That would be the preferred thing, of course. But until those jobs get created, even if it was (by some miracle) in a month or two, unemployed workers still need to eat and make payments on their abodes.
I know a lot of guys (mid- to upper-level management, IT pros, etc.) most of them in their 40s and 50s, who’ve been let go because their salaries were too high compared to cheaper youngsters and visa holders. Some of them have been pounding the pavement for over a year with no luck. Unemployment barely pays for the utility bills and food in some cases,
At least two of them have told me that they’ve been they’ve been turned down for even entry-level and sales clerk jobs because the management says, “We won’t hire you because you’ll just leave when the economy improves.” These guys want to work - that defines who they are.
One of my neighbors - this is not a joke - who has been out of work for 18 months got so depressed he tried to kill himself last week. His wife found him unconscious in the bathroom after having taken a whole lot of pills. I found out after asking about all the ambulances in front of their house last Saturday.
One of my friends has asked his high-school graduate son (just graduated with my own boy) to postpone college and get a job to help out. Apparently my friend had been using credit card advances to cover the bills. Now he can’t get hired because credit checks get run against him - one employer told him he was a “bad risk” because of his debt load. So the family figured that the son has no credit score, can get a job and bring home a steady paycheck.
It makes me think of the way my family lived 125 or 100 years ago; the census records showed that the adult sons would stay home with the parents and contribute to the household expenses.
Maybe we’re going back to that model - two, three, even four generations of adults and children living in one house. I’d better soundproof my bedroom if my son isn’t leaving anytime soon!
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I can relate to your comments about older people being let go in favor of younger, cheaper workers. It happened to my spouse, who quit looking for work, became a free agent for hire in his field of specialty, and is now working on his own time, enjoying days off whenever he wants, and making more money than before.
I’d encourage those who have a lot of experience to think about trying this approach. With the health bill coming along, smaller companies are needing people with experience but cannot afford to hire - but will rent! Hopefully that theme doesn’t carry over to housing, though.