I am NOT unemployed.
My field is in electronics, as in "electronics technician" or "engineering technician". I work a typical 40hr work week with lots and lots of overtime if I choose. The pay is great and I have all the benefits like medical, 401K and pension.

My employer cannot find enough qualified workers. They are currently and have been looking for qualified workers for at least 8 months now. Because of this, it makes me wonder that most of the people attempting to find work and complaining about it must be either non-skilled or lazy.

I started with my current employer about 1 year ago and I am still getting calls for job offers when I initially sent out my resumes. Again, it must be non-skilled jobs which are hard to find. Perhaps these people should at least go to a trade school and get some skills which will make their job search much easier.

hi-

new member but long time lurker.

you got my attention w/ this one topic though so i thought i'd enlist and then chime in on the unemployment subject from my currently ill-tempered perspective.

yes. i'm unemployed. (i hope there's a 12 step program for this...)

i've been laid off twice in the span of a year. the first job i was on for nine years as a favor to the owner. (before that i had my own business.) i was a senior architect and director of two divisions, managing thirty-two people.

i was the first to be let go because this is a "right to dismiss without cause" state. the fact that i was highest in salary certainly had some bearing on it.

from there it just got ugly, promises and commitments broken and all that, but it's sort of ok, most of the staff were young kids fresh out of school and with small children and i figured correctly that i could get another position easier than one of them could. one of those guys was laid off right after me and lost his home, is now divorced, living in his car, and still unemployed eighteen months later. before that he was earning $78k /yr

the second job i had for ten months before the corporation closed the branch for lack of business. 75 people got the axe along with me... and this was the second layoff for that company.

little did i know that there was a systemic and catastrophic failure churning in the housing industry.

little did i know that the avalanche started fifteen years or so ago with "Government Sponsored Enterprises" with the misleading term "Federal" in their name, and a little thing called the "Community Reinvestment Act" and a whole bucketful of money and congressional pressure thrown at banks for making it happen.

well i learned soon enough. boy-o-boy did i ever.

i'm pretty ticked off about it too. it didn't have to happen. i'm sure greed is at the heart of it, but there's so much more going on...

i've spent many angry nights grousing to myself about "liar loans", subprime mortgages, and the Federal Reserve and Banking Cartels in general.

i am a licensed architect in six states, including california. i've been doing this for thirty two years, and i made it through the 1979, 1986, 1991 downturns without much pain.

this time its different. this time it's hurting alot of people in the building construction industry. out of hundreds i've worked with, i can count on one hand the people i knew that still have their jobs, but only part time.

now i'm losing big-time... and i didn't do one single thing to help bring it about.

I am what is called collateral damage, i suppose.

the house i have lived in for eleven years is being foreclosed on in about three months (by the same Bank of America that got $96 billion from the CRA and $24 Billion in TARP funds).

fifty to sixty resumes or more per week sent out all across the US have brought nothing but apologies that nobody is hiring, or that the competition is fierce among architects in the same situation. a recruiter recently told me she was having anxiety problems from the lack of positions compared to the volume of applications she was getting.

on the positive side, if that's possible, is this: aside from my mortgage on the banks house, i owe nothing to anybody.

i got foodstamps, i got state sponsored medical insurance for my wife's asthma and heart problem, and i got unemployment for a few months.

i've never done that before and it is a dehumanizing process.

i don't recommend it.

i can hunt. i can fish. i can farm. i can even build the stuff i design.

i can drop right off the radar.

i never thought being an architect could be a dead end.

oh... and by the way.. could somebody PLEASE make people in the news stop using that word to describe anything BUT architects? i don't know much about him or even care but i DO know Karl Rove is NOT an architect.

they should get another word or just shut up.

it's like kicking me while i'm down.

Me personally? No. I have a pretty good job. But, my boss informed us not to expect a raise next year. I personally have no problem with that because I've worked here 2 years and 2 weeks and I've received a $4.50 raise (total). I never expected so much! She's generous to say the least. But I am also a very frugal person (I do have my splurges here and there) and I know how to budget really well. My friends always ask me to help them with their budget, but then never follow through. I think it's because they don't have the will power. Understandable.

I do personally know 3 people without a job. One is my boyfriend. He's worked since he was 16 years old (he's 27 now) and never went without a job for more than a week. A year ago he worked for a beverage distributing company for 6 years. They fired him for something he didn't even do, OFF WORK HOURS! It all made sense when they laid off 40 people a month later (including one guy who was there for 14 YEARS and they gave him surprise drug test. He was positive for marijuana. Obviously it didn't effect his job for 14 years. I think they just knew he did and wanted an excuse not to pay unemployment).

