Friday, November 07, 2008

Fellow job-seekers: What do we do now?


Hiring freezes. Layoff increases.

A Chicago Associated Press writer is doing a piece on "recent grads, who moved back in with their parents and may be waiting tables." That's me! One of my coworkers at WVUS pitched me for it. Miss AP is interested in an in-person interview, but doesn't think she has the budget to fly to Seattle. I'm expecting a call next week.

In my life, the only thing suffering in the wake of our failing economy is my pride, as I am 22 with no dependents. My heart goes out to those who find themselves jobless while they are trying to provide for their families and loved ones. Can we, as a nation, tighten our belts and live with a little less? This Christmas season will be the first challenge.

I am thankful to God who has opened networking opportunities for me at WVUS, and a reliable part-time job at Sbux that provides for practical needs (health, savings). I pray that I can be a good steward of the things He has provided for me.

What's missing in our culture's literature lately: how to be productive when you're unemployed.

Jobless Rate at 14-Year High After October Losses

The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday, as cash-strapped consumers pulled back and businesses hunkered down, intensifying the distress gripping much of the country.

The unemployment rate spiked to 6.5 percent from 6.1 percent, the highest level since 1994. Many analysts now expect unemployment will reach 8 percent by the middle of next year.

Coupled with revisions to September’s data — which now show a loss of 284,000 jobs, down from an initial estimate of 159,000 — the economy has shed 1.2 million jobs since the beginning of the year. More than half the job losses have been in the last three months.

New York Times

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