I thought things were supposed to be improving?

[crazelion]

I know took a job as old-school cook i at daycare. At least close to full time. I grateful to fall back on old reliable skill while in college.

Does it pays well no. Is it a job yes. I happen to enjoy my job. Ask that this summer when back to my summer job will enjoy cooking. LOL

2 college degrees remind me why went to college now. I know suppose be able to get a better job.

 

[SanFranciscan]

While I am volunteering at the Disney Museum here in the city, I have not had a paying job since my company closed last June.

I have been sick much of this year, which began with my being admitted to ICU in January followed by my going to my doctor's office every day after my release from the hospital to get my blood sugar stable as I am a Type 1 diabetic who got ketoacidosis (spelling?) this year. My doctors told me to go ahead and take the trip to Disney World that we had already saved for and prepaid for as it was probably the best thing for my health after even they thought that I might not make it out of ICU alive. We decided that that was what we would do if I was still alive in September, even though we owed a ton of money to the hospital because I hit the insurance cap while I was in the hospital. It is not like nothing good has happened to me this year, but applying for everything from restaurant work to security work and being promised jobs that just evaporate later is really getting to be a drag. The employer lost the job that he promised that I would start this week to another company.

I know how frustrated I am becoming as someone who has always worked hard at low-paying jobs so I can't imagine what it must be like for former executives who are used to being able to provide well for their families now having to compete with me for jobs they had considered beneath them and which do not offer health insurance if they have anyone with on-going medical conditions in their family.

I am well aware that less insulin than I currently have in my refrigerator would be enough to end it all in about five minutes. It is not like having a gun in the house, which I could just get rid of. My weapon is something that I need in order to stay alive. At least I don't have little kids that I am unable to provide for. I can't imagine what parents of small children must be going through now over Christmas.

 

[Buckalew11]

Plus, a lot of employers I know are waiting to see what happens with the insurance stuff. They aren't hiring because of it.
And, like Planogirl said, they're doing with less and the employees they have want to work more so it seems to be working for them.

But things aren't really bad here. You'd never know there was a recession in our town.

 

[arminnie]

Its strange how different parts of the country are affected. For instance, where I live you'd never be able to tell there is a recession/depression/whatever you want to call it. Things here seem just fine.

Same here. I do know a few people who lost jobs, but were able to get a new one in a few weeks at most.

Honestly...I'm to the point where I'm starting to think I'll never work again.

I know this feeling. I went through this in Texas in the 80s. I didn't work for almost two years - couldn't even get an interview. When I finally did get a job I literally BEGGED them to hire me at a salary that was only $300 more than my house payment. Even though I am in a good economic area now I do know how hard it is when you are not. I got SO tired of hearing about the high powered zooming economy of the 80s when we were dying in Texas.

I am well aware that less insulin than I currently have in my refrigerator would be enough to end it all in about five minutes. It is not like having a gun in the house, which I could just get rid of. My weapon is something that I need in order to stay alive. At least I don't have little kids that I am unable to provide for. I can't imagine what parents of small children must be going through now over Christmas.

I am so sorry. You truly do have my best wishes for this nightmare to be over for you. I grew up very, very poor. The thing I feel the worst about is how awful it was for my mother to have three children that she could not provide for.

Like C.Ann has stated it does help when you learn how to live on practically nothing. Not a skill I like to keep up with particularly - but I am glad it is there to fall back on. I am retired with a moderate nest egg - but if I lost every penny of it (not inconceivable in today's world) I could live on my social security.

 

[Belle0101]

I think where you live plays a large part in all of this too. There are help wanted signs up all over the place around here. And while the want ads aren't as full as they once used to be, there are 2+ pages of listings.

I'm not looking for a job but a friend of a friend called me and asked if I would come work for them. My pay would have been $8 / hr.

It would be hard for a family to live off an $8 / hr job but for a second job, part-time job to help with the extras, student or retiree it would have been ok.