Then he got laid off a Capital building restoration job recently. Now he's on unemployment. Finding another good paying job (he's not asking for much just $11 or $12 is within his means) but to no avail.

I know that a few of our clients who owned their own business, then it went down the tubes and now they are trying to find full time jobs just to pay the bills while still running their business.

One client called my boss and cried on the phone for half an hour because they are so worried.

My sister has been at her full time job for 7 years and they've only given her a $1.50 raise in all that time. She can't get on food stamps or get help to pay the day care worker because she makes too much. She has a daughter. She can't get another job that will allow her to work the 9-5 with good insurance which she has to have because my niece had retinablastoma and had her eye removed so she needs continual medical care.

My friends fiancee had to move all the way to New York (we're in Idaho) because he had to stay with the job that my boyfriend got laid off from (they only offer job travel to select employees). He's making $26/hour. He couldn't pass it up because he'd be lucky to make $12 here in Boise. And that's IF he found a job. He's got a daughter to support too, and the mom (my friend) is going to school full time during the day in order to hopefull yget a good paying job.

So, in my neck of the woods, things are a little bleak. My only saving grace at my job is that my boss started a new side business that we contract work for. The new company performs accounting/finance services for the medical field (which that industry is booming) even she said that if it wasn't for this new company, she worried that she would have to close the doors in a couple years if things didn't turn around. Thank God they have!

Unemployed, been that way forever. The economy does suck at the moment and it's very hard to get a job. I'm in California if that's relevant.

Unemployed, broke, in debt and not sure what to do about it.

I loathe, I abhor, I absolutely HATE working for corporations. The politically correct brainwashing into a numb and mindless automaton just disgusts me.

Speak you opinion at work? Get fired. Let the F-word slip? Get fired. Geez, what the big deal over a word is is beyond me, how it offends so much. It's just a word, but whatever.

I went to the Cheesecake Factory yesterday to apply for a prep cook or dishwasher job. I walked in, there was a table with clipboards with applications on them, so I picked one up and started to go sit down. The guy behind the table got all pissed off, told me I couldn't fill out the application until I had read a piece of paper detailing all the crap you have to put up with just to get a job there and actually MADE me give him back the application until I had read the paper. I couldn't hold the app until I was done reading, no way, that was just too much, I didn't follow the rules. I was happy when I walked in, it took this guy ten seconds to piss me off.

I filled out the app, tossed it on his table and walked out. Screw that attitude. Is that what I would have to put up with for a lousy 8 buck a hour?

I like what is left of my mind, and would like to keep it. I don't know how to play the idiotic game anymore, this political correctness has gotten out of hand. One cannot say or do anything without offending someone, somehow. I have little need to go out and meet anyone these days because the brainwashing has gotten in so deep that people can't seem to see anything. I'm no genius, no great person with super powers or some crap, I'm just a normal Joe, so to speak. But the people I meet are so dumbed down I have a hard time out there in public anymore and it is the same in the workplace. I don't get the attitude that the corporation is a good thing - work all your life for them to die in debt. What a life.

All while the fat cats ride in Lear jets, sipping champagne while he makes one or two decisions a week and spends most of his time making millions while playing golf in some exotic place.

Heck, If I could go off and just grow food, I'd be happy. To hell with the real world. At this point in my life, to hell with money, to hell with my debts, to hell with this so called reality. Give me a cave and some land to grow food on. I'll figure out how to survive. IF I fail, I'll die, my way. I'd probably get arrested for doing that though. Must be a slew of laws against that.

I think there are different categories for unemployed and potential unemployed and they are dictated by age groups. Younger people are unencumbered by house payments, kids college, and other burdens of the past thirty group. Not that any individual sees their individual pain any less.

Not unemployed currently.

I am in the 40s and work as a Network Admin (IT field). I've been employed by a few employers over the years and unemployed twice. Second time I got unemployment though. Yay. I'm now salaried and get to work as many over time hours as I wish. Currently I do all of the IT jobs short of programing. I'm step and fetch it boy, workstation maintenance, general helpdesk, and network administration for about 500 uers. It is just I, nobody else to support 500 people. But, I know a LOT of people would like to have my job. So, not too much complaining...

Wasn't always an IT guy. Worked at a plant for 9 years at $22/hr and left there after I went through a divorce. Found out that the world didn't have much use for skilled labor (with a focused skill) so I learned Information Technology from scratch. Literally got stuff people threw away to learn on (motherboards, modems, etc..). Every night when I got home I would study until midnight and passed 7 exams within 8 months to get my MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer). Had to. After I quit that good paying factory job I couldn't find any work. My car became my home for a while. Being homeless motivated the hell out of me!

