Just Pondering: I have questions about jobs/unemployment.

[Jenny in Florida]

[Deleted . . . with apologies]

[Lucy the Valiant]

In my area of the country & social circles, yes, there are LOTS of people who are looking for jobs and cannot find them. Jobs like software development, middle management (specifically of engineering departments & manufacturing), IT (specific variations), etc. We personally know several people (30's, 40's, 50's) who went to college for reasonable degrees, have worked successfully in their fields, and are now unemployed. And many of our working friends go to work each day with the Damocles' sword of pending layoffs hanging over their heads.

 

When they apply for jobs they are over-qualified for, they are often turned down (even though they are MORE than willing to take a "lower" job) because the "lower" jobs are afraid that the over-qualified guys will leave at first chance.

 

 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I've been wondering this same thing myself. A friend of mine (A) was talking about another mutual friend (B ), who is a career server at a nice restaurant. B was taking about this new wave of young college graduates who were working in the restaurant at the time, and how impossible it was for them to find jobs, let alone jobs in their fields, and how discouraged they were, and how we've been sold a bill of goods about college degrees and how our future generations are all screwed, etc. But then, in discussing the same young adults, she expressed how horrified she was at the way these kids talked about their casual and regular drug use (hard stuff, not just pot), their irresponsibility on the job, their casual sexual exploits (and I'm no prude, believe me!), etc. It really made me wonder about what the reality is. 

 

I know one person who has been looking for a job for over a year and hasn't found anything, and I know one who was laid off and found another--though I believe slightly lower-paying--position before his severance even ran out. Outside of that, I don't know much other that what the news tells us, so I'm  :lurk5:  as well. 

[BlsdMama]

We just came back to the Midwest after four years on the West coast. One of the things we noticed was the lack of jobs. We knew many families who were underemployed. And one of the oddest things we noticed was that you simply didn't see " Help Wanted" signs. In the Midwest, or at least here, you see them in the paper, at fast food joints, gas stations, etc. We just really never saw them in Oregon.

 

However, recently a very large employer here laid off almost 500 people with no expected return date. They expect more lay-offs to to come. These jobs were manufacturing jobs, mostly with folks that don't have extended trading or education outside of workplace training. It was very good play with excellent health benefits. They will not be able to find jobs like these and stay in this area. :(

 

However, I also know DH recently updated his resume online, as a matter of course, not because he's looking, and he was contacted within a day by a head hunter for a company similar to the one he currently works for. He isn't interested and didn't pursue it, but I suspect at any given time it depends on the market. He works with aero mfg. and their company experienced difficulty after 9/11. Whereas the company that is laying off now is ag related. With the price of corn what it is right now, farmers aren't in the mood to buy equipment.

[Laura Corin]

What we ran into specifically was a problem getting a job in Husband's mid to late fifties.  The jobs that he was qualified for were going to younger people; because of changing country, he didn't have the track record for more senior jobs; more junior jobs were not offered to him because they assumed he would be too expensive/would not stay long.  After three years of applying for jobs and networking (including moving down to London) he is now picking up consulting work tangentially related to his previous career, but is still earning a small fraction of his previous salary.  We are grateful for what he has been able to find, but it has been hard for him.  Money is not reliable - he is working 'on spec' in some cases, and the money isn't always forthcoming.  The government here is talking airily about people working well into their 60s.  That's fine - he's in pretty good health - but if the jobs aren't there....

 

My own experience is somewhat different: I took the first job that came along (one that no one else wanted as it paid too little whilst still preventing you from having the time to take another job; at the time Husband was still working, so the very low salary was not key).  When it came to looking for a better job - most people on the computer refresher course that I took seemed to find jobs within a year or so.  The exception - again - was the oldest woman on the course, who finally gave up applying and volunteers in a charity (thrift) shop.

 

ETA: two and a half years ago, when I was doing the computer course, others in the same building were doing basic back to work courses (writing a CV, turning up on time, presenting yourself well at interview, coping with bank accounts).  Those people, with very little education and often a history of abuse or victimisation, were applying for job after job - there was always someone more obvious for even the simplest job.

 

L

[Loowit]

When DH lost his job a few years ago, he had a new one in about a month.  It was hard at first to find anything because of the area we live in.  DH is in a high tech industry and there just isn't much in the area we live in, once he started looking outside our area he found a job pretty quickly.  However, it took him almost two years to find a job in the area we live in, so he lived out of town and was only home on weekends until then.  If he were to lose his job now, it is pretty much a given that we would need to move in order for him to find another job in a reasonable time frame.  But we are fortunate that DH has a good skill set in a specialized field.

