Tweet
“Austerity has created a fearful employment environment and is in danger of deforming a work ethic into a fear ethic. Too many employers are using their employees’ insecurity as a means of maximising profit.”—Jill Segger, Ekklesia. U.K.
Photo: Mike Licht / WPA Photo by John E Allen / Flickr
In a news article, the New York Times described a ‘work experience’ training program for preparing long-term unemployed persons for re-entry into the work force. The Comments section offered four hundred and fifty-five responses to the topic. Within that set a smaller group of comments (n=34) briefly described the personal stories of persons who have experienced long-term unemployment. Those personal stories are paraphrased here. These new voices add to those voices of the unemployed HERE. I would like to thank the courageous souls who shared their stories and their grief in their Comments. It was a privilege to be able to read your thoughts in your comments.
J.: Someone very close to me committed suicide recently. He lost his IT job at age 56 in 2008. He had lost hope of ever finding a job again.
Anon: 49, freelance work, UI for 10 months. Finally moved to another state with a 10% reduction in salary. Paid all of the relocation costs myself. Looking for a new job so at 49 I am living like a student in my 20s. The advantage I have is that I am mobile. Most people have no idea about the realities of looking for a job today. “it is beyond their understanding. They are in for a real wake-up call if it happens to them.”
G.: Took early retirement after 28 years. They are in bankruptcy now. Took me 23 months to find a comparable position. Most of the eliminated jobs will not come back. We are in for 20 % unemployment for maybe the next decade.
T: Let go from HP and learned they had fired the two oldest people in my group. I was given a choice, sign the paperwork saying I would not sue or forfeit 3 months of severance pay.
crh: Unable to pay own way when goes out with friends. No car. Efficiency apartment. After 2 plus years without a job, found a part-time job. No furniture. At 60, all I can do is hold on until my Social Security kicks in and hope that I don’t become ill.
DK: Went through a long bout of unemployment. Entry level jobs were scarce. Finally, the place I had looked for a job at before started hiring.
L: These people are all older people like me. Very little hope of ever working again.
A.M.G.: You are not a job. You are the goodness you can do in the world.
Saj.: Family member who is highly capable unable to find a job. He has only been out of work a couple of months but already the depression and discouragement is showing up in him.
K.: 58, retrained only to confront age, gender, disability discrimination.
L.: in reply to K., I retrained too, then could not find a job.
S.: I am one of those people and I feel for all of those in the same boat I am in. And there is a very good chance that our days are going to grow even darker. Stopped buying anything but food. Feel lucky I have a long time spouse so I am not homeless. But for all of those who weren’t so lucky? Where is the outrage? Stigma too. “We all might as well be wearing a Scarlet Letter!”
KK: I have a degree plus 20 years of experience…been out of work for 1 year plus. One onsite interview, many resumes. On interviewer asked me, “Why are you looking for a job so late in your career?”
c: I was laid off at 49 from a well paid software job and was out for about 3 years.
daw: 2008 college grad at 45, 2009 the door slammed shut. Spent about 2 years trying to find a job,….gave up trying. It feels permanent. 25+ years in music industry… huge debt from degree. I accept responsibility for my choices but I don’t see my society do so anymore. Let me work and have my dignity back.
HL: Retired at 55 and I see friends still out of work. I hope that Social Security is not far off for them.
RR: Ph.D. Tried to get a job for several years…in the end became disabled, then turned 65. Someone with all of my education and experience could not find employment even before the so-called recession and throughout it.
NO: After 3 years of unemployment I finally got a one year contract with a bank….(describes their hiring foreign workers at much lower pay) I am sick of the hypocrisy!
D.: Attorney. 2004 graduate. Laid off in 2008. 8 interviews. Recently accepted a position in a foreign country.
S.W.: Workers in America are being abused in an insidious way. Colleges hire adjuncts to avoid paying HC benefits. Adjuncts run between 2-3 colleges to earn 25K w/o HC. After divorce, forced to leave teaching because of no HC. Jumped to Tech industry where salaried workers expected to push 60-80 hrs a week. Got carpal tunnel. No HC since melanoma. Thank God I remarried, my husband’s retirement covers my HC. HC is one of the biggest issues in this whole dilemma.
Jz: 57, out of work. Went back to school in 2007 to get a teacher’s license. No offers for teaching positions. Maybe too many veteran teachers? Age discrimination? Getting back into my pre-ed career. Basically, I live off my husband and our investment income. I am one of the lucky ones. I no longer define myself by what I do because that path led to depression and despair.
