Laid off--Support thread

[DiznEeyore]

You are definitely not alone. It is a difficult time for most folks. I live in the Metro Detroit area where automotive sales support our entire economy. I don't anyone that is not feeling the pinch in some way.

God bless you, I pray that the economy turns around soon.

So true. We're in metro Detroit, too, and it's so hard here right now. Ds has one good friend whose aunt and two little cousins just moved into their basement due to the loss of her job and then their house, and another whose (Iraq war veteran) dad has been laid off for so long that they tell any kids that come over that they have to leave before dinner time because they can't afford to feed any extras (BTDT!).

 

[Mrs.Reese]

Hubby is now working two jobs. He gets up at 3am, unloads freight for Home Depot and then goes to his teaching job. I feel like such a failure right now. I have a master's degree with three years experience and am getting nowhere in obtaining another teaching position. I was already laid-off at the end of last year, found another position and then got cut again. I can't even get hired as a sub because they're not hiring subs anymore.

It seems as though nothing works out for us. This was supposed to be the year we started a family. We had finally gotten to a place where it was possible and then BAM nope it's not. The worst part is that I suffer really bad endometriosis. My time is short. I'm just so upset. I can not stop crying this morning. If I don't find something that pays more than $7/hour, we'll lose the house. Stupid mortgage company doesn't care and won't help. Just spent one hour trying to talk with people who basically treated me like I was a deadbeat.

I called a credit counselor and we'll get that started but I'm doubtful. Everyone seems to think we make enough. When your mortgage is 50% of your take home pay no it's not enough. I have little left to cut. Student loans are in forebearance, pay CC mins only, only use cash, coupon/budget like crazy. The real icing on the cake was DH calling me from work because he was "talked" to for his clothing. No it's not torn just getting worn. Electric rates are going up 25% in January.

 

[Kay1]

Hubby is now working two jobs. He gets up at 3am, unloads freight for Home Depot and then goes to his teaching job. I feel like such a failure right now. I have a master's degree with three years experience and am getting nowhere in obtaining another teaching position. I was already laid-off at the end of last year, found another position and then got cut again. I can't even get hired as a sub because they're not hiring subs anymore.

That is rough, Mrs. Reese. There are very few jobs where we live and our electric bill are set to soar. I think our school district is hiring bus drivers but that's it. I really hope you find something soon. I found a great suit for my husband at a thrift store. Maybe you could have similar luck.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I signed up in July. Did I read in the paper there is an extension in the works?
I just hated to look at the savings but we are down to less then $900 now. Makes me sick. What to do. Our taxes went up and I don;t have the funds to fight it anymore. they have us reassessed at $75,000 more then the market of similar homes selling in our area. This was a county wide. If I could get the amount they say we could sell for I WOULD sell in a heart beat.

I hated to look at the accounts, I am really scared now.
But not alone.
di

Fight your reassessment. Go to a local realtor and get a list of what similar houses to your own are selling for. Bring that to the assessor. Hopefully that will be enough. Good luck.

 

[snowman1035]

Thought I was handling my hours being cut and cutting back on things, but today just want to sit and cry! The holidays are upon us and I have no clue as to where money is going to come from. We normally have Thanksgiving here and just don't know how we are going to pay for all the food and then Chirstmas. I just can't think about that without getting tears in my eyes. I have applied for other jobs and nothing! I know there are so many people in the same position so jobs are tough to get. My nanny also told me "God will not give you more then you can handle", but to be honest, this is just killing me! DH has his company's Christmas party coming up and the boss wants everyone to stay at the place at $100 a pop and I just can't see spending that when we only live 1/2 hour away and I can't DH to understand my reasoning. Don't really even want to go, just got the Christmas blues! I am a advisor at our youth group at church and we just talked to the kids about people in our community being hit hard and in our county alone, there are over 7,500 families that are hitting the poverty level and in other areas in Pennsylvania the numbers are way higher! I pray for all of us that are going through this! I keep saying its going to get better, but have a hard time believing it right now. Sending to hugs to all of us who are havin a hard time getting through the day.

