Seeing the unemployment rates and reading about the difficulties many folks are having just making ends meet while working at decent jobs, although often it requires working two jobs or if it is a couple, both are usually employed and knowing what I went through trying to find a decent paying job, I have a great deal of empathy for anyone either in a bind financially because of the economy or heaven forbid, someone who is unemployed and not having any success in finding gainful employment.
Been there, did that and no, it's not easy to cope with.
Not. At. All!
However, I do see some people I know who are currently unemployed who also are not taking steps that might actually be necessary to get out of the employment bind -or lack thereof -they are currently in simply because they won't apply for certain types of jobs.
If a job isn't in some way similar to their previous employment and doesn't offer a starting pay rate of at least $12 an hour one friend of ours here won't even consider applying to anything less than that.
Frankly, I think that's some very foolish thinking as this person's unemployment expired a while back but then the government put in a 13 week extension so now, the party has unemployment benefits restored for about 8 or 9 more weeks.
I realize many jobs in this area only offer a starting rate of minimum wage and the bulk of those positions tend to be in the food service industry. While this person has no prior food service experience nor does this party really WANT to acquire food service experience, when faced with the current situation of having NO income at all once the unemployment benefits totally dry up, if that were me, I'd be getting that application and filling it out, double-time!
There's nothing that says you can't keep looking for a job in your particular field but sheesh, it's nice to know you've got a little bit of income coming in to be able to at least pay some of your bills in the meantime too!
It reminds me of a saying and I have no clue were this originated "Pride goeth before the fall" so is it better to be that proud where you won't even consider flipping burgers or running the carry-out window or whatever or shouldn't it be just a tad wiser to take a job, regardless, so you can then at least hold your head up and know you're trying to get your life in line?
Just my opinion there!
4 comments:
I think sometimes it's hard to admit to yourself that you've gotten to a place where any job you can get is going to have to do in the short term. I did work pizza delivery when I was young, and I wouldn't want to go back and do that kind of thing, even if it was the only thing I could find.
The unemployment situation has gotten so bad. It's hard to say what I might do if I were in that position. I consider myself lucky every single day that I've got a job. And I've seen enough others get laid off that I know it could be gone in an instant. And I guess if I were faced with no income or minimum wage, I'd take the minimum wage.
Even cleaning out toilets is better than no work. You can hold your head up high if you are working whilst trying to get a job that is more in keeping.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
The key words in your post are "hold your head up". For some people, it has no meaning. For others, though, they know what it means to work and take care of their own responsibilities. It is interesting to see the changes come about and the younger generations growing into adults. Scary to see some of the attitudes.
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