 

There are many people in our area that have looked for jobs for years and just can't find anything.  I have a friend who has a college degree and teacher's certificate and has been looking for a full time position for years.  She works as a sub pretty regularly, but can't get anything full time.  I can think of a lot of others that have had a very hard time getting a job in the area that they studied or really anything.  Part of the problem in our area is that it was built around the timber industry that is now dying.  We don't have the infrastructure to support jobs, especially jobs that pay a living wage.  I fully expect that my children will need to move out of the area to get a job when they graduate.

[LibraryLover]

nm

[CAmomof4]

We are at the other end of the picture.  DH is GM for our company, and we have been desperately trying to grow for the last 4 years, even though the recession hit our industry very hard.  We have been trying and TRYING to hire people and have had very little success.  These are average to above-average paying jobs with good benefits, for a company that has been around 50+ years.  We hardly get any applicants, and the ones who do apply, are very young with no experience.

 

We're in southern Cal. by the way.

[Spryte]

We are at the other end of the picture.  DH is GM for our company, and we have been desperately trying to grow for the last 4 years, even though the recession hit our industry very hard.  We have been trying and TRYING to hire people and have had very little success.  These are average to above-average paying jobs with good benefits, for a company that has been around 50+ years.  We hardly get any applicants, and the ones who do apply, are very young with no experience.

 

We're in southern Cal. by the way.

 

We are in the same place.  DH has had a terrible time filling positions in his company - excellent company, excellent benefits (truly, I am talking about amazing benefits - from fully paid health coverage for entire families to 4 weeks of vacation from the start - I think those are good, right?).  But the applicants are few and far between and either woefully inexperienced or they don't  follow up for the interviews.  So many no shows.  It's bizarre.  We are in the DC area.

[Laura Corin]

 So I guess when I look at all of these underemployed graduates, I have to wonder how seriously they went about it.....

 

The young person whose story I know best is my niece.  She has a degree in English, but what has got her her first job is her Youtube channel, which she has been pursuing since she was sixteen. She was taken on by a large charity to manage their social media presence - I think that the degree gave the charity reassurance that she was bright, could manage her time, and could persevere.  It was her online presence that got her the job, however.

 

L

[G5052]

Yes, we know several recent graduates in engineering  and computer science who have no jobs. And we live in a metropolitan area that has been somewhat buffered from the worst of the downturn.

 

They have no experience though, so once again I reminded DH that we may have to finance internships/co-op jobs for ours.  And we can't expect them to graduate in four years because of that.  

 

It was that way though when I graduated from college years ago, even for STEM fields.  My summer employer hired me in as a research assistant with the promise of writing a staff job for me. That was all I could get. And they did bring me into a professional position after four months, and I worked for them a total of ten years. Two others with the same degrees (math/computer science) that graduated at the same time never did get a job in the IT field.  One went back to school to become a math teacher, and the other went into sales for a construction firm.

 

[bzymom]

Dh's has been unemployed for a year. He has a post grad degree, and is a CPA as well. He spends hours each day sending resumes and networking.

 

We know several others in similar circumstances. It is terrible.

[City Mouse]

I live in a mostly rural area in the southwest several hours from anything remotely large enough to be called a city. Historically, this area has been ranching/agricultural along with logging and mining. Those are jobs that used to make people a livable wage with no college education. Now, logging is gone and the mines are closed. Ranching is big business, but needs less people due to technology improvements. Mostly now, there are minimum wage service type jobs. On dog the best employers for people with no college is the local prison. It is understaffed and always looking for new employees-$15 hr to start no experience needed with paid training, good benefits, and lots of overtime pay. Unfortunately, may of the younger people can't meet the qualifications to be hired - a clean drug test and no ore that two DUI convictions. Those are not high standards, but...

 

There are higher paid jobs are for very specific skill sets that usually require an outside person to move in.

[Mrs Mungo]

We are in the same place. DH has had a terrible time filling positions in his company - excellent company, excellent benefits (truly, I am talking about amazing benefits - from fully paid health coverage for entire families to 4 weeks of vacation from the start - I think those are good, right?). But the applicants are few and far between and either woefully inexperienced or they don't follow up for the interviews. So many no shows. It's bizarre. We are in the DC area.

