With the 2010 elections now behind us, I thought it would be interesting to run a quick poll about one of the most talked about subjects – jobs. It seems that campaign ads this year either focused on a personal attack aimed at tearing down the opposing candidate, or they talked about jobs.
While there are clear signs that the economy is improving, it looks like it will be a long, slow recovery. Indeed, unemployment has continued to hover near 10%, and people are understandably antsy.
Which brings me to this… A poll asking about your personal employment outlook. As always, please feel free to leave a comment to add some context to your response.
{democracy:102}
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Underemployed has-been. The 80’s in Equity Trading and the 90’s and early 2000’s in Information Technology were good to me and big family. Opportunity in eastern city relocated us from unstable high paying career in midwest complete with moving expenses and $5K bonus. Full Time Employed 25+ yrs thru Nov 2008.
Ever since, only contract work with NO commitment from ’employer’ HP, TWC, Sprint, etc…
Large employers have little commitments to employees.
Recruiting ‘agencies’ skim off hourly premiums like insurance agents. No PTO, sick, holiday pay. High insurance. Uncertainty.
Not too happy, but always recalling a paycheck lends to more sane mind than the several months drawing UI and scanning job services for the first time since college 25 years ago
I’m in pretty good shape, got a small bump up with the new position with my company that I took back in July, but that raise doesn’t even cover the cost of the (much) longer commute. I’m thinking about moving closer, but it’s still no time to be selling a house! Maybe I can find a renter for that house? That would be nice.
@GJB Thanks for the response. I live in Ohio. I searched but there isn’t a SEAP program here. It sounds awesome though – I wish we did. I went to school for music, which is probably part of my problem. I’ve worked in banking the past several years. First in Chase’s credit card department then in a branch. I left for a more regional bank to supervise tellers. Even though I was awesome at my job I got fired for a silly mistake. I’ve tried to repackage and sell my skills and experiences to a variety of employers but no one is biting.
@Kelly I’m 32…though see my comment above. What’s your work experience. Live in Oregon, or another similar state that participates in SEAP (see: http://tinyurl.com/SEAPOR )?
I’m 31, have two bachelor’s degrees, I lost my job a couple of months ago. Since then I haven’t had as much as an interview. I’m about to apply for food stamps and feel pretty hopeless about my situation.
Under a term contract; ending next year with no employment in the queue. Also have some employment obstacles I’ll need to overcome.
Laid off in June of 2009, couldn’t find suitable work so I took what was then just a moonlighting business to full-time.
Business is great, and I’m hoping to hire soon.
I became unemployed 4 weeks ago. Today I feel a little less optimistic, but will concentrate on not giving in to the fear! My unemployment funds will cover rent and health care.
I am currently underemployed working outside of my primary field. I love the job I found, but it doesn’t pay enough. To top it off my husband recently took a wonderful opportunity in a different city and I can’t find any jobs in this new city. So we can continue to have 2 incomes (and build up the money in savings that had to be used toward moving and moving related expenses). I’ve moved in with my brother (who happens to live in the same city we’ve been living in), and continued working my underemployed job for the past three months.
Other: I teach part time and it looks like my district will probably keep all its teachers next year, but there has been so much slash-and-burn in the last few years (especially in special areas, like mine), I can’t say I’ve ever felt really secure in my job, even when the economy was OK.
We took a pay cut two years ago and have the same salary this year as last year — they cut jobs instead of cutting pay. We won’t know about next year for a few months still, but I think they’ll cut more jobs (again) before they cut salaries again…
My other part time job is personal training out of my house — a business I recently started — so it all depends on how well I can solicit new clients.
64 yr old w/stable job close to home. wages/bonus’ close to state average income. Mayby small raise next spring.
Stable job in my field; not expecting a huge raise but I’m okay with that because I got a very big bump in pay when I took this position back in February.
I am a 30yr old new mom that is working full time while going to school at nights and weekends for an MBA. Five classes to go!
Our branch is going to downsize, and my department will be affected. I hope to find another job or start my own company around my last day.
I am 79 years old. In 1985 I was laid off from my job as a physicist. I was emotionally and financially ready to retire, so that’s what I did, and haven’t done a lick of gainful work since.
My main concern now is inflation, and I don’t like what Bernanke is doing to bring it on. All the bigwigs seem to be afraid of deflation, but I hope for it, since my retirement money is in fixed-income life annuities. Deflation would give me restitution of some of the money that was stolen from me in previous inflations.
“Inflation is Theft!”
I am a SAHM and I do not want nor expect to change jobs for the next 13 years! I have a degree in education and one in chemical engineering and feel that were it an economic necessity I could go work outside them home.
it’s been over 14 months, and i’ve haven’t gotten any offer 🙁 I’ve tried everything but moving away from this city, which seems to be the last resort
Stable job, not in desired field, expecting a pay cut. We were told that all field employee raises were to be financed by executive bonus cuts this year. This when BOTH of my divisions posted a net profit gain and I had the lowest amount of charge-offs in history. Makes me wonder why I work so hard.