O/T Add me to the list of unemployed.

Hey bro's...feeling the SAME pain! Got laid off on October 22nd. STILL looking for a job after applying to more than 30 different companies. I felt good about a possible job with the BUD distributor here in town BUT just got the call yesterday...hired from within! SUX! I didn't file for Unemployment until it had been a month and now, I still haven't received any checks (after telling me I qualified for the max amount) in the the last 6 weeks! It's horrible here just like everywhere. More & more lay offs everyday so it makes you wonder when you will ever be back on your feet? Good luck to all of you who are going thru this and I hope none of you, including myself, have to sell your pride & joys to pay bills!

 

Here's one;
<TABLE id=JobSearchResultsHeader cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=723 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=MNSEven noWrap>1/16/2009</TD><TD class=MNSEven style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">Automotive Worker/Mechanic, WG 6/WG 10
Working Hours: Various working hours to include days, nights, midnights and weekends. Salary: Actual salary will vary depending on location. WG 6: $35,020.00 - $ 40,884.00 WG 10: $43,890.00 ...[more]

<TABLE id=Source cellSpacing=0 cols=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Vacancy Ann.#: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>FO-2009-0037</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Who May Apply: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Public</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Pay Plan: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>WG-5823-06/10</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Appointment Term: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Permanent</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Job Status: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Full-Time</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Opening Date: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>1/2/2009</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Salary: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>From 35,020.00 to 51,215.00 USD per year</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD class=MNSEven>Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</TD><TD class=MNSEven>US-Throughout The United States</TD><TD class=MNSEven align=middle>35,020.00+</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

This might interest someone;
<TABLE id=JobSearchResultsHeader cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=723 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=MNSOdd noWrap>1/16/2009</TD><TD class=MNSOdd style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">Electronics Technician, GS 7/9/10/11/12
Working Hours: Various working hours to include days, nights, midnights and weekends. Salary: Salary listed is Federal Base Salary. Actual salary will vary depending on location. GS 7: $33, ...[more]

<TABLE id=Source cellSpacing=0 cols=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Vacancy Ann.#: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>FO-2009-0025</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Who May Apply: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Public</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Pay Plan: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>GS-0856-07/12</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Appointment Term: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Permanent</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Job Status: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Full-Time</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Opening Date: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>12/31/2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Salary: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>From 33,477.00 to 77,194.00 USD per year</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</TD><TD class=MNSOdd>US-Throughout the United States</TD><TD class=MNSOdd align=middle>33,477.00+</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Here's another for you engineers;
<TABLE id=JobSearchResultsHeader cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=723 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=MNSEven noWrap>1/16/2009</TD><TD class=MNSEven style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">General Engineer ( Project Manager), GS 14
Division: Facilities and Logistics Services Division Location: Washington, DC Working Hours: 7:00 am- 3:30 pm (flexible) Relocation expenses will be borne by the selectee, except FBI employees re ...[more]

<TABLE id=Source cellSpacing=0 cols=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Vacancy Ann.#: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>21-2009-0030</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Who May Apply: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Public</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Pay Plan: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>GS-0801-14/14</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Appointment Term: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Permanent</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Job Status: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Full-Time</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Opening Date: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>1/2/2009</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Salary: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>From 102,721.00 to 133,543.00 USD per year</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD class=MNSEven>Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</TD><TD class=MNSEven>US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area</TD><TD class=MNSEven align=middle>102,721.00+</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

A couple more some of you may qualify for;
<TABLE id=JobSearchResultsHeader cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=723 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=MNSOdd noWrap>1/16/2009</TD><TD class=MNSOdd style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">Maintenance Mechanic Supervisor WS 4749-12
Location: Washington, DC (FBIHQ) Division: Facilities and Logistics Services Working Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Relocation expenses will be borne by the selectee, except FBI employees returni ...[more]

<TABLE id=Source cellSpacing=0 cols=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Vacancy Ann.#: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>21-2009-0033</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Who May Apply: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Public</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Pay Plan: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>WS-4749-12/12</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Appointment Term: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Permanent</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Job Status: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Full-Time</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Opening Date: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>1/6/2009</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSOdd vAlign=top noWrap>Salary: </TD><TD class=MNSOdd>From 70,999.74 to 82,916.51 USD per year</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD class=MNSOdd>Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</TD><TD class=MNSOdd>US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area</TD><TD class=MNSOdd align=middle>70,999.74+ </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=MNSEven noWrap>1/16/2009</TD><TD class=MNSEven style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">Maintenance Mechanic Supervisor WS 4749-17
Location: Washington, DC (FBIHQ) Division: Facilities and Logistics Services Working Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (flexible) Relocation expenses will be borne by the selectee, except FBI ...[more]

<TABLE id=Source cellSpacing=0 cols=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Vacancy Ann.#: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>21-2009-0034</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Who May Apply: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Public</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Pay Plan: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>WS-4749-17/17</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Appointment Term: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Permanent</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Job Status: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>Full-Time</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Opening Date: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>1/6/2009</TD></TR><TR><TD class=MNSEven vAlign=top noWrap>Salary: </TD><TD class=MNSEven>From 83,500.87 to 97,379.42 USD per year</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD class=MNSEven>Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</TD><TD class=MNSEven>US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Also You guys should check out the govenment job listings also.