How are the HR people recruiting? Are these jobs management or ground level type of jobs? Is pay a significant factor (DC and CA are both high CoL areas)? I am just curious. We know several people job hunting right now upon leaving the military. It seems hit and miss for them.

[mom2samlibby]

Pretty much everyone in our area is hiring.  I can't go into a place of business, to the mall, or drive down the street without seeing a now hiring sign.  I can think of at least 30+ places that are hiring and have been for the past 6 months.  There are not enough workers here to fill the positions.  I live in the midwest.  It baffles me to hear of people being out of work, when there are so many openings in our town.  However, I live in a farming community and the price of corn is down right now, so there is one employer that makes farm equipment that has laid some people off.  Farmers are not buying expensive equipment right now.  

 

 

[Spryte]

How are the HR people recruiting? Are these jobs management or ground level type of jobs? Is pay a significant factor (DC and CA are both high CoL areas)? I am just curious. We know several people job hunting right now upon leaving the military. It seems hit and miss for them.

 

They are using online job search services - not monster, but something newer, I think?  I can't remember at the moment.  :blushing:   The positions DH has had trouble filling are mostly support type positions that move quickly into project management.  The pay is fine for a single person for the area, according to what we've read, but would be tight for a family on one income.  What would make up for it would probably be the fully funded insurance, I'd think, and most in our area are 2 income families anyway.  

[Tess in the Burbs]

It took dh 18 months to change jobs.  And we know others in the same situation.  highly skilled, good employees unable to make a job change.  We actually found lots of places are interviewing but not really hiring.  It was a waste of our time and it's just wrong really.   Interestingly, one job dh had to turn down b/c they were not offering enough salary/benefits....called him last week b/c they had never filled the position after all.....and hoped he still was looking and they could talk more money now.  LOL  Dh enjoyed telling them he took a job on the west coast and was happily employed.  It's sad that this company could come up with a little more money back then b/c we wouldn't have moved so far away!!!

 

I know for us, we were willing to take a little less money for a better situation.  But we still wanted medical benefits.  And we were willing to move ourselves.  Patience paid off. 

 

But yes, lots of good people are looking and can't get hired.  

[vonfirmath]

Pretty much everyone in our area is hiring.  I can't go into a place of business, to the mall, or drive down the street without seeing a now hiring sign.  I can think of at least 30+ places that are hiring and have been for the past 6 months.  There are not enough workers here to fill the positions.  I live in the midwest.  It baffles me to hear of people being out of work, when there are so many openings in our town.  However, I live in a farming community and the price of corn is down right now, so there is one employer that makes farm equipment that has laid some people off.  Farmers are not buying expensive equipment right now.  

 

My husband fills out applications all over town, checks online everyday for new jobs to apply to. He's not great at networking, but he is trying. He works every tax season for H&R Block but other than that has been unable to find a job with 2 bachelors in Economics and Math and a Masters in Math. All of his experience (Except for two years as a TA in graduate school) is retail.

[Crimson Wife]

Many employers will not hire someone who is not currently employed. There is especially a stigma against those who have been out for 6+ months. It is super-frustrating when the headhunters' calls come pouring in when the individual is employed but then dry up when the individual is actually looking for a new position. It's like the old stereotype that having a girlfriend/wife makes the guy more attractive to other ladies.

[poppy]

Pretty much everyone in our area is hiring. I can't go into a place of business, to the mall, or drive down the street without seeing a now hiring sign. I can think of at least 30+ places that are hiring and have been for the past 6 months. There are not enough workers here to fill the positions. I live in the midwest. It baffles me to hear of people being out of work, when there are so many openings in our town. However, I live in a farming community and the price of corn is down right now, so there is one employer that makes farm equipment that has laid some people off. Farmers are not buying expensive equipment right now.

When I was unemployed I passed many 'now hiring ' signs without a glance. I have 15 years experience in large corporate. I would not take a job that pays a quarter of what I'd been making while making me pay for childcare and taking time away from the job hunt. I think that is reasonable.

[HSmomof2]

In my area of the country & social circles, yes, there are LOTS of people who are looking for jobs and cannot find them. Jobs like software development, middle management (specifically of engineering departments & manufacturing), IT (specific variations), etc. We personally know several people (30's, 40's, 50's) who went to college for reasonable degrees, have worked successfully in their fields, and are now unemployed. And many of our working friends go to work each day with the Damocles' sword of pending layoffs hanging over their heads.

