I am apparently unneeded.....

[Graaille]

Found out that April 30th is my last day of employment at my current position. Oh well, in this economy it shouldn't be too long before I'm employed again.
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riiiiiight.

[Jord_84]

that sucks. :(
hope things work out for you

[PSBA10]

Look at the bright side---- you will have lots of time to practice.


Yeah, now if only you could afford to practice. It sucks, but I'm not far behind you.

[ArtVandelay]

I'm really, really sorry to hear that. FWIW, I work at a bank, and we are doing better than most (if not all) banks, but that hasn't stopped me from calculating if I would make more money on unemployment, or flipping burgers if the ax comes down. For the record, it's too close to call, but at least unemployment would leave me ample time to search for a new job should it come to that. *knock on wood*

My buddy's company basically told him, a couple days ago, that everyone had to take a huge pay cut and if things don't get better in the next 3 months, it was over for the whole COMPANY! He's ****ting bricks right now, feverishly looking for another job, but there's just not anything out there in the field he works in.

Seriously, best of luck to you. Miracles do happen!

[ArtVandelay]

AAAAAH!!! I was censored! What happened to freedom of speech??????

HELP! HELP!! I'm being repressed!!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xd_zkMEgkI)

[kev3inp]

Now you see the violence inherent in the system.

My job is pretty secure, I think, but a whole lot of others down here aren't, and it seems like there is always someone willing to do it for a lesser wage. They just don't happen to speak English.

It took a while to get this bad, so let's hope it won't take so long to get better. However, it's always easier to break something than to fix it. Best of luck, and I hope you're not out of work long.

[Jord_84]

I've been preaching the wonders of OTR truck driving to anyone who's lost a job. Training for a class A CDL is 4 weeks long. The classes to train for the CDL test run about a couple thousand dollars. So, It's pretty quick and inexpensive to obtain the necessary license, and truck driving shows no signs of stopping. If you can handle being away from your family for 4 weeks at a time (only the first couple of months as training with whatever company hires you) and then being home on the weekends...they make good money.
My husband has been pulling in over $!,000 a week gross. Plus we have decent insurance.


This could be something for people to consider as the times get tougher.

[ArtVandelay]

I've been preaching the wonders of OTR truck driving to anyone who's lost a job. Training for a class A CDL is 4 weeks long. The classes to train for the CDL test run about a couple thousand dollars. So, It's pretty quick and inexpensive to obtain the necessary license, and truck driving shows no signs of stopping. If you can handle being away from your family for 4 weeks at a time (only the first couple of months as training with whatever company hires you) and then being home on the weekends...they make good money.
My husband has been pulling in over $!,000 a week gross. Plus we have decent insurance.


This could be something for people to consider as the times get tougher.

Yes, BUT, gas and diesel prices are getting higher and higher again. There are some who expect we may soon see prices that eclipse last year's $4 a gallon. I remember when that happened, how many truckers came to my (then) place of business looking for any kind of money loan they could get just to stay on their feet. As the diesel prices rose, the miles available decreased, and some truckers got almost nothing at all.....

[Jord_84]

diesel prices have nothing to do with the equation...UNLESS your an owner operator.

In my husbands case, where you work for a company and use their truck...you have no obligation to pay for repairs, fuel or insurance. When diesel hit it's highest prices...owner operators folded...leaving more loads for bigger companies. Yes, that does stink for the little guy, but that's how it went. Since it cost more for trucking companies to deliver loads, they were able to pass that on to the companies hiring them to deliver. My husband never saw a decrease in pay, in fact, he's received 2 raises since that fuel "crisis".

Larger companies can survive high fuel costs because often, they have contracts with truck stops. My husband is only authorized to fuel at Pilot and TA truck stops, his company receives discounted fuel in exchange for sending all of their business their way.

[bigern523]

I've been worried about that also . We are slow at work . We have 38 workers and 18 are laid off . The nice thing is Noone else there can do my job . So I'm safe .

[Graaille]

I've been worried about that also . We are slow at work . We have 38 workers and 18 are laid off . The nice thing is Noone else there can do my job . So I'm safe .

I've often found that the only people who are safe are the ones who can make the decisions about who to lay off.

Update: 1 confirmed interview on my first day of unemployment, 3 others I need to schedule. Stay tuned for potential dance of joy.

[Graaille]

Begin Happy Dance of Joy -- got a job offer today to start on Monday -- I'm on my way back to being able to afford to live again.

[MH1313]

Begin Happy Dance of Joy -- got a job offer today to start on Monday -- I'm on my way back to being able to afford to live again.

congrats! its always a good feeling to be working...no matter how much we may hate it or complain about having to work, if unemployed one can feel a bit worthless...at least I do when I'm out of work

[kev3inp]

Begin Happy Dance of Joy -- got a job offer today to start on Monday -- I'm on my way back to being able to afford to live again.


YES! I knew it wouldn't be too long, but I'll bet it was scary waiting. You're far too intelligent to be out of work for long, and I'm hoisting my glass in your honor. Oh, great, now I need more. ;)

To quote someone, Shaw perhaps, "you shine out like a shaft of gold when all around is darkness."
I like good news.

[Jord_84]

Begin Happy Dance of Joy -- got a job offer today to start on Monday -- I'm on my way back to being able to afford to live again.

congrats! Very good news!

[branstew]

congrats. Well done

[Graaille]

Yah, it was an interesting time all in all.

1. My kids got 2 weeks of daddy time. I literally had one or both children around me the entire time I was at home and awake - and many times while I was asleep.
2. I got 2 weeks of what my wife goes thru. (stay at home mom). If you don't think that's a job -- you're sadly mistaken.
3. I have a new appreciation for working -- it's one thing to be unemployed when it's just you, it's another thing to be unemployed while being married but with no kids. It's completely emasculating to be unemployed while you've been the sole breadwinner for a household with 2 kids under the age of 3.

Sad thing is - I had the time (heh) to bowl, but since I didn't know how long the drought would be -- I didn't want to spend extra money to practice. Now that I'm thru jumping thru the hoops for unemployment -- I'll get paid one check then come off of it. (as an aside -- even though the time benefits are available has been extended, the amount you get a week is rather insulting.)

[dpmusic70]

Yes! Let's hear it for all those stay at home Mom's.

[onefrombills]

I'm so sorry to hear this .....One of my good friends that was here for 20+ yrs took 2 weeks off and came back and was giving his walking papers the Monday he came back

[comfortably numb]

Hope all the above bowlers are still {happily}employed. I lost a real good job in June 2008 and have been struggling ever since, working a month here and 7 weeks there. At least I now have steady employment. Now, if I can just make it 7 years till retirement!!!

[Trex]

Hope all the above bowlers are still {happily}employed. I lost a real good job in June 2008 and have been struggling ever since, working a month here and 7 weeks there. At least I now have steady employment. Now, if I can just make it 7 years till retirement!!!

Just hang in there, you will make it, I have faith in you!! :)

[comfortably numb]

I appreciate that, Trex. Retirement must be everything they say it is, huh? Can't wait!!

[Trex]

It took some getting use to, but I'm making the best of it. :)