J.H.: 62, out of work more than a year. Exhausted all savings and living on credit cards, the last barrier between me and the street. This cannot continue much longer. The problem is……..globalization…..
K.: Anonymous online applications alienate job-seekers. Depersonalizing application process. No feedback/call backs. Concerned about isolation. Employment support groups should help. Pride about working, upward mobility and salary figure is not serving me now.
H.E.: Started a business in 2oo7. In 2008 lost access to credit and business failed. 2 years caring for ailing parent. 1 consulting gig and numerous job applications which fell through. Age 50 and husband is working at a job with a pay cut.Dropped health insurance. 200 people applied for last job I applied for.
P.G.: It is now a problem to be over 4o, educated, professional w/a strong resume. Politicians chatter, cries for more education won’t solve our problems. We need decent paying jobs, not just ‘jobs’.
STP.: Too depressed to care! You have no idea till it happens to you. Blindsided. Whole dept. moved to low wages pt. of country, less than NYC. As manager, I was last to go.
S.: In 11th year at NASA got let go. Used to subsidize restaurants, beauty salon, dog groomer, hotels w/husband on weekends, airlines, home improvement outlets, lawn mowing guys. MS in English. Told did not meet min. requirements for secretarial job!! Experienced editor, writer.
Kk.: tons of sham ads calling for GE, Lead Technology Engineer; seems like they are placed there for h1b.
Kk.: Ads calling for 6 programming languages, SQL,++, minimum of 3 years of experience when you would have to have many more years of experience to have those skills.
Mb.: You become isolated.
J.: Being unemployed is 3rd hardest thing after losing a loved one and being in a war.
M.: Lost small business, marriage, nice house, vacations. “I can re-invent myself.”
RB: Face it the unemployed have been banished….exiled…They don’t care what happens to you.
De.: Out of work 4 years after a successful career in HT. A few interviews, then the economy dove, then none. Volunteering is good for morale, but does not pay the bills. Interviewed for a temp job at 20% of what I earned before. Encounters prejudice against unemployed people. Told unemployed are a ‘lazy slob, a leech on society.’
RT.: Looking for work for 2 plus years. Hundreds of applications. Recruiters reduce their workload. Unemployed, yr. application is rejected. Your age, your application is rejected. That gets rid of most of the applications.
What appear to be the core issues for these commenters?
Almost half of the commenters appeared to be over the age of 40 (16/34). Age discrimination was a major issue for this group. One commenter described being asked, “Why are you looking for a job this late in your career?” PG commented that it is now a problem to be over 40 and to have a strong resume. Another stated that their employer knew they were discriminating against older firees and demanded a legal waiver or threatened to withhold severance pay. Financial insecurity and fearing losing everything was a major issue. Retraining and going for further education was roundly criticized as a ‘dud’ and risking more debt. Those close to Social Security were hoping to arrive at early eligibility age in one piece. Overall, this group expressed little hope of employment which reflected their rejection experiences in the job market. One powerful statement was offered about the depersonalization of the online job application process. In an online application, there are no HR people and there is no interaction involved in submitting an application; it was like relating to a ‘black hole’ that ate job applications. Three commenters made a case for universal healthcare access. Their HC insurance had been lost when the jobs disappeared. One commenter openly expressed a fear of becoming ill now that he has no money and no insurance. An unemployed friend’s suicide is very notable in the first comment. This is a group of people who have been isolated, rejected by employers, and this social exclusion has happened over a time span of years, not the old standard of 4 weeks. The social stigma of unemployment remains strong. This is a group of people for whom society has done nothing to improve their chances for decent jobs with benefits.
(Note: The middle levels of the economy appear to be hollowing-out. Declining middle level fields of work are getting ‘old’. Middle level job types are disappearing. One more reason for government to create programs to hire everyone like the WPA. Again, the lack of jobs will not be solved by waiting for an improved, for-profit only, economy. Capitalism has no social conscience. Government must act. A society allowing for only an Elite section of society and a Service section that takes care of them,—- is not the future we want.)
N.B.–In this sort of qualitative analysis, it is hard to choose what parts of the whole to present; but those choices are subjective and represent aspects of the comments which spark the writer’s concern. Please do not regard this work as anything but exploratory, inconclusive, finding openings and issues, but not fact-finding. Thank you for your consideration and perspective taking.