 

yep i work for fiat build case tractors. i got lucky since i make ag parts the consructution equipment guys are on 10 split up weeks a of lay offs right now

 

Oh I can see this is going to get politcal....

 

I got laid off Dec. 3rd after 13 years at the same company. I was told that it wasn't performance, but that I made too much money. Isn't that the point of working hard and getting promoted?!!! I design web sites and little do they know that there are things in all of the work over the last 13 years that only I know. If they ever start having trouble, they are screwed. But management isn't smart enough to figure that out. They look at a list of salaries, not how valuable you are to the company. I have never been laid off in my life, and the first time it happens it's during the worst economy in my life time.

 

We've been diggin this hole for more than 20 years, it's not gonna be fixed overnight. We have gotten to used to buying whatever we want, whenever we want. The economy will self correct itself, providing people don't decide they are still entitled to everything and riot. That being said, I can't get people to work because no one can pass a background investigation.

 

what kind of background investigation?
what kind of work?
maybe if you cant find people, your requirements for the back ground investigation need to be looked at or changed..

 

Hey Doc... come visit us in the States. Seriously. Scrape up the money to come visit, and bounce around from one HAMBer to the other for a while, until you get your bearings again. I'm not joking.
Things are tight in my household, but I've got venison in the freezer and a guest room.
Honestly. Scrape up the cash for a flight (HAMB collection?) and we'll put you up in a different house somewhere in the country every few weeks. If you're going to be homeless, you might as well be homeless among friends and see the USA.

I had the poor character to let my former boss know that there might be a magazine job opening up in 45 days, and they might want to hold off on training me for a new function until I found out for sure: wasn't looking, but it was a mag I really, really liked. I'd leave for that one, but only that one, and it probably wouldn't come thru, but just the same I'd hate to waste their time training me for something I wouldn't be there to do. If the mag fell thru, no problems. Two days later, they said "Thanks for the service, but if you're even thinking about getting another job, we'll make the decision easier for you." That was in March, and I've been freelancing since.

A few years ago, we busted our asses and lived CHEAPLY to pay off thousands in credit card bills, payed off 5 years of a truck loan in only 2 years, paid some medical bills, and put some money in the bank. Also started our swap meet during that time, and it was costing us money for the first year and a half.

For everyone who still has a job, buckle down and get as close to debt-free as you can. Cut up your credit cards NOW. Stop using them. If you can't pay cash for something, you can't afford it. Pay your car off as quickly as you can. If it's a choice between car or cards, pay off the car first, because they won't repo your credit cards.

When I came home that night, I told my wife it was time to start working Plan B. I got unemployment for 3 months--$300 a week. I was eligible to get it for 6 months, plus the extension. But I didn't need it after the freelance checks started rolling in, so I got off it.

It's been tight, but we're happy. If I had a truck payment and credit cards? I'd have been buried. Instead, I was able to have an emergency fund.

The day after I was let go, the rear end in the Suburban exploded. Within the next two months, I needed a root canal, my wife needed a root canal, and the AC in the house needed to be replaced. I also bought a new computer and camera for my new career. We survived, because we had an emergency fund and no credit bills or car payments.

For everyone with a job, you better have a Plan B, and a Plan C. And I mean a DETAILED Plan B, so you can step into it right after the boss calls you into the office that last time.

What makes this recession more dangerous from The Great Depression is credit: the country and our citizens have never been this strung out on credit before, and I don't think anyone has any idea how bad it's going to get. But cash is still king.

-Brad

 

Hey Doc; Have you considered coming out to Canada?you should try Saskatchewan as our province is experiencing a boom;surely you've got skills that we can put to good use.You should give this serious thought;what have you got to lose? Hell,you can even stay with us in Moose Jaw until you've got back on your feet!

 

It is scary..Toyota just revealed that they are doing just as badly as GM or Ford..the current administration for "change" instead of stimulating Businesses which in turn would cause them to hire people, will have no choice but to "spread the wealth" by taxing Businesses even more which in turn will cause them to lay off even more people as they feel the pinch..All the Automotive executives were rightly critized for showing up to the bail-out hearings in their Biz-Jets, then our President-elect orders the most expensive, tricked-out, Cadillac Limo-truck ever built??

 

Unemployment today is just under 7% which is no where near historic highs but it is way worse than just 18 months ago when it was at historic lows. I really feel pain for you guys. My industry (tech consulting) has many open positions they can't fill because it requires specific training and experience (and a background investigation). I agree with others that you do have to be creative and agressive and positive but also be willing to relocate if at all possible. As much as I do not like the new president, he is going to create a hugh government and that means that certain locations are definitely going to be hiring. Even if we get to 10% unemployment (which would be a huge disaster) that still means 90% of people are working at doing something and have some money to spend. Got to figure out what THOSE people want to spend their money on and provide that good or service.

