for the last 5 years, but only THIS time did my worker send me to the Job Onestop, and get me signed up for the WIA program. (JustaBob, I swear, go to your local jobone stop, or EDD office, aply for disability, and ask them about training or job rehabilitation. With restaruant expoerience, if you got a quickie certificate in Restaurant Mgmt, you could move out of the physical part of your knowledge, and still be employable...just a thought)

I also agree with the threory and attitude that these problems are ultimately a COMMUNITY ISSUE. How great that we have a freaking Community Organizer" as our Pres? Keep your eyes peeled for these programs, get involved with the boys & girls club, the local shelter, write grants...there are way to teach ourslves what we need right here online. We just have to find a passion and se how we can best 'serve' eachother. Cooperative Comunity will be the thing that "saves" us, if anything. I firmly believe that too.

Thank for sharing your stories, lets keep the faith that we can bring something great out of this shambles of an economy
:grouphug:

[chaska]

41. FEWER hours. Please, it's 'fewer'.

[Lisa0825]

42. Got laid off 3 months ago, started a better job 3 weeks ago!

What a relief!

[Iggo]

43. Working...shaky.

I work in the office of an HVAC distributor in SoCal.

We are almost totally dependent on the construction industry.

People are getting laid off. I used to be an Estimator. Now I'm an Estimator/Bid Desk Coordinator/Submittal Coordinator.

I assume that since they are piling the duties of the laid-off people on me that I'll be one of the last to go...but that's a BIG assumption. Also, what happens if I get laid-off AFTER California runs out of Unemployment Insurance money. These things concern me. But there's not a hell of a lot I can do about them right now.

[marions ghost]

44. plan B

Found religion and conduct online ministry. True believers will ignite their hopes and smite their enemies. This religion will be based on the Gospel According to Flying Pig. Site coming soon.

[Blue_In_AK]

45. I've been self-employed since 2000,

and I'm semi-retired at this point since I just started getting social security a couple of months ago. I've cut way back on my work hours for reasons not related to the downturn.

[azmouse]

46. I gave up looking when

I discovered I could no long find jobs now that paid what I used to earn 20 years ago.

[bigwillq]

48. Still working but

the company is struggling.

[jane_pippin]

49. I will be unemployed in 2 months.

The company I work for is going out of business so I'm trying like mad to find something else before they close for good. My husband works for them too, so we'll pretty much be screwed in short order if one or both of us can't find something else before the close date.

Yay. :eyes:

[MsTryska]

52. Working, Looking for work.

I'm laid off come feb 11th. need something in place by Feb 16th.

[cynatnite]

53. Working, but worried...

They are laying off in the trucking industry from what we've heard.

NBC Nightly News said no field is safe. That worries me even more because the field I am currently studying because of it's stability...isn't as stable as I thought.

[ACTION BASTARD]

55. Still working-- bless state civil service

I work in a forensic psych hospital for the criminally insane. Less than 0 chance of getting laid off. Almost 14yrs seniority and there's almost no way they could operate this facility safely without us. And, we STILL need people.

To contribute, take any and all civil service test that open up. The state does a lot of inside hiring/promotion that could lead from a "lower" job to a better job in a totally different field. You just got to swallow you pride and get your foot inside...somehow.

[deutsey]

56. Still working and I hate my goddam , dysfunctional, waste-of-life, fucked up, shitty job.

And yet, with all the layoffs, in a sick, perverse kind of way, I'm grateful that I can still pay the mortgage and feed the kids.

[MadMaddie]

57. I find out on Friday if I have a job!

sigh..

[Amerigo Vespucci]

58. Self-employed, selling my ASS off, and SPITTING in the eye of the recession

I'm a sole proprietor, which means I am also my sales force.

There's a word for people who hide under a rock and shiver: "cowards."

It might mean working twice as hard, three times harder, ten times harder, I dunno...

...but the only thing that's gonna take me down is a bullet between my baby blues. SCREW the recession, SCREW the economy's "armchair quarterbacks."

"WORST ECONOMY SINCE THE DEPRESSION?"

I refuse to accept that.

:rant:

[notesdev]

63. Even in the Depression

There were still fortunes to be made. As will continue to be the case here.

[MrSlayer]

59. We have over 400 out of work in our Union.

And it's only going to get worse. Until President Obama comes through with the money to build new Federal buildings it's going to be a tough ride. I'm a construction electrician. All the trades are hurting right now.

[fizzgig]

61. other

i lost my job early last year, i'm severely under-employed and gods know when i'm going to find real work.

[notesdev]

62. Mine looks excellent

But I saw this economic disaster coming a lot sooner than most people did. I got myself a long-term contract with the federal government, the one organization you can be assured is not going to cut any jobs and is not going to stop spending money.

[Serial Mom]

64. Probable layoff in June when School District closes a school!

Not high enough on seniority list in union job to hold on... 4 from school that closes will have option for 1 job first, then if/when that is taken, my job is next...

[seabeyond]

65. but no pay raise for drastic increase in cost of living. used hubby cause my job secure,

stay at home.

hubby will keep his job, but the company just had a major hurt come their way. lost a 3 million dollar a year guaranteed account. they had been sitting pretty forever. now he is worried.

[Hamlette]

66. my job has never been more secure (knock on wood) I work at the state unemployment office

and I cannot tell you how frightening this recession has been. We have never seen anything like it. It is so depressing. But at least I have work.

[Shiver]

68. Working, with fewer scheduled hours

Part-time grocery stocking/cashiering. Most weeks I get called in on one or two of my nights off, so I usually end up with 32 hours by the end of the week.

Unfortunately, they're closing the Nakoma store (west side location; I work on the east side) and a bunch of their people are coming over to us. I have a small amount of seniority for grocery, but if they bring in a cashier with more than me who is willing to work nights, there go half my hours.

And actually, they have half-started with that; girl from Nakoma was working last night until midnight, putting me in grocery for two hours until she left. Real freakin' cute, though, and laughed at all my stupid jokes...

[TWiley]

69. The same thing happens when a MORON runs a lemonaid stand.

Absolute and total devastation !