26 Comments
AS one of these folks it was saddening to read these quotes. So many ring true. It seems society has decided that the long term unemployed are disposable people, even bad people. I’ve found that you never ever tell anyone your unemployed even if you are. I say, I’m retired ( forcibly) and then they lighten up and assume you have a pension etc. and aren’t looking for work anymore. Where I run into a problem is my wife is 9 yrs, younger then me and still works. A man ( even a retired one) with a wife working a full-time job is also in a funny place socially. I’ve wanted to move from where I’ve live 90% of my life because of the growing isolation and stigma. I’m largely over the depression part of this. It is what it is. It’s not going to change either. A big part of the problem is the huge nos. of Bboomers. It’s over for those of us that lost our jobs or businesses this late in life. If you don’t have a retirement fund , pension your screwed to put it mildly. When RMONEY becomes President in a mos. there goes SSI, Medicare etc. Suicide rates are going to soar as huge nos. lose everything including hope.
I am sorry, Seaglass, to remind you of all of this pain. I am sorry that this is happening to you and to everyone else, too. :( I wrote this in August, then decided to hold off on publishing it, for ?? I don’t know why.) Now is the right time.
Nothing to be sorry for Tom. As I said , I’m ok about it now. I haven’t done anything wrong. I owned and ran my own biz for 25 yrs. then sold it in the late 90′s ( maybe a mistake?) Then I tried to start ( retrained ) over at 50 and almost pulled it off. Then 9/11 poked its ugly head up and the company I worked for in my new IT career lost its Gov’t contract in 2004 and I got laid off. I got right back out here and got more work got laid off and on and on till the 2008 crash ended it 5 jobs later. That was that 1 interview four yrs. later a major Heart attack where I almost died and now nada. Probably, not that unusual a circumstance for many over 60 bboomers is my guess. Thanks for the reminder that were not alone.
I’ve been unemployed before, and I suspect I’m going to be again before the year is up. Unless you’ve experienced it, you just don’t get it.
The problem is the capitalist system itself. Sure, within the context of capitalism, yes, we need massive fiscal spending. But such spending will never come about without a threat to the system, because that’s the only thing the ruling class cares about. It’s the only thing they’ll react to. History demonstrates this over and over again.
The left should have a serious discussion about what mode of economic organization it would to replace capitalism with.
Ah, TomThumb – a diary that points to the “heart” of things can only come when one is viewing from their own heart. I thank you, good sir (?,)not just for the focus of your fonts, but for the compassionate heart behind them.
There is a process to problem solving. It begins with admitting the problem exists. We have been plagued with “isms” that until now, under our current duress, we could not clearly see. Ageism is as ugly and unworthy of us as any other “ism”, and causes as much pain and suffering, imho. Hopefully, we will move forward, sooner rather than later, and begin seriously fixing what ails us. At all levels, and in all sectors.
rec’d, of course.
I have friends and relatives who are either unemployed or very underemployed. Most have degrees and/or significant & relevant work experience. There. Are. No. Jobs. esp, as this indicates, if you are over 40, although recent college grads still are facing lots of hurdles and issues.
My 10+ year very good solid relationship (not married but as good as) went down the tubes when SO got laid off a very high paying lawyer job. Former “spouse” is still able to work as an independent lawyer, but the transition from big buck$ to much smaller buck$ signified the end of our rel. Former “spouse” cheated & lied and is now with someone else who has potential to pass on work via business contacts.
I am lucky bc I have a good job that pays well with good benefits. Believe me, I am grateful EVERY day, and my job could potentially disappear in an instant (like others).
I fear very much for several friends – all over 50 – who just recently were laid off. They are being VERY brave and talking the positive talk about “one door closes, the other opens” blah blah blah. Of course, I say similar “pablum” to them to provide support & encouragement, but I no longer believe the “feel good” aphorisms. It’s not true.
I feel really badly when I see mega-jerk Mitt RMoney saying that 47% of the country are lazy moochers who just want a hand out. It’s beyond belief that this CRIMINAL is running for POTUS and actually has credibility. What’s even more INSANE is that I have boomer friends & relatives who are long-term unemployed (brother-in-law is basically supported by my sister who is a dreaded horrid mooching Union teacher: boooga boooga boooga/ s) and are definitely voting for RMoney as their next new “savior.” Of course, Obama is no better, but RMoney? Geez.