My sister was offered a job with a company, sales, no college degree required, at $16+ / hr and she turned it down. Three months later they were hiring again, she interviewed, same offer. She was trying to negotiate for $17 / hr but they held firm at $16 / hr so she turned it down again. Not one of her brightest moments.

That's just a couple of examples around here. There've been a few new small businesses open, a small one that expanded and one of the factories recently hired 20+ people.

So there is some hope. Understandably it's harder if you're living in a near ghost town - businesses closed up for good, positions being outsourced and the like.

 

[snowywhite89]

I am well aware that less insulin than I currently have in my refrigerator would be enough to end it all in about five minutes. It is not like having a gun in the house, which I could just get rid of. My weapon is something that I need in order to stay alive. At least I don't have little kids that I am unable to provide for. I can't imagine what parents of small children must be going through now over Christmas.

Please talk to somebody about this.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

Things are just terrible here in the Metro Detroit area. Personally, we have been extremely fortunate and managed to do well in the last few years but I have watched all of my friends and family struggle and suffer. MARVIN has been everyone's closest friend. Everybody has been touched by this bad economy. We have over 1,000 empty homes in my city, it's affecting EVERYTHING. Schools are tanking, crime is rising, house prices are rock bottom. I've yet to see any recovery whatsoever.


Yet go into any bar on any given Saturday night and you'd never know people are hurting. Even without jobs, people party.

 

[Belle0101]

I am well aware that less insulin than I currently have in my refrigerator would be enough to end it all in about five minutes. It is not like having a gun in the house, which I could just get rid of. My weapon is something that I need in order to stay alive. At least I don't have little kids that I am unable to provide for. I can't imagine what parents of small children must be going through now over Christmas.

Is there someone that you could call? It's worrisome that you've had this thought. I understand things are hard and that may seem an answer but it's really not.

There's no promise as to when things will get better but we have to believe, and history indeed shows us, that things do get better.

 

[DisMN]

Sad to see so many areas of the country still suffering. A few years ago every single mine in our area, the main job source around here, closed due to *the economy*. Slowly but surely over the last 18 months the mines have reopened and are now working at full capacity and they're hiring left and right.

Things are far better here than they were 2 years ago but it takes time to make up what was lost during the downturn. We felt pretty hopeless for a long time but things are looking up in my area. I do wonder if it'll last and have no choice but to believe it will continue. We have to believe that.

Also, people don't ever mention this but ....when I was in my 20s I wondered how our country could possibly deal with an uncontrolled rising population. In doing research on what the future of our country would be I found that what we've been going through is a direct consequence of, plain and simple, too many people. Period.
Add greed and the desire to get more more more and I think you have a recipe for disaster....which is right where we're at.

Best of luck to everyone struggling right now. Try not to give up hope.

CAnn, with regards to the homeless....I think it may be this way in many areas of the country where it gets quite cold. The shelters in our area take in as many people as they can and after they've hit their limit they have a list of community members who are willing to temporarilly house the extras. One by one the homeless are put into a warm bed for the night.

 

[arminnie]

Things are just terrible here in the Metro Detroit area. Personally, we have been extremely fortunate and managed to do well in the last few years but I have watched all of my friends and family struggle and suffer. MARVIN has been everyone's closest friend. Everybody has been touched by this bad economy. We have over 1,000 empty homes in my city, it's affecting EVERYTHING. Schools are tanking, crime is rising, house prices are rock bottom. I've yet to see any recovery whatsoever.

I grew up in Hazel Park - just a few blocks north of the infamous 8 mile road. When I visited about 20 years ago the houses were neat as a pin - many of these tiny little houses had been added onto over the years. Now most of those original owners have passed on, and it is pretty much boarded up and abandoned. It is so sad.

I'm hoping with the rebound of some of the American made cars (they did get pretty awful in the 80s) and Toyota's stumbles that maybe things can get better again. It will probably never be the mecca it was for my dad who grew up there in the 20s and 30s, but hopefully it can quit spiralling downward.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I still think that outsourcing has contributed to this plus I worry that some companies discovered that they can do well with less now. Many of those who have jobs seem to be working much harder than before and I wonder if companies will continue to push people even more.