 

When they apply for jobs they are over-qualified for, they are often turned down (even though they are MORE than willing to take a "lower" job) because the "lower" jobs are afraid that the over-qualified guys will leave at first chance.

 

It's like this in my area as well.

[carriede]

Dh's has been unemployed for a year. He has a post grad degree, and is a CPA as well. He spends hours each day sending resumes and networking.

 

We know several others in similar circumstances. It is terrible.

Sounds like my brother, who is a civil engineer. He's been on at least 50 interviews in the past year, but there are so many applicants and they can only pick one. He seems to end up as one of the finalists for most of them, but never quite makes it.

 

He's now living with my mother working part time at Walmart and continuing the job search. This was after being on his own for 10 years (no family).

[mom2samlibby]

When I was unemployed I passed many 'now hiring ' signs without a glance. I have 15 years experience in large corporate. I would not take a job that pays a quarter of what I'd been making while making me pay for childcare and taking time away from the job hunt. I think that is reasonable.

 

How would you know what positions they are hiring for with out inquiring?  I know several of these are for management positions.

 

I guess some of that I don't understand.  If you are unemployed, you are making no money at all.  Isn't it better to be making some money than no money?  I also thought that employers looked more favorably at someone that was working at any job than someone that is unemployed.  

[poppy]

How would you know what positions they are hiring for with out inquiring?  I know several of these are for management positions.

 

I guess some of that I don't understand.  If you are unemployed, you are making no money at all.  Isn't it better to be making some money than no money?  I also thought that employers looked more favorably at someone that was working at any job than someone that is unemployed.  

 

I typically make $40/hour. That rate is hard to find outside of big corporate or specialized contracting.

Managing a store or small business won't help an established professional.  "They won't hire someone who isn't working" means "They won't hire someone who doesn't have current coworkers I can check with--who passed all the vetting--who was chosen to be hired by a manager within the profession over other qualified candidates".    Retail or non-white-collar work won't hurt, but it won't make a bit of difference.

[KRG]

I'm looking for a job and have had no luck. I thought I had one, second interview, all went well and at the last minute they went with someone else.  I have a degree and work experience but it's been almost 7 years since I've worked.  I'm not even getting interviews anymore, even Target turned me down without an interview...  It's frustrating.  I don't need the job for us to survive but it would make some major purchases we have coming up a lot easier.

[Carrie12345]

My husband hasn't been out of work, but he's always been able to change jobs/companies with relative ease and salary increases.

When his previous company was sold last year, he didn't exactly struggle to find a job, but he had to settle for a 30% pay cut and private health insurance.

His career is based in NYC.

 

My mother had a long period of unemployment and eventually settled for a 50% salary decrease.  She's in the Atlanta area.

[Mrs Mungo]

How would you know what positions they are hiring for with out inquiring? I know several of these are for management positions.

 

I guess some of that I don't understand. If you are unemployed, you are making no money at all. Isn't it better to be making some money than no money? I also thought that employers looked more favorably at someone that was working at any job than someone that is unemployed.

Because retail management jobs don't pay the $75-$100k that many people make working at the corporate level. And if you take that sort of job, then it looks like you should be grateful to receive any corporate job at all, even if they only offer you half of what you're worth.

 

Such a job would also take away from job hunting for a better job. That requires adjusting you resume, networking, being available for conferences, interviews, webinars, etc.

[Laura Corin]

  Retail or non-white-collar work won't hurt, but it won't make a bit of difference.

 

It could hurt.  If husband had taken a lower level position, then he could have damaged his CV, making himself look like the-kind-of-person-no-one-wants-to-hire-and-who-has-to-take-a-job-stacking-shelves.  And he would not have been available for interview.  

 

If you have any way to avoid it (we had savings and a small income from a rental property) you don't want to look desperate if applying for professional jobs.

 

L

[elegantlion]

My situation is a bit unique as I'm a full time college student. I could not find employment this summer. I put in at least a dozen applications at places that were hiring temporary workers, I had 4 interviews and no call backs. I think I started the search too late (like April) and will need to start earlier next year. I also live 30 minutes from a real city. It was not cost effective to find part time work for minimum wage in those cities as I'd spend my wages in gas. I did put in a few full time application in those towns, but no call backs. 