 

yah, this sucks. i got laid off the week of thanksgiving. my wife got laid off about six months before me. it doesnt look good here. it really sucks. i have sold of alot of things to just pay my bills. you do what you have to i guess. we didnt do christmas this year. its ok, my son is only two. he still had fun. we have another on the way. its just been a bad year for alot of folks around here. i hope this year will be better. i guess i am lucky we do ok on unemployment. it just covers the bills. it sucks i have worked on every thing from bikes, boats, cars, to aircraft. mechanic, fabricator, welder for a start and i cant find shit here. my wife is an aerospace engineer and she cant find work anywhere either.

well at least i have my loving wife and my son with me. i have gotten to spend alot of time with him. thats always good.

 

I really hate to defend him but he didn't order it. It was in the works before the election.

 

I don't hate defending him. This shit didn't happen on his watch.

 

laid-off sense Aug 08..................

 

Hi folks, I won't go into my layoff woes here but want to give you all some information that works for me. Here in Cincinnati we have a group called the Job Search Focus Group. Check out the JSFG.com website. The last two times I have been laid off I went to the meetings. This type of group could be started anywhere in the country. It is setup as a non-profit group. They meet every monday at a civic minded church and are given a small office and access to meeting rooms etc. The fantastic thing about this group is just like the Jalopy Journal, a professionally run organization, that is a low cost or free endevor, that excells due to the selfless contributions of its members, all unemployed regular folks.
The way it works is this, as a new visitor you go to an orientation meeting, managed and run by other currently unemployed folks (volunteers). After the orientation you join a group meeting in progress. The orientation volunteer introduces each new person to the group. You then stand in front of the whole group and tell them who you are and what you are looking for. (a little scary, but it really works well) remember everyone in the audience is currently unemployed too! Usually there is a short break after the introductions. You would be surprized by the job leads that may come your way during the break. The final part of the meeting is generally the featured speaker. Another small group ov volunteers handle this part. It is often someone from the business sector, or contracting firm, resume writing service or any other person, group or organization that has skills and knowledge that unemployed people need. Another resource they have is a web site, free to companies looking to hire, that offer your professional profile to view. It is not like Monster.com or other websites where all your personal info is out there. It is limited to 500 characters. If someone reads your profile, they e-mail or phone the JSFG office (staffed by unemployed volunteers) who pass the information along to the job seeker. That way you have a company, persons name and phone number to contact. For the employer they have a large, free resource of quality individuals for hiring. (no head-hunter fees).
Here is an example; due to few interviews during my last job search I decided to try and combine my medical and engineering background into a sales/and or training job. So I decided to develop a short class on how to sell stuff on EBay. I presented the proposal to the JSFG group and I had 23 people sign up. Now I had to quickly develop the class. It was a success, and I had a new skill. So when I was asked at my job interview, what I did while unemployed, I could say I volunteered at a local non-profit where I developed and taught a class on using the internet for sales related activity.
Overall, for me this group kept me from going crazy. I hope you can find something like it in your areas.

 

7% maybe for the nation
but as you said 10% would be a disaster...well welcome to Michigan..9.5% i believe..or maybe its at or near 10% now..ive stopped watching

nearly half a million people are without jobs....nothing about that is good..or acceptable

 

I think they're doing it just to get a rise out of people (no pun intended). Larry Flynt has always been an anti-government rabble-rouser, and what a great way to show the government's hypocrisy.

 

probably..just thought it was interesting

 

I got my hours cut --still have my job, but only get 32 hours per week---retail is shrinking fast

 

I got let go a week before Christmas. I've sent out a hundred resumes and went to a career fair at Rutgers University but have yet to get an interview.

Unemployment check is on the way but I feel like a low-life for having to go that route.

 

Been thru the failed business scenario and that taught me a few things. Lots of good advice on here about getting rid of debt, reducing the "wants" list to a "needs" list etc. The downturn is starting to hit downunder as well and I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet. A common saying around here is "when America catches a cold, the rest of the world gets pneumonia..." Good luck to all you HAMBers out there, what ever your circumstances.

 

Got laid off last May when the sawmill I worked at for 34 yrs closed for good. Lucky to get extended unemployment and some training ops

 

I cannot over-emphasize how important something like this is. Every day you are not working you should be volunteering. If you are able to work you are able to volunteer doing something. This provides a number of great benefits, not the least of which is keeping our own spirits up while you serve others. It looks great on your resume and you will meet more people. Some one may be impressed with the way you volunteer and decide they would like to pay you to work. At a minimum you will not be bored.

 

DONT you worked for that ...The government is screwing you anyway as they really should pay as long as you prove your looking for a job.. I dont care if its 5 years.. Now i know there are people fucking with the system and never look for a job and someone should go thru the records and see that they get layed off every winter for a few months and make them save the damn money to survive when they loose work.. I have more ideas also but of course no one listens ... take your unenjoyment checks and be proud..
Dave

 

You will be able to draw, to the maximum, money that you/your employers paid in over the years. It's your money. Why would you not want it? It's rationale like this that some political correct elitist has you believing that pisses me off. What's wrong with these people, to suggest that you shouldn't take what is yours? Same people diss giving bonuses to excellent performing employees! They want to drag the overacheivers down to the level of the lacadasiacals!