It's a muddle.

I think that outsourcing is a symptom rather than the problem. As many countries with low cost labor improve their infrastructure and trade policies, it has become much more efficient to send work to them. The net effect for people overall is an improvement in living standards. The benefits, however, are definitely not evenly distributed.

The real problem here is that for a few generations, Americans were able to earn relatively high incomes with very few skills. Those days are fading fast. I encourage anyone in high school to consider that the world does not feel obligated to provide you with a good life. You get that by competing with everyone else in the world. If you can provide services that are highly valued, you will be highly compensated. If you can provide nothing more than a worker in a third world country can provide, you'll be increasingly forced to compete with that worker on price and you probably won't be happy with the results. Think about what you can do to obtain skills that are valued in the marketplace.

 

[happygirl]

It's really hard out there. I know in my area of the woods. People are struggling more and more.

 

[mickeysgal]

I worry about the so many people I know looking for jobs. Then I worry about our jobs - will our companies stay afloat if this ecomony continues to stay stuck in the mud for who knows how long? I worry about our two kids in college and another one headed there in two years. Will they be able to find a job when they graduate? Yes, they're picking what should be marketable careers but it seems like no one coming out of college is finding employment right now. What are the college majors that will absolutely find employment? If they can't find employment, and they have to stay with us, will our jobs still be here at that point in time to carry us all through? And then, if we lose my DH's job, what do we do about health care?

All this stuff keeps me from sleeping some nights.

 

[momof1princess]

I worry about the so many people I know looking for jobs. Then I worry about our jobs - will our companies stay afloat if this ecomony continues to stay stuck in the mud for who knows how long? I worry about our two kids in college and another one headed there in two years. Will they be able to find a job when they graduate? Yes, they're picking what should be marketable careers but it seems like no one coming out of college is finding employment right now. What are the college majors that will absolutely find employment? If they can't find employment, and they have to stay with us, will our jobs still be here at that point in time to carry us all through? And then, if we lose my DH's job, what do we do about health care?

All this stuff keeps me from sleeping some nights.

same here i cannot find a job to save my life, because i've been a SAHM for 11 years and no one wants to give me a chance, and if DH were to be laid off or lose his job, we'd lose everything. right now, he's working 70-84 hours per week, but that can change at the drop of a hat.

 

[npmommie]

I think that outsourcing is a symptom rather than the problem. As many countries with low cost labor improve their infrastructure and trade policies, it has become much more efficient to send work to them. The net effect for people overall is an improvement in living standards. The benefits, however, are definitely not evenly distributed.

The real problem here is that for a few generations, Americans were able to earn relatively high incomes with very few skills. Those days are fading fast. I encourage anyone in high school to consider that the world does not feel obligated to provide you with a good life. You get that by competing with everyone else in the world. If you can provide services that are highly valued, you will be highly compensated. If you can provide nothing more than a worker in a third world country can provide, you'll be increasingly forced to compete with that worker on price and you probably won't be happy with the results. Think about what you can do to obtain skills that are valued in the marketplace.

worth repeating
very good advice

 

[Colleen27]

I grew up in Hazel Park - just a few blocks north of the infamous 8 mile road. When I visited about 20 years ago the houses were neat as a pin - many of these tiny little houses had been added onto over the years. Now most of those original owners have passed on, and it is pretty much boarded up and abandoned. It is so sad.

That's actually more a result of the "boom" than the "bust" - the city and inner ring suburbs were all but abandoned in the the frenzy of new construction that popped up in the cornfields out 21, 23, 26 Mile roads. No one wanted to settle for an old home in an established neighborhood, and those older homes, especially in the closest-in suburbs like Hazel Park and southern Warren, became all but worthless, attracting only wanna-be slumlords as buyers. Eventually we ended up with more homes than people to occupy them, something that is getting worse by the month as the "jobless recovery" drags on and people continue to leave the area in search of work. Unless a lot of those old neighborhoods are torn down, they'll be just as bad as Brightmoor and Highland Park in a few years' time.

