Well, as some of you predicted earlier in the threads, hubby's unemployment stopped because Congress is undecided to continue with unemployment benefits. Jobs are out there but lacks skills or experience is causing a rift for the people in town. (Decatur, IL....number one city in the USA with highest unemployment). Talks of CAT going to lay off some more. CAT employees do not believe that CAT will pull out or do a "sweep" of their employees going out the door. Ham radio bandwaves informed us that CAT is building factories in Thailand and sending USA built tractors over there to be completed. Funny a few employees there said, trucks are built but no orders coming in like the corporation said in Jan when they "won" bid from Australia to produce more trucks/tractors for them. More layoffs predicted in March and employees said it won't happen. It has happened before last year and the year before that when my hubby got laid off. It will happen, it is a matter of time, people in this town is getting restless, with high unemployment, lack of jobs to "fit" the employees (meaning blue color jobs for white color employees, no skills, qualifications). Sure you can go back to college, in the hopes of landing a job you studied for (according IDES), and once you graduated, there ARE no jobs available or employers have been really really picky.
Hubby is frustrated, angry and depressed about the job outlook, kept saying we WILL be heading for the Depression. I remain optimist, what goes down must come up tactic. He has been looking in the past year and three months, thru all the temp services, same response, week after week "sorry, we don't have anything for you but please do come back next week, we might have something for you" or " we will take names" or "we will call you"........nada, and he makes the point to keep checking back. Employment office clerks told all the people coming in waves last month, UI benefits cut off and IDES sign in website got some bugs going on, informed all of them there ARE jobs out there, you are not trying hard enough, and if you don't keep up with your temp services, you will be denied of your UI benefits if and when you get them. We do not have ANY information when or where or how you will get your UI benefits but you STILL have to recertify again and again weekly. There will be NO backpay for "waiting" for your UI benefits.
Sucks! We went to Public Aid office last week. This month, we will only live on my ssd benefits of a meager 910 dollars a month..... glad I stock piled some groceries last month but it won't last long. My SSD will only cover so much of most of our bills but not for food, feed or gasoline for work/doctor's trips or my RX. My Medicare RX has been denied that I must pay for ALL of my meds out of pocket and pay it in cash to keep the costs low as possible.
Brace yourselves, Decatur folks, it is going to be a very bumpy ride when CAT downsize even more, ADM headquarters moving upstate and who knows what else will happen in this town. Our town is so full of "service" employers....restuarants, fast food, grocery stores, hospital/doctors office, retail stores but no manufactering, State Farm, automotive factories and two factories still remaining so far are Staley and ADM.
**** it, we NEED jobs, MORE jobs and get our stablity in the economy back!
