“...will it pay me just enough to support myself at a minimal level...”
This, I think, is the stumbling block
It’s all well and good to say: take any job.
That can work when you are young, etc. OK, or even really desperate.
And one stat I’d be interested to see is the North Carolina (for example) bankruptcy filings.
But, just in my own example, I probably could have gotten several jobs that would have NOT paid me enough to pay my mortgage, etc. and transportation to the job.
How can you take a job like that?
I’d be perfectly willing to work at Dunkin Donuts, but my mortgage lender wouldn’t be too happy about it.
All I can say is I never thought I’d be in this position, never in my darkest nightmares.
And yes, I blame Obama, but in all reality I must concede I think there may be other forces at work here.
Not diabolical forces but global economic forces.
But, it could be better than it is (North Korea/South Korea, East Germany/West Germany) and Obama is a HUGE part of that.
I know a lot of us had problems with Romney, but I still think it will prove a great tragedy that Obama was re-elected.
Here is an iron rule of reality: you can’t get blood from a stone.
I meant that you should be able to pay your mortgage or rent, put very basic nutritious food on the table, transportation, pay basic utilities and buy those other things which we all need, such as clothing, toiletries and medications. But a recession such as this is not the time to be worrying about vacations, tuition, dining out, extravagant entertainment, parties, expensive hobbies, gift-giving and the like. Many people on Earth live rather well on less than we pay for car insurance in a month.
How can you take a job like that?
I was out of work for an entire year. My wake-up call was after being out nine months, a career counselor said if he was a hiring manager looking at my resume he would feel like asking "So, how was prison?"
While the checks were coming, I could justify not taking a lower-paying job but when I realized I needed to still look employable, I took a job at 60% what I formally made with a contractor agency and continued job-hunting in my off hours. Nine months later, I found a job that paid 50% more than the job I had.
The long-term unemployed send a silent message that they aren't really willing to work or are a problem that nobody wants (drugs/alcohol/lazy/abusive...). It may not be true but how is the prospective employer going to know that?
If you are a long-term unemployed and your benefits are either expired or soon to be, take whatever you can - even convenience store clerk or washing dishes at your favorite restaurant - and start back up the ladder one rung at a time. The longer you stay out, the bigger a red flag you make for yourself.
Those aren't easy words but they are essential in climbing out. I know. I've been there.
May God bless all of you stuck in this mess. Those of you in hard-core unemployment areas may also consider relocation with your meager funds. Living in an area of 6% unemployment improves your odds compared to an area of 12% unemployment.
Wouldn’t having a job that pays 70% of what you need, and just have to take 30% out of your savings, then not working at all and taking 100% out of your savings?
Or you could kill yourself working two jobs, not a lot of money per hour but maybe enough to live on.
I guess you could move into a house that is smaller as well.
Yes, it is easy for me to say. I’m over 50 but I put 20% of my salary into a retirement fund for pretty much my entire life, so now if I get laid off I could probably retire. Of course, that means I could not take trips to Europe every year, and I got almost all my clothes at thrift stores; but now I’m used to it and you don’t need much of a job to buy thrift-store clothes.