 

What I've found in our town of about 10k is that those entry level jobs are going to people who know the right person. We don't have those connections here. 

 

Before we split, my  ex was underemployed. He was working at a job making the same wage he'd made over a decade ago. We were barely making it then, this time, it knocked us into near the poverty level. 

[poppy]

It could hurt. If husband had taken a lower level position, then he could have damaged his CV, making himself look like the-kind-of-person-no-one-wants-to-hire-and-who-has-to-take-a-job-stacking-shelves. And he would not have been available for interview.

 

If you have any way to avoid it (we had savings and a small income from a rental property) you don't want to look desperate if applying for professional jobs.

 

L

Oh I definitely wouldn't put it on a resume.,I wouldn't hide it if it came up during an interview, but, I wouldn't consider it part of my professional life.

 

I do understand unemployment numbers are definitely more dire for hs graduates than they are for mid-level or high -level professionals. And have been for years.

[gaillardia]

I have been sending out my resume, having interviews for more than 18 mos. and finally through a connection, may have a job this week.

Good thing too, my dh just lost his job.

Why I am not sought after: not currently employed and have been a SAHM most of my life and am now....older. I did have a great interview with a staffing agency recently that treated me with dignity and respect.

 

 

[Lisbeth]

I hope those passing jobs by that are unworthy of them aren't drawing unemployment while doing that. It isn't just about having a good resume; it's also about putting food on the table.

[Laura Corin]

I hope those passing jobs by that are unworthy of them aren't drawing unemployment while doing that. It isn't just about having a good resume; it's also about putting food on the table.

Thank you for your kind thoughts. Husband did not take any unemployment benefits during the three years he spent looking for a job.

 

Eta: if husband had stacked shelves and not been available for interview for better paid work, we would have ended up permanently eligible for low income benefits. Instead we lived frugally on savings and waited while he searched for an opportunity that allowed him to support the family. Meanwhile I also changed job and took on more hours. And I don't see anything unworthy in stacking shelves. It is just not always the best strategy.

 

L

[Mergath]

Where I live, everyone is hiring.  Back during the height of the recession, there was nothing.  It was a nightmare for people looking for work.  Now though, everywhere you go there are help wanted signs, and the newspaper is filled with ads for manufacturing jobs like the one dh has that provide full benefits and pay 40k to 50k a year once you have a couple years in, and with our low COL here, that's a decent amount for a family.  If we put dd in school and I worked, we'd be quite comfortable, and dh doesn't have any college at all, just a high school diploma.

 

It varies so much from area to area though, that it's hard to get an overall idea of the country's employment situation.

[LucyStoner]

Lisbeth- most of those "now hiring" retail and service job signs? They aren't generally anymore interested in a experienced mid-career professional with multiple degrees than the experienced professional is in them. I have a lot of friends, who for various reasons have tried to get those jobs (usually intentionally rather than unemployment/desperation) and been rejected again and again, because they are overqualified. Retail and restaurant employers generally want people with recent job history at that level. I am not qualified to be a barista anymore than I would be able to work for that level wage if I wanted to fully support my family (if I were retuning to work.)

 

I am fortunate to have as much contract work as I want (which isn't much since I am home with my kids) in the $35-40/hour range. But if I went across the street to the grocery store to get a $10/hr job they would undoubtably pass me over for someone with retail experience and a salary history in line with their pay.

[Tap]

I hope those passing jobs by that are unworthy of them aren't drawing unemployment while doing that. It isn't just about having a good resume; it's also about putting food on the table.

Wow, Either I am reading this as incredibly harsh or that was a really rude comment.

 

People pay into unemployment evey day that they work.  It is a benefit of living in this country.  

[AimeeM]

Well, if you're ABLE to work *any* job, for any amount of money, there is plenty of jobs here... but I do think it's prudent to realize that this simply isn't an option for many people. Working a full time minimum wage job, for a degree holding professional with years of experience who was, say, laid off, takes away any real time that they have to look for jobs elsewhere, keeping in mind that position openings in those fields aren't just "come in and fill out an application" type positions. When my husband was interviewing for his engineering contracts or positions, they often required 3+ interviews, some last minute, some at odd times last minute, and some required travel - while we were certainly struggling after the lay off, him taking *any* job would have put us in a decidedly WORSE position - long term. There is no way he could have interviewed for those positions, or the one he ultimately landed, if he had been wedded to a minimum wage *anything* job daily.

