anybody here a victim of unemployment?

[redhen]

Unemployment is NOTHING like Welfare...nothing. You HAVE to WORK to get unemployment benefits.
Welfare you dont EVER have to work.. you can sit on welfare and mooch for years and years not ever having had a job in your LIFETIME....
BIG difference folks...

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

I know everyone can not relocate for jobs, but in some parts of this country the market is booming. It would benefit those that are serious to look into taking a job away from home atleast until the market in their area improves.
We need hard working people who want to make good money here, several companies have had to close their doors, not because of the recession, but because there is not enough people to fill positions. Many folks from out of town are flocking here to make serious money, and it is still not enough.
If you are willing.....pm me and I can direct you to some contacts.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
True. If you work, you get unemployment for 6 months (avg depending on state). If you don't work, you get welfare for a long time.

I'm just thankful that we have always been tight with money (trying to live on one income...it was just usually a higher income than now), so we can make it scraping by on one income. Because I work, DH doesn't qualify for financial aid, so we have to pay for his schooling (which is a big expense for us, but worth it in the log run

).

 

[PineappleMama]

Barker... off the top of my head... for whatever reason when people lose jobs...

More people with no income means less money being spent on rent, utilities, food, clothes, etc ... that means businesses cutting more jobs OR raising prices to keep their numbers where they need them. Which means even more people unable to pay/buy, and/or less people able to afford... bad cycle that. As more and more people get behind in their bills more and more utility companies, apartments, etc are forced to send it to collections/write it off and they have to find the cash to make their payroll from somewhere else. Which just goes back to raising prices/laying off to make up for it. And the more collections rack up the higher deposits become to get an apartment or utilities turned on, making it harder for folks to get situated in their new home. Round and round it goes.

Also means less money deposited in banks, which means less loans being granted, so less homes sold, keeping the housing market wonky. As if many not having income wasn't effecting that enough. Then of course the banks also consider that right now almost any (non-government anyways) job is 'on the line' so they aren't issuing loans because of that fear too. So people remain stuck in houses they cannot afford, get behind in their payments which leads to foreclosures -also ruining your credit so don't even think about a loan and maybe unable to even rent-, or they scratch by but cannot take the better job they were offered elsewhere because they can't get a loan for another house in that other place, and even if they could/just rent a place they can't afford two mortgages until their first house sells. Less business at the bank means firings. Less real estate being sold means firings, OR agents not making enough to cover their bills and their annual licensing.... and of course no loans means no new construction, no remodeling, etc. so many construction, carpenters, tilers, bricklayers, etc etc are all out of work.... Again, a nasty cycle.

Then there's the Health Aspect. More people without jobs means more without insurance. Either due to their employee providing it, or because with no income insurance is second to food/rent. So there's more people not getting in to see their doctor because they can't pay, and thus more people having no choice but to go to the ER... and then not pay. Which means overcrowded hospitals, prices soaring to cover the unpaid accounts, and lay offs... which just leads to less care and more crowding. Not to mention without insurance many can't afford their prescriptions so they don't refill... assuming of course that their doctor will write a refill without them coming in and paying for an office visit out of pocket. Which the doctor can't afford to do because like everyone else he has unpaid accounts, and delays from insurance and definitely from Medicaid/care that aren't going into his account to pay his rent, utilities, staff payroll, equipment loans, school loans and malpractice insurance premiums... all of which he cannot work without... either he stops taking any but paying customers (preferably cash) or he closes up shop... leaving him and his staff unemployed and many without a doctor even when they can pay... making the next doctor in town's office more crowded...

And lest we forget the car payments. No job means you can't pay them, so your car is taken. Which of course makes it pretty well impossible to get to work, or to find a job further than a mile from your home. Don't know about you but many businesses don't like to see their employees covered in sweat, soaked with rain, etc. while they're poda be looking professional. There's one more job gone, if you had one to start with. Meanwhile your car is put in the used lot, and since the economy is bad more people are buying used, many can't get a car loan either, so they're forced to get what they can buy for cash. Which means that auto companies, parts companies, tire companies, etc all have to slow production... which means MORE layoffs. Might be no one you know, but it is many more being put on UI which drains what little paycheck you're getting even more.

Round and Round it goes... businesses are afraid to hire and then have business drop... employees are all holding their breath for fear of a lay off... unemployment keeps rising as sales drop and lay offs increase...

Now according to some, we're in horrible shape... DH has his job, but we rent our house... have two vehicles 16 & 17 years old with problems, our income is below poverty line, no savings, no health or life insurance... but also no credit card debt... bills are paid -if juggled so sometimes a little late- but we have food, shelter, etc. But MANY consider US the poor ones because we don't live in a house we can't afford, drive cars we can't afford, rack up thousands in debt for clothes/shoes we don't need... and so on... to many we're the pathetic ones... or we were until this recession started... now we're looking pretty lucky... our cars can't be taken... we won't lose our home... credit card isn't suing us... etc. We may not have much, but what we have is secure.