 

[golfgirl3613]

My turn unfortunately,

I lost my job at the end of September. I collect unemployment, but it doesn't cover all our expenses. My husbands job should be okay, he works for the state so luckily our insurance is through him. I have a young child, and it is great to be home with her, but I also can't accept a job unless it covers daycare expense. I applied a few places, and have had interviews, but the going rate is not great, and most places require a Bach. Degree, which I do not have. I am hoping to begin earning the degree in Feb., but now I have to figure out how to pay for it.

Good vibes to everyone!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Hugs to everyone. We finally got some good news. My husband applied for unemployment and we got a letter in the mail yesterday for what he will get paid from them, he just has to return some things back to them. We won't do much for the holidays because we just can't afford it.

 

[Cgant1961]

Sorry about your dh lay off. I wish you all the best.

 

[gohogs34]

I do have a silly little work-at-home job that I'm doing more of. Its money, something's better than nothing, I'm hoping to make $800 this pay period, also, for the rest of my "club" if you would like something at home, check out this website

www.wahm.com

its a discussion board about wah jobs, and I don't get anything out of passing it along just FYI, every little bit helps.

I had an invite to Cha Cha, but when I try to click on it it say no longer valid. Does anyone know if I should re-apply or use a different email? Thanks

We have looked into working at home, but as most are scared of the not true businesses. Can you help with this issue? Thanks

 

[got2travel]

Well, it's been 7 months to the day and I finally got a job offer. I'll be starting on Dec 8. Its a contract to hire position, 3 months on contract, then hired on permanent if I do a good job. It's a 20% paycut but if I get hired on I'll get more pay and then it will only be about a 5% paycut.

It's been a long difficult road but I am so thankful that something finally came through.

Prayers to everyone else still looking.

 

[anabelle]

Congrats Monica.

To everyone
I am praying that this country recovers soon. Hubby and I have to decide if we should leave metro Detroit. I know it will be very difficult to sell our house, but it doesn't look good for the Big 3.

 

[T. Lynn]

Well, it's been 7 months to the day and I finally got a job offer. I'll be starting on Dec 8. Its a contract to hire position, 3 months on contract, then hired on permanent if I do a good job. It's a 20% paycut but if I get hired on I'll get more pay and then it will only be about a 5% paycut.

It's been a long difficult road but I am so thankful that something finally came through.

Prayers to everyone else still looking.

I'm so happy for you! It's very tough out there right now. Understand about the contract deal. Mine is considered a temporary position until June and then the position becomes permanent July 1...if I'm hired, would also get more pay.

Again, congrats to you! It does relieve some of the stress but it's hard playing catch up (although I'm still waiting on first paycheck since they always hold one ). Be sure to come back and let us know how it's going once you start...what will you be doing?

Hugs to everyone still looking.

 

[goofyforlife]

I'm hating life...sorry to be such a downer. Thanks for letting me vent.

You are truly not alone in this! I have MANY days I feel the EXACT same way!!!

I have no idea how to get past it either...

Me too... I am pretty much to the point of not having a reason to even breathe in the morning.

Housing costs big time in MD. Our house isn't big or fancy but it took my entire income to cover our mortgage. I carried our health insurance too.

So we were able to add some kind of insurance at least to dh's company. But it's a small business so it cost $$$ and bennies are carp. (Great so now i lost my income and my dh had to take a pay cut)

When i lost my job in July, we had already had our "big" august trip planned and trip insurance didn't cover job loss so we went.

I wasn't eligible for unemployment.

I got a temp job in October. But it doesn't pay well and most likely won't be for more than another month. I'm not treated well here either. It feels like a prison. I took a retail job part time for some nights but they don't give me many hours. (and it's seasonal too which means it might end in January)

There's really not many jobs here and i feel like if i have to work crappy low wage jobs, we might as well walk away from the house (oh yeah whose value is in the toilet due to multiple short sales and foreclosures in our neighborhood) and live somewhere more affordable (does that even exist.)

There's no family to move in with.

I find myself crying every day. I wish i could live in a hole for the next two months because when you have nothing..the holidays suck...

The only reason i think i'm still here is because we have no cliffs to drive off of.

Stupid mortgage company doesn't care and won't help. Just spent one hour trying to talk with people who basically treated me like I was a deadbeat.

Tell me about it. My loan was somehow coded that i could only talk to one person. I waited three weeks for her to call me back and nothing. Finally i took unpaid time off my temp job to sit in my car and call the bank. Turns out all that person had to do was tell the regular dept to talk to me.