I know many people in positions similar to the one we were in. 

[AimeeM]

I hope those passing jobs by that are unworthy of them aren't drawing unemployment while doing that. It isn't just about having a good resume; it's also about putting food on the table.

No. It's about being able to take care of one's self and family LONG TERM. Those "anything" jobs provide the temporary ability to *maybe* put food on the table, but could ultimately hinder that person's ability to provide for their family long term - when wedded to such a low paying position, you have little to no time to actually interview for positions "worthy" (read: in their professional field). 

And I say this as a die-hard conservative. My husband paid into unemployment for over 20 years. If he needs to dip into it for a period of time, we have no qualms about doing so.

[bzymom]

Retailers don't have any interest in interviewing, hiring and training someone who is obviously walking out the door as soon as a position that allows them a livable wage is offered to them.

 

And Unemployment benefits have put food on the tables of hard-working people who have been left out of work through no fault of their own. It lasts 6 months. Job searches often take much longer, even for diligent searchers. I have ZERO guilt taking the 26-weeks of benefits we received after paying into the fund since we were teenagers. And if they extend it again while he is searching, we will be grateful for it as my salary after many years as a SAHM is a fraction of his.

 

Compassion is free. Let us all use it abundantly.

[Mom2OandE]

My brother and a friend live in Wi and both have been unemployed since Dec 2012. They cannot find anything. They both apply for jobs daily andes no calls. Even fast food, Goodwill, etc. My brother hadno degree but was a supervisor in a warehouse for ten years when he was laid off. He'd been there 15 total. My friend has a masters degree in math. She had one 90 day temp job that paid $9/hour doing data entry. It's rough for them. He's being supported by family and she and her kids lost their home, are living in HUD housing and the only income is child support which her ex stopped paying for seven months.

 

My hubby lost his job early June. He's a pilot with more than 20 years experience. He isn't hearing from anyone. He took a less than ideal job because unemployment is running out in December and by the time he finishes training (and he begins getting paid) we will be in our last couple weeks. We had to empty our retirement to survive. There wasn't a huge amount because we went through this 8 years ago and 10 years ago. Both times we cashed out our retirement. We are starting over at the bottom both in pay and scheduling.

[kewb]

Before dh became disabled he was starting to experience ageism. We have a few friends living it. In the eyes of thre employer experienced workers cost too much.

[Rosie_0801]

Hiring processes can be very strange. My ex worked at a computer tech at the deaf school while he finished his teacher of the deaf qualification. He knew and was liked by the staff, the students and the contractors. He knew the system and could sign. The computer teacher was retiring the next year so everyone thought the job would go to him. Unfortunately he didn't interview well (whatever that means) so the job went to someone else who couldn't even sign and they had to also hire and interpreter for her. I don't suppose I'll ever understand how that made sense.

[6packofun]

We live in the Midwest and dh lost his job several years ago.  He worked for a (then) major local wireless communications company after working for Airtouch which became Verizon.  He did not have a degree then, but many years of experience and upward movement in that industry.  Then he lost his job.

 

We were on unemployment for a few months until he could find a couple part-time jobs.  It was a long season of over 7 years of major underemployment that ended just a few months ago.  He worked part-time jobs along with *volunteering* at a children's hospital doing video editing/production, which was his main area of interest and talent.  After many months of that he was hired PART-time at the hospital.  After a year, I think, of that, he was finally hired full-time and worked, very underpaid but with benefits, etc. for almost 6 years.  For one of those years I homeschooled and worked part-time, too, and it was really tough.

 

During that time he went back to school and got a Computer Science degree.  The combination of that degree AND his experience in such a variety of areas helped him to get his current job of Video Designer with a very nice software company here in Cleveland.  It is an excellent job and we can see how every aspect of his struggle really MEANT something in order for him to get where he is now.  BUT, in my opinion, his pay is still mediocre for a family of our size.  Dh is one of the older people at the company and he is 42.  lol  I worry about that, but he has already made a name for himself at the company and it's easing my mind a bit.  :)  It has been a long struggle and when I still have trouble finding the money for our school materials, it's difficult to say we've "arrived".  :p

[stripe]

I am not going to get into my family's personal situation, after I was accused of being almost deranged a couple years ago for suggesting people have trouble getting jobs, which was very upsetting to me, but I will say {deleted}

[Wheres Toto]

In the year or two before I started my current position - the first professional level job I've had in 8 years - I worked for a local grocery store and Target.  I didn't put either on my resume.  My parents watched the kids so I didn't have to pay for childcare (and I did a lot of evening hours anyway) so it was worth it for the extra money.