Part of the problem we're in is that MANY people don't get by like we do... they get in over their heads. When they had the good job they were juggling okay. Enough for that $2000 mortgage on the 3000sf house for two people... enough for the $500x2+ car payments... not to mention Full Coverage insurance required not just liability... enough for the monthly credit card bill... etc. But then they lose their jobs and that house of cards tumbles. More many many years many many people have been living this way... including our government... and now that proverbial stiff wind has come along to knock it all down. We have to start rebuilding... in cash... from the ground up. Government, Businesses, and Personal all need to take the time, downsize, get their ducks in a row and THEN begin slowing regrowing. But it takes time to make a strong foundation... you can't lay your studs until the concrete is set... so in the meantime we're all going to have to suck it up, bumble along, and take whatever work available just too keep ourselves above water until the job market, housing, etc are READY to grow again.

It's going to be a long and bumpy ride, and many aren't going to appreciate having to stand on their own or having to take a food job (my BIL comes to mind... and my sister... but that really is a RANT!)... folks are going to have to grow up, suck it up, and get over the Gimme What The World Owes Me and NOW mentality. (not that anyone here is like that, this is a very self sufficient group, but this is an attitude that's become freakishly common in our society)...

*passes salt cellar*

 

[turney31]

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Only problem with that is..there are NO jobs in my area to be had... NONE. I live in a small town..all the jobs are already taken...
So then what do you do?

Its not as easy as just being willing to take a lesser paying job..(say at McDonalds or a pizza joint..) Because those jobs are already filled with MANY applicants ahead of you...

And i'm not sure i agree with the "people are going to have to grow up" part ....
No, my husband does NOT want to work for $10 an hour when his regular job pays $30-$40 ..
I cant blame him one bit for that...
When you just SETTLE for those low paying jobs..well..then thats how you also have to live... sorry, but its the truth. I have a mortgage to pay... and McDonalds will NOT pay that motgage... period.
Is he WILLING to work at ANY job to support us?? You bet he is... but again... there are NO jobs to be had in our area...
But he'll do what he has to do... dosent mean he LIKES it though. So, i dont think that he has to "grow up" at all just because he dosent really want to work for crummy pay.

 

[PineappleMama]

I know.. until the business picks up no one's going to hire extra staff... and business can't pick up until more folks are hired and thus have the money to spend...

Which is why earlier I mentioned that we need to regrow our sense of community... if we hadn't allowed our community spirit to shrivel and die, and allowed the government to slowly but surely become our keeper, had we maintained our OWN charities instead of depending on the government to help any and all in need... well then right about now those charities would have the funds and volunteers needed to help folks with bills, with food, etc. But, because for a decade/s people have been pulling away from local charities because they assume the government will take care of the poor via the insane amount of taxes taken out (government reallocation of resources much?)... and thus they figure they don't need to donate their time or funds since they figure they're already paid in... well now the government can't support all those in need AND there are not enough locals who give a fig and the few who do don't have the funds to help very many.

We've allowed our support structure to be built of straw... and the very small but well built structure below it cannot support the masses when the straw snaps. We allowed our apathy to rule. We allowed those representing our wishes to create this structure in our names. We've turned our backs on our communities, our neighbors, in favor of a I only care about Me and Mine and Big Brother will cure any problems so I don't have to see them mind set. We've had our heads in the sand, and now that we're finally coming out we see that our homeland is crumbling and our brothers are too far to reach.

This too must be changed... but as we have learned with our fight against terrorism... it is a LOT harder to kill an idea than any creature on the planet. This is in people's heads, and for years (some their entire lives) they have lived this way and been fine... so why change now... surely the government will fix everything.... right?

So, not only do we have to rebuild our economy, our jobs, our housing... but we must also rebuild ourselves.

 

[redhen]

Nah...i never believed the govt would fix anything.. nothing. I've seen too much to know better.
The ONLY people who DO get any real help are the ones that dont work. The moochers. They get all kinds of free govt help. They get their schooling paid for..they get free food..they get free childcare(and they arent even working!).... they get almost free housing and utilities..(yet they can afford cell phones and the internet..

..)
Makes me sick... it DOES pay to be a mooch in todays world. Its the cold hard truth.

 

[PineappleMama]

^ Yeppers, THOSE are the ones I'm talking about... That Gimme Mine attitude... the world owes you a living... etc.

Then there are the ones that know that those exist, but it's not them, so it doesn't effect them... head in the sand.

Then there are those who work, who know about those, and are PIZZED and have voted accordingly for years. Unfortunately, those are the major minority. Much EASIER to let others think for you, ignore the problem, etc.

And that is a big reason why we're in the hole we're in... us SANE people need to keep on doing the do... the middles ones need to pull their heads out of their... sands... and the moochers need a swift kick in the pants... which cutting off their freebies would certainly do.

Unfortunately that isn't a very popular sentiment... especially not for those attempting to get reelected.

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:
Oh, don't forget about those in prison getting law degrees on our dollars, and all the foodstamps and welfare when they get out. Did ya hear about the prisoners filling for the $8,000 homebuyers credit and getting them? I heard a little about it from my DH, I was working 12+ hr a day shifts last month when that fieasco broke out.

Something is wrong when robbing a bank gets you a free college degree!