(But she acted like she couldn't care less that i was waiting.)

So far the bank has said to us..."We might be able to help if you made more money" WTH.... If i made more money, I wouldn't be calling them for help.

 

[mafibisha]

Congrats Monica.

To everyone
I am praying that this country recovers soon. Hubby and I have to decide if we should leave metro Detroit. I know it will be very difficult to sell our house, but it doesn't look good for the Big 3.

I am so sorry to read everyone's stories. We too might be facing something similar. And truly, with the ripple effect on the economy, no one is truly safe except maybe nurses and doctors.

But I'm especially heartbroken about those in Detroit and the Big 3 automakers. I'm not associated at all with the industry except that I AM an American and truly SHUDDER to think what might happen to America with the ripple effect from their loss.
So much of our country's *industrial revolution* was created by the auto industry.
I know people don't think its important to *Buy American* because some foreign cars are made here. But other than employees incomes from the foreign plants - (certainly very important!) - the profits go back to Japan, Korea ect and not America.
We've sold out our techno industry (TVs, cameras, Sony, FUJI ect) - we can't afford to lose the auto industry. I don't know how America can survive without the Big 3. Capitalism only thrives on industry! There's not much that is made in America anymore
Its chilling to consider their loss and the ripple effect that will affect generations to come - our precious children and future grandchildren lives...

God bless you all in this situation, especially those in Detroit.

 

[Hygiene99]

Maybe, this will help some, An extension to the extension for unemployment.
looks like either 7 weeks or 13 weeks, for state that have a rate of over 6 percent unemployment.
http://www.opencongress.org/

The percentages came out today.

http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm

 

[cndij]

I wasn't eligible for unemployment.

I got a temp job in October. But it doesn't pay well and most likely won't be for more than another month. I'm not treated well here either. It feels like a prison. I took a retail job part time for some nights but they don't give me many hours. (and it's seasonal too which means it might end in January)

QUOTE]

Hey at least if you weren't eligible for unemployment before you might be once the temp job ends. Be sure and reapply then.

I have about 6 weeks before my unemployment runs out and I'm about ready to accept ANYTHING. I have turned down one in the past that would have paid less than my unemployment benefit (which is still half of what I was making), but with it running out, I'm not so choosy and regret that earlier decision as well.

 

[spiceycat]

so sorry everyone.

hope and pray that everyone gets something before the holidays.

lots of people here are buying an american car - got a honda but that is because the repair shop that I love only does Honda and Toyota.

though about getting an american car - but don't want to go back to the dealer to fix the thing.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

I have two weeks left on my original unemployment claim. I almost had another teaching position. I called to find out what was going on and was told that it was on hold because of pending budget cuts. ARGH!!

Florida's at 7% huh? Why does this not surprise me? I guess I will sit here another 13 weeks and collect emergency ue. We are in for some more rough times.

 

[jocotter]

I've been reading this thread off and on and feeling so bad for everyone. It seems so unfair that you all can't find any jobs and yet in West Texas we can't find any people to hire. Employers here are so frustrated because you just can't find people to work. Our housing costs are very low, too. All over our city there are help wanted signs and offering incentives, like signing bonuses, full benefits, free gym memberships, etc. If there is any way for some of you to move to parts of the country that still have jobs and low housing and utility costs, it might help. But if you can't sell your home, I know it may be impossible. Anyway, I hope it all works out for you soon.

Come to think of it, this is how I got to Texas in 1974. My husband and I couldn't find work at all where we were and we heard there were jobs in TX and moved. Luckily, he found a job the first day we got there.

 

[minniecarousel]

Well, it's been 7 months to the day and I finally got a job offer. I'll be starting on Dec 8. Its a contract to hire position, 3 months on contract, then hired on permanent if I do a good job. It's a 20% paycut but if I get hired on I'll get more pay and then it will only be about a 5% paycut.

It's been a long difficult road but I am so thankful that something finally came through.

Prayers to everyone else still looking.

Congrats! Finding work here in the Bay Area isn't easy. DH is still looking. Finally had an interview with a start-up (that actually has funding!). It's the first face-to-face he's had in months. It's hard NOT to get our hopes up.

Our DS is working with a contract, but that company just laid off employees - not sure what that means for him. (he had hopes of becoming an employee at some point, now he just wants to keep the contract.)