Posted on 06/27/2004 2:04:13 PM PDT by A. Pole
NEW YORK - After 20 months of looking for work and sending out hundreds of résumés, Jeffrey Schwab has given up trying to find another job as a draftsman. He's now taken early Social Security and is considering whether to sell his Bellingham, Wash., home to move to something smaller. "From what I can tell, there's not much to look for," says Mr. Schwab, who has 35 years of pipeline-design experience. "I am standing around with nothing to do."
Even though the economy has created 1.2 million jobs since January, some 265,000 people have dropped out of the job hunt during the same period. They would join some 19.1 million Americans in the same situation as Schwab, who are unemployed and not looking for work largely because they are convinced they won't find it. This figure, at a record level, is up 44 percent from 10 years ago.
If the job market continues to improve, this large number of people could decide to get back in the job market - which would hold the unemployment rate relatively high, even as new jobs are created.
"If this flow of nonworking Americans were to reverse, it would send the jobless rate toward 8 percent," says John Challenger of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas in Chicago.
That would certainly be the case in Pennsylvania, agrees the state's governor, Edward Rendell (D). The official unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, but it's "much greater," Mr. Rendell says, when factoring in men who have been cut off welfare and never got back into the workforce "and as a result never show up in the unemployment rolls."
Sometimes a rising jobless rate, says Bob Brusca of Fact and Opinion Economics in New York, can be a positive sign of a vibrant labor market that's luring more people in than it can absorb. But "that change has not occurred."
Many workforce dropouts in the age group of 25 to 54 have spent years working in shrinking industries, such as telecommunications or software development. "There are many people who have been downsized - a permanent job loss - that are taking a long time to return to work," says Andrew Stettner of the National Employment Law Project in New York. "They have had such a hard time when they are looking that they have given up, even though they don't necessarily want to."
In Tiffin, Ohio, that's the case with Merree Phillips, who lost her job a year ago as a development officer at Heidelberg College. She says that at times frustrations sap her motivation. "Some weeks you don't work as hard since it's so easy to get discouraged and you wonder whether it's worth it to keep pounding your head against the wall," she says. "I have not gotten to the interview stage of any job I have applied for."
Ms. Phillips thinks that the job market is actually shrinking in her area. A year ago, she says there were 20 to 25 listings for professionals in the want ads in The Courier, a Findlay, Ohio, newspaper. Sunday, the online edition had only four such ads. "I don't want to come off as a slacker, but there aren't even any decent prospects," she says.
Some workers who have officially stopped looking are going back to school. Enrollment at the nation's community colleges, which offer much of the job retraining, is soaring.
One of those who has gone back to school is Penni Neff, a divorced mother of a teenage boy who lost her job at a hospital.
Now, she's in school to become a licensed practical nurse.
"Gee, I don't know why people throw their arms up and say 'I give up!' " she writes in an e-mail.
"Sorry, I'm not doing it, but I get doors slammed all the time," says Ms. Neff, who has four months left to finish her courses before she starts another training program to become a registered nurse.
Neff's move is probably in the right direction, says Mr. Challenger. "She's evidence of the migration of going from the old economy to the new, particularly jobs that are service-related," says the outplacement guru. He says other areas that the long-term unemployed should consider include international business, housing construction, real estate, utilities, and the energy industry. "People often pigeonhole themselves," he says. "We're seeing almost 50 percent of people changing industries, but not functions."
Challenger adds that hiring someone who has been out of work for a long time can be rewarding for employers as well. "[The new workers] are really hungry to get back, so you are getting someone who is really committed and is not going to move quickly as a free agent," he says. "You can save people's lives and get very committed employees that way."
A job would certainly help someone like Schwab in Bellingham. His wife, who was also laid off, is now working 30 hours a week at a store, but she does not get benefits. They are now considering all options, including the sale of their home. "We needed a bigger house to care for my wife's mom, who had Alzheimer's disease," he says. "But it's more expensive to pay for and heat."
My company has been hiring since the day I got here.
Mail room on up to experienced salaried. We advertise EVERYWHERE, monster, monstertrak, papers, craigs list, hot jobs, everywhere. Our experience?:
1. People apply who are merely "fishing" and not looking to change unless the opportunity is GRAND.
2. People who accept the job, and either don't show up at all or work 1-2 days and never call/come in again.
3. People who don't show up for the interview.
4. People horribly underqualified (i.e. applying for accounting with only walmart experience and no GED).
5. We had two drunks in the last year.
I have two nephews who at the age of 25 have decided the world owes them a living and haven't kept a job for over a year IN THEIR LIVES. I say... ready?....kind of conservative thought!! :).....
QUIT FEEDING THEM. The nephews don't even have my correct phone number anymore.
I fell into proofreading by accident. I was doing temp work for an employment agency, and they sent me to a mail order company that needed someone to match the order forms to the invoices. I looked for errors in shipping prices, and the actual ordered materials, plus spelling errors.
When my mom was finally in a facility I could trust, I answered an ad in the paper for data entry, proofreading, etc. It was seasonal work...they supplied graduation supplies for preschoolers and kindergarteners. I did both data entry (MAS 90)and proofread the invoices. Eventually, I did nothing but proofread.
It helps to go through an employment agency, because they will test you on all your skills. I found typos in the paper they gave me for the typing test. :/
Sandy is right. Technically, dumbing down your resume is not lying. When I list where I went to high school, I no longer put my graduation date. I wish I could list "stay at home mommy" on my resume, but we all know that is a boo boo no no...