Yes, “society” – aka the corp owned propoganda wurlitzer – has dutifully brainwashed our wonderful citizens to toss ALL the unemployed under the moocher bus. Sad to say, but those who simply cannot find a job, no matter how hard they try, are just lazy slackers who “don’t feel like working” and have their hands out for mooching buck$.
I. Don’t. Get. It.
WHERE is the outrage? Certainly MANY are unemployed, and yet: crickets, or if not crickets, then what I *mostly* hear are resounding dismissals of the Occupy movement as “traitors,” “lazy moochers,” “worthless slackers.” Don’t. Get. It.
Best to all. At least I can say: I’m on your side.
I am voting Third Party fwiw. Good luck to us all cuz we’re gonna need it. Catfood coming right up….
Thanks. The employed seem as terrified as the unemployed.
The brainwash part might be from school!— “Try harder.”
I cope by clinging to nature. Writing.
I would love to open a ‘free garage’ for unemployed and ‘retired’ folks where we would fix/maintain our old cars. ( I couldn’t interest any of the local, super independent folks in it.) That probably would not change capitalism, but it might help everyone get by.
A nonviolent intervention like a general strike seems to work best for creating change. Like Spain. First, some solidarity to bring us all together. Is that what you are thinking of?
Oh yes. IMO, if you’re employed these days, one tends to be very afraid bc the ax could be coming for you. It’s entirely possible that my job could disappear in an instant.
I have a very part-time job in a “service industry” company. This company has never paid the workers well, but our pay continues to decline in various ways. For ex, in over 15 years of employment with this company, I have gotten ONE raise. the end.
Recently the company decreased our hourly rate for training from $8.50 to $8 (min wage) per hour.
We provide a rather complex service, and yet we are paid as low as they can go, believe me.
One co-worker works full-time for this company and can no longer keep her head above water financially despite a full-time job, another part-time job (which has diminished considerably during this depression), living very frugally and having borders rent rooms in her home.
She is now actively seeking new full-time employment. Well, per usual, I wished her luck, gave her suggestions and mouthed out the platitudes that I no longer believe. But of course, I AM supportive of her, but I hate to say it, but I fear for her chances of finding *anything* better than what she’s got now. Might I add that she’s over 50???
It’s totally depressing, but again: WHERE is the outrage??? There is none. Until citizens are willing to get off their butts and really protest this bullshit, we are going to continue to be beat down by the PTB. Sorry to say… but that’s the truth.
Again: good luck to us all.
Being outdoors, hiking, walking, whatever: good strategy.
Thank you. There are limits to how I can help.
I am another of the long term un/underemployed. I started my sucky little blog 2 1/2 years ago to try to draw attention to my and others’ plight.
But I’m damned it I will give up and give the bastards the win. It has been 8 years since I worked full time in my chosen field but I still keep trying. (My last jobs were on various state and local government social services applications and those levels have been cutting those types of jobs since the early ’00s)
Your posts are great! I guess there is no way for you to know how many of us visited you when you posted to FDL about unemployment issues, but we did.
I wonder if this is an issue that might be addressed locally with People Power to help spread awareness, and might even lead to some local employment solutions.
Imagine making some contacts at your local employment agencies, and finding people who would attend some strategy meetings for Occupying Unemployment, or some such meme. You all could then print some small Common Sense on Employment broadsides, and take to the street corners with signs and hand out brochures, speak with passers-by, and try to drum up some support for additional strategy sessions. Inviting the local news to protests is also great, and sometimes they even come.
If groups got large enough, you could hold candlelight vigils for jobs, but those would obviously have to be in areas where there’s enough light and shoppers, say, for people to stop and talk, etc.
Out Occupy is two people strong, and I’ve been amazed at the influence we’ve had over the months. Most folks who stop by to ask fairly mocking questions end up leaving nodding their heads in agreement.
It’s clearly down to us to make things happen now; our government has sold us out, and is poised to further, no matter which of the duopolists is appointed (chosen term).
We must create our own futures now, and it will be hard work.
I am sorry for your pain, and that of so many others. But you are in very good company, onitgoes, as will far more of us be if our retirement plans seriously end up being shopping trolleys and Hefty bags, as I imagine some days.
Well, I still do post most things to both my blog and to MyFDL although a lot of the posts have morphed to covering the gibberish known as general economic news rather than strictly employment issues.