 

[tvguy]

I agree.. Every time I hear those new reports I just look around, shrug my shoulders, and think - "Where?"

Our state budget is a disaster - jobs and services being slashed to ribbons (with more to come in 2011) - food prices climbing higher and higher every week - gas prices on the rise again - food pantries not having enough to provide food for all of those in need - etc..

I sure hope we don't have to wait until 2013 or 14 for things to improve - as you stated in your post.. I just don't see how people will be able to hang on that long..

I agree different regions are impacted differently. I think the worst is still to come here in California because the state hasn't yet really done anything to stop spending, thus we have a $25 Billion deficit. When companies that make up the tax base have laid off workers (30% in my companies case in 2008), done furloughs (10 days in 2009) and cut pay by a minimum of 5% ( 2009) and the state is only doing furloughs, not enough is being done to cut spending.

 

[SanFranciscan]

I think that outsourcing is a symptom rather than the problem. As many countries with low cost labor improve their infrastructure and trade policies, it has become much more efficient to send work to them. The net effect for people overall is an improvement in living standards. The benefits, however, are definitely not evenly distributed.

The real problem here is that for a few generations, Americans were able to earn relatively high incomes with very few skills. Those days are fading fast. I encourage anyone in high school to consider that the world does not feel obligated to provide you with a good life. You get that by competing with everyone else in the world. If you can provide services that are highly valued, you will be highly compensated. If you can provide nothing more than a worker in a third world country can provide, you'll be increasingly forced to compete with that worker on price and you probably won't be happy with the results. Think about what you can do to obtain skills that are valued in the marketplace.

Outsourcing is really based upon cheap petroleum, which will continue to become ever more in short supply. We are already in an expensive war over oil because we rely upon other countries for our most basic necessities.

We have a highly educated work force here in San Francisco. Yet people who went for "depression-proof jobs" are losing their jobs because it does not matter how great the need is for occupations such as health care if they are not greatly out-numbered by people in a position to pay for their services.

We have three different universities less than an hour's walk from where I live. The leading job for their graduates after getting their degrees is running a cash register in some store no matter what their major. I used to work in a community college book store during semester rushes, where I watched the average age of students rise with each new semester. Many of these people already had four-year degrees or higher. When there are no jobs, school is not higher education but hiding behind education, and often at taxpayer expense.

 

[Took]

Its strange how different parts of the country are affected. For instance, where I live you'd never be able to tell there is a recession/depression/whatever you want to call it. Things here seem just fine.

Things are not much different here either than they've been for the last decade or so. The economy IS improving--unfortunately, as many economists have said, that doesn't mean more jobs (at least, not good jobs). Those at the top are making investment money just fine now, however...

 

[Planogirl]

I think that outsourcing is a symptom rather than the problem. As many countries with low cost labor improve their infrastructure and trade policies, it has become much more efficient to send work to them. The net effect for people overall is an improvement in living standards. The benefits, however, are definitely not evenly distributed.

The real problem here is that for a few generations, Americans were able to earn relatively high incomes with very few skills. Those days are fading fast. I encourage anyone in high school to consider that the world does not feel obligated to provide you with a good life. You get that by competing with everyone else in the world. If you can provide services that are highly valued, you will be highly compensated. If you can provide nothing more than a worker in a third world country can provide, you'll be increasingly forced to compete with that worker on price and you probably won't be happy with the results. Think about what you can do to obtain skills that are valued in the marketplace.

I agree up to a point. The only quibble I have is that some with skills have also been affected. For example, IT professionals have had rough stretches but of course that was also likely due to oversaturation.

It's sometimes hard to predict what skills will be highly sought in the future. In retrospect, I should have known that my own area of expertise would die (manufacturing) but I don't think that all are so obvious.