Nobody here wants to outright lie, but at the same time you have to be realistic and creative. Btw, I'm in awe of your mathematics degree. I suck at math :-(
My sister graduated with honors from Ohio State with a masters in psychology. She worked with the Navy for years as a therapist. When she decided she didn't want to continue with the work, she took a radar course and applied as a radar tech. They turned her down. She took ALL references to her education and experience off her resume, and she got the job.
Eliminating data isn't lying. Fabricating data IS. IMHO.
I wouldn't mind doing such work if I could do it from home. If I had to travel and also pay for childcare, it wouldn't be worth it. Do any businesses that you know of offer proofreading work from home?
Uhhhnnnhhh, Luis, here in the States "residency" IS in a specialty area, such as pediatrics, surgery, internship, etc., etc.
That includes brain surgery, although there's further training available for that particular specialty, like for certain types of coronary surgery.
Yes, you do, what is the point if you cannot find anything.
I know people who moved in to their relatives or have spouse or children supporting them.
There is no difference in favor of free marketers. I think that free marketeers are worse - Communists at least had aspiration to help other people while free marketeers want to change society into isolated powerless robots. They read Dickens books as a description of the Golden Age.
BTW, you are from Cuba, aren't you? Can you explain me why Cubans who are so close to USA still did not overthrow the Communist system? Maybe it is because of Batista fans like you?
Great. I have a few friends who can use this opportunity. Send me private e-mail how to contact your company and some info, please!
You Sir, are a genius
One retired man
some 265,000 people have dropped out of the job hunt during the same period. They would join some 19.1 million Americans in the same situation as Schwab, who are unemployed and not looking for work largely because they are convinced they won't find it.
Convinced or Unwilling to take a lesser role for awhile ?
If the job market continues to improve, this large number of people could decide to get back in the job market
Decide being the Key word here!
That would certainly be the case in Pennsylvania, agrees the state's governor, Edward Rendell (D). The official unemployment rate is 5.4 percent, but it's "much greater," Mr. Rendell says, when factoring in men who have been cut off welfare and never got back into the workforce "and as a result never show up in the unemployment rolls."
What were able bodied men doing on welfare to begin with ?
Many workforce dropouts in the age group of 25 to 54 have spent years working in shrinking industries, such as telecommunications or software development.
And who's fault is that ?
In Tiffin, Ohio, that's the case with Merree Phillips, who lost her job a year ago as a development officer at Heidelberg College.
The Office of Career Development has been given a face-lift, literally! New services, new staff and a new location are all important changes occurring within the realm of career development. The new director is not a stranger to the Heidelberg community, having worked for four years within the Office of Student Activities. Effective July 1, 2002, Andrea Grata Domachowski made the transition from student activities to career development. Andrea is joined on staff by secretary Mary Nepper and Jessica Benton, a graduate student from the college student personnel master's program at Bowling Green State University. Additionally, the Office of Career Development employs three undergraduate student Career Education Officers: Natalie Taylor, Corey Bird and Amy Armatrout, who are responsible for providing career outreach to students.
The Office of Career Development gets a face-life
This is a college and the webmaster cant spell lift ?
"I don't want to come off as a slacker, but there aren't even any decent prospects," she says.
To late There still hiring at your school for other things take another position unless of course you lost your job of you own volition as I see there are 3 woman working similar positions you had !
Some workers who have officially stopped looking are going back to school. Enrollment at the nation's community colleges, which offer much of the job retraining, is soaring
Thats good as long as the taxpayer isn't footing the bill!
A job would certainly help someone like Schwab in Bellingham. His wife, who was also laid off, is now working 30 hours a week at a store, but she does not get benefits. "We needed a bigger house to care for my wife's mom, who had Alzheimer's disease," he says. "But it's more expensive to pay for and heat."
Laid of but working ? no money but want to buy a bigger house with no money ? common sense would tell me to stay put and look for a better job than 30 hours a week! I feel sorry for his wifes mom and her to but you cant give up looking the jobs are there and if its as bleak as they say it is finding workers it shouldn't be to darn hard to find a better job !
Bwahahahahaha!!!
It's A.Pole and his one note samba!
What's the matter old man, the agent kicking you hard tonight?
Tell you what, I'll sign up to be a resident for your local hospital, and you come over so that I can do some brain surgery on you.
Is that OK with you?
And you are kind and know how to brighten up a beautiful morning.
Yep...did that once for high school and college. At the interview they asked for dates and to explain gaps in employment history. So you either end up lying about dates and gaps or date yourself and show you're "overqualified" or whatever the BS excuse is for not wanting to hire experienced people.
I can't vouch for the links, because I haven't checked them out yet, but look on my homepage. Someone else was looking to work from home, and I bookmarked the thread.
Childcare is the deal breaker. It's what has kept me from real employment for years.
Exactly. Isn't it a shame when your sister has acheived so much, and she has to hide those acheivements? That goes for everyone else who has to do that...
I haven't looked at my resume for two years. I had to make a choice between going back to school to get a better job, or trying to find a job while the kids where in school.
What I can do is list being a court appointed conservator. It's already on there, and also figure out a way to list executrix. That covers the gaps, without going into detail.
Speaking of "overqualified", check out the Monster.com message boards. It is scary. I read a post by someone who was a manager making a good salary. His position was eliminated. He couldn't relocate because of his kids, or something. He couldn't even find a job flipping burgers. This was 3 years ago, so I don't remember all the fine points of his post.
The last interview I went to they were looking for experienced folk to babysit the recent grads. It seems like they didn't know what they thought they knew and/or had lousy work habits....hehehe.
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