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Just Rambling on
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Thought of the day:
"Things are not always as they seem... or so it seems!"
- Benjamin Goodman
Wow, it's been a while since I posted. Nothing really new to report. John and I are still job searching and applying for just about any opening we see. Since I prefer to be organized, this "blind applying" for anything and everything is unsettling to me. A job search is supposed to be focused. You know what you want, you know what skills and knowledge you have to offer an employer, and you know how to market yourself. Changing careers is difficult enough without being in a position where you're forced to change your career goal to "anything available" just to keep a roof over your head!
Today is the 5-month anniversary of the day I was laid off. I can not believe it has been this long! When I was laid off, I figured a month, maybe two at the most. In December, I felt that I would find something by the end of January. Someone told me that I should just relax and enjoy the time off until the economy gets better. Even if that was financially feasible, and I was the type of person to "just relax", just when is the economy supposed to get better??? Not a week goes by without hearing of someone getting laid off, or an announcement that another company is downsizing or moving operations overseas.
The US joblessness rate went down last month, but how is that possible? The lower unemployment rate is an economic indicator that makes it look like the economy is getting better, but, things aren't always as they appear. This article, among others, confirmed my suspicions. Many groups of unemployed people are not included when determining the unemployment rate: Those that have not applied for unemployment insurance, those that have exhausted their unemployment benefits, those that are not eligible for unemployment benefits for whatever reason, independent contractors that can no longer find work, self-employed people that have lost their customers... Also not included in this figure are those that have actually found part time work, even if it is only a few hours or days a week. Yes, the unemploment rate went down, but lets look reasonably at the entire picture. It looks bleak, unless something changes that will create new jobs and bring jobs back to the United States.
The unemployment rate doesn't even give a true picture of the number of job seekers that are out there. Add the currently employed, but frustrated, job seekers to the actual unemployed job seekers, and you have hiring managers inundated with resumes and applications for single openings. No wonder that the unemployed are so frustrated. Something needs to change.
Thanks for reading!
©-ann marie-
ONE YEAR AGO
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