And thank you for reading wherever you read.
Thanks wendydavis.
Recommended! Through the grace of God and good luck I made it to retirement. I do not know where the outrage is or why people keep supporting the Uniparty for the never changing failed policies. See also Economy – http://newprogs.org/blog/2011/11/10/economy-under-democraticrepublican-uni-party
Economic Graphs – http://newprogs.org/blog/2012/03/02/economic-graphs
Welcome, dear, and thanks for sayin’ it right. ;o)
And: thank you. And I forgot: rec’d.
I got laid off on January 13, 2009 and didn’t find a job until long after I had exhausted UI benefits. Became employed again on May 16, 2011 at roughly 60 percent of what I had been making. Though I’ve got a steady gig for now, I’m essentially doing what I used to do when I was in college but I’m glad to have the job. May 16, 2011 happened to be my fifty first birthday and yes, age discrimination is real and open. Though my employer doesn’t really exploit the economic hard times to increase production through fear, he knows he’s in the driver’s seat and so do we. If the economy is ever to improve, we have to fundamentally re-think this whole idea. Without a middle class, we’re all living at the whims of the 1%. I don’t like that.
I’ve had four deaths in my cohort in the last year, three by suicide and one by stroke. All were in despair about the loss of any meaningfull control over their work and personal lives. The two most recent include my cousin Theresa last Friday and a friend last friday as well (he had tinitus and could not find any relief). My coworker had one of his workers come to work last week. He hung himself at work and was discovered by two co-workers. This silent epidemic is silent due solely to the refusal of the press to report.
Every. Single. One. was without expectation that anything would improve in their circumstances.
O laurastrand, that is so tragic and saddening. I am so sorry for your friend’s and cousin’s despair and suicide. Try to keep some of the love you felt for them for your self. (I don’t believe they would want you to be hurt because of their pain.) One writer once described suicide as leaping from a burning building. Reading that seemed to have helped me to intellectually understand the enormity of the suicide’s pain. But our losses are so great……
……I am so frustrated with our government. Holding us hostage to get our votes?? FDR created millions of jobs in months through the WPA. In the 1970′s CETA created jobs with benefits that started youth out on careers in social services and in community service. History did not start yesterday. Those in power know exactly what to do to stop this.
My stars, lauranstrand; my heart turns inside out for you.
Please say that you have friends and family to support you, and the same for all of the others who will be mourning those who have taken their lives. It’s hard to sort of who went with which each underlying cause as you reported it, but clearly none of them saw their situations as temporary when they made their choices.
We handle death so inadequately in this society, and the taboos around suicide can make comforting those left alive even more impossible for some. After my mum killed herself, none of my friends came to us. We couldn’t even think what do when our stomachs rumbled for days, we were so numb and in shock.
When a casual friend finally stopped by with a meal, we were speechless with gratitude, and I will never forget her (and her family’s) kindness. I now know that feeding the bereaved is most important. I hope someone is doing that for you and the others, as well as being able to share the love, loss, regrets, and all that go on after deaths of any sort, but especially such tragic and needless self-imposed ones.
With each death we are forced to consider our own, which in the end, is a good thing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences, and hopes that you will process this and come out the other side whole again.
All I can think of is the Ave for you; please cry all the tears you can; they will serve you well.
The Maria Callas version is even more haunting. (No, I’m not Catholic, but some music transcends any of that.)
Peace to you.
TomThumb, can you go here and send me a ‘got it’ message, and I’ll delete it?
Thanks wendydavis!
Welcome, myfriend. ;o)
Dear Wendy, TomThumb, and all who congregate here, thanks for the cup of kindness. It a great and good fortune that I have a close circle of friends, and when the all-too-frequent tragedy occurs, we all gather and count noses and reassure each other that we matter to each other. We’re a pack, and we enjoy our good and bad times together. We mourn and tighten the knots and ties that bind us.
We will be gathering in remembrance for our recently lost, and each will find a place of honor on my offrenda. I’ve have found that the Dia de los Muertos is a beautiful way to mourn and celebrate, and damn it’s gonna be crowded. We will eat and drink, dance and cry and remember to never forget. This year, the party will be on the actual Dia, and the Flower Vato will be spinning the big platters.
The pack gathers regularly at the Rubicon here in Sacramento, and if you ever find yourselves in my neighborhood, you’d be welcome to join in.
Peace and grace to all.