Heh heh... Musings. When we were kids we were very poor. Only one family poorer than us in the whole town. Your social standing is, well, undesirable. When I made $22/hr at the plant most people I met called me sir. Quit the plant for unwise poverty and lets say,, my social standing was,, undesirable. Now I'm salaried and walk between the floors of the office building taking care of computer problems and people call me sir. I think I'm starting to notice a pattern. Giggle. So, when this place tanks in the next couple of years I guess I'll be back to "Get your ass over here 'white trash'" once again.

Looking forward to when a man can brag about the size of his cardboard box home instead of his new wide screen TV.

A short and old ornery man once told me "Kick a man while he's down, if he is anything at all he will rise above it". Told me this as I was walking out after being laid off. Life is a never ending series of ironies though. I came back to that job and then he got let go. As he walked out with his box of goodies I said "Douglas" and he looked up. Told him "I once heard a fellow tell me 'Kick a man while he's down, if he's anything at all he'll rise above it'" and proceeded to insulted him for being an ass kissing Leprechaun. He got another engineering job and lives on btw.

I work 70rhs a week between two jobs. I also spend about 10-15 per week doing graphic design projects for spare cash too.

I literally work, sleep, and make the rounds to pay bills.

I save everything I can to put towards college tuition, but it's not adding up as fast as I'd hoped. I'll only be able to go half time this semester with what I've saved, but it's better than nothing. I'm also helping out some unemployed family members. After too long money may not matter anyway, but I still have to work to get by for the time being.

I did get an awesome break a few weeks ago. I said "screw it" and worked my morning job, took a vacation day at the other, dropped $150 and went to a theme park with by boyfriend. I swear, it was amazingly rejuvinating, and the first time I've produced a smile that wasn't complately fake in a long time.

in our area we are seeing massive cut backs and employees layoffs. During the spring my husband was laid off from his administration job at 'Air Gas' they have most of the business in new england for gases of all kinds. It took him 5 months to find a job and he's only guaranteed throughout the summer.

I know that 2 hours south f=of wear I live 2,000 people showed up to a small jobs fair. they had to cancel and reopen the event at the local race way to have enough room.

I donate a lot to our local food kitchen and last week I was talking to the women who run it, they said they're seeing a 50% increase in clients. Also that they have less aid money coming in becuase their biggest contributors were the local business (who are also struggling) so donation is not on the top of their list.

Originally posted by skeetontheconspiracy
Unemployment is not an option for me, I don't accept handouts, matter of pride, I work for mine.

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Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

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Unemployment is not a handout. You've paid into unemployment taxes all your life. They OWE you that unemployment money. A good chunk of every paycheck includes an percent of extortion money for that purpose, I believe 8%.

Personally. I've been working temporary office jobs for a temp agency. However, as of last year there have been virtually zero jobs. I've picked up a seasonal minimum wage job to compensate. After my seasonal job ends, I suppose I'll be moving back in with my parents who fortunately work in the medical industry... the single safest industry in my opinion, since local, state, and federal governments are going bankrupt.

I had two jobs until mid December. Lost both of them one sucked the other was good. Now I'm going back to college and maybe working on a fishing boat soon. Just wanted to say to evryone "Never give up."

I'm doing fine. I've had jobs that paid better but, it is something I like to do. It has helped out that I now live in the home that I grew up in. My parents live next door. My partner is in college on a grant. If not for the sickly parents I would have never moved back into this small town. Unemployment is at 16% but, that does not include people whose benefits have ran out years ago. Work is about an hour drive.

There are several specialty stores locating here but, I do not expect them to last long as the parking lots for those are always empty. Some of the people that I hired years ago in human resources for the local factory are homeless now. I invite them to have a meal with me any time. Feel bad for them but, what can I do except offer comforting words and something to eat.

There are some "stimulus jobs" in Savannah cleaning nuclear sludge. Some of the locals applied for these and claimed it was a crap shoot because people from several of the surrounding states about had it wrapped up.

Locally here is what you have:
Medical Jobs
Department Store
Minimum Wage
Short Term Temp Jobs
Something Illegal

My wife and I live in the Los Angeles area of California. Everybody I know knows someone who has been laid off. My wife just got laided off last week, her company laid off 90% of the staff. I say more and more people are loosing their jobs and cant find another, unless they/you/me take a huge pay cut. I think it is getting worse. My 2 cents.

I've been unemployed for about a month and a half, and it sucks. I've been working in restaurants and bars since I got out of high school so that's pretty much what I do. I've put in applications all over town, and even had a couple of interviews, but I can't seem to get hired.

I'm 23, pretty good lookin' , I have people skills and a good work history. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to find a freakin' job serving tables or bar tending.

I've learned a pretty good lesson though. As soon as I can find another job and not have to scrape by on a day to day basis, I'm taking steps to get back in school.