Jobs

[dmccarty]

I have an agent running on a job website.

This time last year I would get 5-10 jobs a MONTH. I was tracking the jobs in a spreadsheet just in case.

Now there are 10 or so jobs a DAY.

The market started to open back up at the end of 2009.

But there have been thousands of layoffs in my area so it is going to take awhile for all of the people to get jobs again. If they can. The only "hope" I see out there for middle aged workers is that not many young people are getting into my field. And for good reason since the jobs are going overseas. Not many kids are taking the course work. So the only "hope" is that these skills are valuable and eventually demand picks up for those skills faster than the off shoring of those jobs.

Later,
Dan

 

[bstrom]

So he won't take a menial labor job while still looking for more fulfilling employment?

One guy has low expenses and is living off savings and spending his time looking for work in his field which is kind of a full time job. I think he is ready for menial work now though.

The other guy is on unemployment and probably makes 10 times what he would make at Burger King plus he gets a Cobra Health insurance benefit for his family. He spends his days sending out resumes and making phone calls to find a job, he is worried.

As I understand it, and I don't have all the facts , by getting a menial job or a contract job, he would jeopardize his benefits. Please don't shoot the messenger, I'm just relating what I have been told and am not expressing a political opinion about unemployment here. Just that some people that do want to work at a job that will pay all their many expenses are having a rough time finding that job.

 

[mjarrels]

Its all over the news here now... Northern Va. distillery just started up, running at max capacity. TWO emloyees hired with the potental to hire FOUR more. State has spent more money moving elected folks and staff running around than these jobs will ever pay.

mark

 

[MossRoad]

One guy has low expenses and is living off savings and spending his time looking for work in his field which is kind of a full time job. I think he is ready for menial work now though.

The other guy is on unemployment and probably makes 10 times what he would make at Burger King plus he gets a Cobra Health insurance benefit for his family. He spends his days sending out resumes and making phone calls to find a job, he is worried.

As I understand it, and I don't have all the facts , by getting a menial job or a contract job, he would jeopardize his benefits. Please don't shoot the messenger, I'm just relating what I have been told and am not expressing a political opinion about unemployment here. Just that some people that do want to work at a job that will pay all their many expenses are having a rough time finding that job.

I'm not aiming at the messenger. And I realize that by taking a lower paying job someone may make less than unemployment payments. However, I look at it like this...
Lets say I make 40K a year and I am out of work a year. I spent a year's worth of savings while looking for another job.
If I would have taken a low paying 20K a year job while continuing looking for work I would have only spent 6 months of my savings while looking for another job during the day.
I know I am fortunate to have a job. However, we also planned that we could make do with low paying jobs and never lived beyond those imaginary means. It has brought great peace to us knowing we could survive on burger flipper wages if needed. I really, really think many folks live right up to their means and expect it to continue for their entire working career. Maybe I am fortunate to have witnessed my father getting laid off several times when I was young. He talked to me about it when it happened and told me to never live beyond "kid wages". That was his term for starting pay for a young kid new to work. He explained that as you work, you get raises, have more money, etc... and have a tendency to live up to those wages. However, if you lose your job you have to go back to "kid wages" again and start over. If you lived too far above your means, you have to sell your acquisitions or go bankrupt, which was taboo and a horrible social stigma back then. He said the way around it is to live at "kid wages" and sock away anything extra for emergencies and retirement. That was his financial advice to me. Mom's was "don't spend more than you make."

Unfortunately, in many places today (like here in north-central Indiana) it is tough to find a job even paying "kid wages". Spend your money wisely, folks.

 

[YanmarFever]

I'm not aiming at the messenger. And I realize that by taking a lower paying job someone may make less than unemployment payments. However, I look at it like this...
Lets say I make 40K a year and I am out of work a year. I spent a year's worth of savings while looking for another job.
If I would have taken a low paying 20K a year job while continuing looking for work I would have only spent 6 months of my savings while looking for another job during the day.
I know I am fortunate to have a job. However, we also planned that we could make do with low paying jobs and never lived beyond those imaginary means. It has brought great peace to us knowing we could survive on burger flipper wages if needed. I really, really think many folks live right up to their means and expect it to continue for their entire working career. Maybe I am fortunate to have witnessed my father getting laid off several times when I was young. He talked to me about it when it happened and told me to never live beyond "kid wages". That was his term for starting pay for a young kid new to work. He explained that as you work, you get raises, have more money, etc... and have a tendency to live up to those wages. However, if you lose your job you have to go back to "kid wages" again and start over. If you lived too far above your means, you have to sell your acquisitions or go bankrupt, which was taboo and a horrible social stigma back then. He said the way around it is to live at "kid wages" and sock away anything extra for emergencies and retirement. That was his financial advice to me. Mom's was "don't spend more than you make."

Unfortunately, in many places today (like here in north-central Indiana) it is tough to find a job even paying "kid wages". Spend your money wisely, folks.

Moss, My dad must of been related to your father, cause thats the same way he explained things to me as a young man too.
We have never lived past kids wages (ever). And now Im reaping the rewards of all that frugal living and saving.
If we dont have the $$ to buy it... then we dont need it that bad!

 

[MossRoad]

Yep. Pay as you go as much as possible. Really think about ALL of the ramifications of taking on debt. and have a plan B should you lose your job and your spouse loses hers (if she works). Tough scary times, but we can get through them. :thumbsup:

 

[tulenutn2o]

I have always been a pay as you go guy. What ticks me off, is that our politicians live by the " I'm not out of money, I still got checks left" mentality.

 

[bstrom]

Yeah, definitely the way to go, not living beyond your means. I don't think there are to many people who do it once they start making decent money. I know I still get three or four credit card offers per week and I'm just a poor sell-employed person but I did make money at one time. There are so many people in debt, it's sad. The message in this country is buy,buy,buy we are constantly assaulted with it. Go into debt, it's the American way. But the trouble is you just do not know what life is going to deal you, you can lose your job, your health, have an accident, etc. Nobody taught me about managing your money in school and I didn't major in business. Don't know if they teach kids that stuff these days, sort of doubt it. They should.

 

[tulenutn2o]

Yeah, definitely the way to go, not living beyond your means. I don't think there are to many people who do it once they start making decent money. I know I still get three or four credit card offers per week and I'm just a poor sell-employed person but I did make money at one time. There are so many people in debt, it's sad. The message in this country is buy,buy,buy we are constantly assaulted with it. Go into debt, it's the American way. But the trouble is you just do not know what life is going to deal you, you can lose your job, your health, have an accident, etc. Nobody taught me about managing your money in school and I didn't major in business. Don't know if they teach kids that stuff these days, sort of doubt it. They should.

It sure doesn't help when the feds say spend spend spend because it is 70-90% of our economy now. Whatever happened to the gold standard.

 

[jinjimbob]

Please and thank you... Daughter came home last night with $128.00 in tips. She buys her own gas and has plenty of pocket money. Not bad for 5 hours work... She is learning a lot about life.

.... and I assume that is after taxes....