 

My company has been trying to hire a bunch of people recently.  We are getting a lot of people who really have no clue.  A medical writer that didn't capitalize anything on her job application, someone who came high on something, showing up late, really bizarre resumes.  It's been pretty crazy.   Many of these positions require a PhD.

 

Dd had multiple offers for a job when she was looking for a retail job.  She currently works for Target, makes over $9 an hour and has extremely flexible hours.  Not bad for a college student.   Retail jobs and any other service jobs are generally not hard to find around here.  The pay will be slightly higher than minimum wage but not much.

 

Dh was laid off three years ago.  He started his own company and it's been up and down (which is why I now work full time).  He did apply for a few full time positions in his industry and was almost hired twice.  He's mainly been doing consulting within his industry with some success.  He is older (58) which doesn't seem to be as much of a factor in his industry (generic pharma).

 

Our nanny is a certified teacher who was having trouble finding a full time teaching position. 

 

South Jersey job market is seriously hurting right now with all the casinos closing down.   North Jersey seems to be doing much better.

[Wheres Toto]

I probably wouldn't have worked the retail jobs if I was eligible for unemployment.  The maximum benefit for unemployment works out to be $11-something an hour so definitely more than minimum wage.  And you are only eligible if you've been paying into it so I would certainly not feel at all bad about claiming.

 

But, I was not eligible for unemployment since I hadn't worked for the two years previously, and some money is better than no money.  It didn't affect my search for better jobs because I just took off when I had interviews.  Retail jobs around here are so desperate for bodies that they basically hire anyone who looks like they'll show up occasionally for however long it lasts.   When I applied for the retail jobs, I didn't use my standard resume.  I filled out the application with my most recent work experience but I certainly didn't play up the job skills that were completely irrelevant.  I do have retail experience but most of it was in my early 20's, with a little bit about 12 years ago.

[Joker]

Dh wanted a new job for about 18 months before he found one. He was only kind of looking, though, and the company he now works for was actually one who came after him. It was word of mouth via past co-workers. So, employment hasn't been an issue for dh. He has a math degree and now works in health insurance (he started as an actuary).

 

That said, he has a few open positions and has trouble filling them. He has lots of young college grads applying but they have zero actual experience and he won't hire them unless they have great interviews and he sees potential. There are very few of those so he finds himself hiring older out of work candidates and some ex-military (dh was in the Marines) even if their degrees aren't in that particular field.

 

I, on the other hand, would love to return to work after being a stay home mom for 14 years but companies look at me like I must have left my brain in the delivery room. It's just not happening for me so dh told me to just volunteer and enjoy myself. I'm actually really busy with two dds in ps but I would really like to work again.

[kiana]

My mother had a great deal of trouble finding a job after a divorce. She had not worked in two decades, so had no recent work experience, and her career, while good, was not one where the credentials were good forever -- it was one which favors recent graduates or continuing employment. She was thus overqualified for a lot of jobs (could not get a callback from Walmart, for example) while no longer qualified in the field of her degree.

 

She does have one now, but it took going back to school to get another degree.

[mommymilkies]

I desperately searched for a job this summer.  After several months, I found one.  Almost none paid over minimum wage.  I got a "good" job (Pharmacist tech) that paid $9 an hour.  It turns out that was just enough money to kick us off our state insurance so we'd have to pay $1600/month for insurance which is 4x as much as I would be making at my job.  So I had to quit.  

 

Dh is not unemployed ATM but the situation gets rocky for teachers in IL, so we're looking.  We spent a year applying and got two interviews.  One took 3 months to get back to us that they filled the position after flying him across the country to interview.  The other expected we would be across the country in 2 weeks because they took so long to get back to us.  The income was too low for that job, so we passed.  Most filled the positions with adjuncts instead of hiring full time faculty in the end.  Dh is an experienced teacher with an advanced science degree.  The market is really hard right now.  He's over-qualified or under-qualified for a lot of jobs. 

[Jenny in Florida]

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