Difficult Transitioning
For many people, the economic crisis means transitioning to a new job while acquiring new skills to cope with modern demands.
Hardest hit are the manufacturing jobs, from automobiles to computers (whatever factories are still left in this country), to house appliances.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing announced that 90,000 manufacturing jobs were lost last month (October).
How can a family cope with the devastating pink slip? The real unemployment figures have reached above 8%, which means that more than 10 million Americans are looking for a job, any job.
The tragedy of manufacturing jobs is that the workers are usually specialized (handling complex machinery) and learning new skills in a completely different area doesn't come easy, especially for those above the age of 50.
The government has the huge task of reviving the economy by creating new jobs, but it should also include intensive training programs for those workers who can't find employment in their area of expertise.
"The successful unemployment insurance (UI) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs should be made stronger so they fulfill the promise to get jobless workers back on their feet," says James Parks on the AFL-CIO blog.
It is remarkable to observe that many unemployed workers never file for assistance from UI, probably because they feel embarrassed and because they believe they can get another job in a short time.
That is a severe mistake in these trying times.
The economy will get worse before it gets better; we will not see a positive change probably until 2010.
The combination of housing crisis, outsourcing of millions of blue-collar jobs, and the credit crunch, amounts to a catastrophic panorama for millions of US families.
In many cases, single moms are unskilled and work as waitresses or low paying manufacturing jobs.
They are the first to be laid off.
Once again, it is clear that a good education is often the key to survive in a recessive economy.
Some positions are more resistant to bad economic times, simply because they perform essential duties: 1.
Education.
Children continue to need education, no matter what the economic situation is.
Many people depend on schools to survive, such as hall monitors, school guards, nurses, teaching aides, janitors, food handlers, bus drivers, clerks, and, or course, teachers.
But as more families are evicted from their homes, school districts which rely on property taxes to function properly may have to lay off hundreds of non-essential personnel.
2.
Energy.
Although the price of gas has come down significantly, people who work for an oil company, an alternative fuel company, or a drilling equipment company, will probably survive the recession easily.
3.
Health care.
There is a severe shortage of nurses and medical specialists in the US, forcing us to "import" hundreds of foreigners to fill these jobs.
Let's train the single moms in these areas and stop looking for other countries to supply the manpower.
4.
Public Administration.
On the federal level, it is very unlikely that Washington (with Obama) will cut federal jobs, especially in Homeland Security.
On the state level, things may be slightly different, as federal funds will dry up in many cases.
If you fear losing your job, now is the time to start researching the resources available from the federal and state governments.
Look for retraining in your own company (some large companies offer the alternative rather than firing their employees), or in your area; many private non-profit organizations will help you acquire new skills.
Don't wait for the ominous pink slip to appear in your last check.
Prevention is the cure for all ills.
Hardest hit are the manufacturing jobs, from automobiles to computers (whatever factories are still left in this country), to house appliances.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing announced that 90,000 manufacturing jobs were lost last month (October).
How can a family cope with the devastating pink slip? The real unemployment figures have reached above 8%, which means that more than 10 million Americans are looking for a job, any job.
The tragedy of manufacturing jobs is that the workers are usually specialized (handling complex machinery) and learning new skills in a completely different area doesn't come easy, especially for those above the age of 50.
The government has the huge task of reviving the economy by creating new jobs, but it should also include intensive training programs for those workers who can't find employment in their area of expertise.
"The successful unemployment insurance (UI) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs should be made stronger so they fulfill the promise to get jobless workers back on their feet," says James Parks on the AFL-CIO blog.
It is remarkable to observe that many unemployed workers never file for assistance from UI, probably because they feel embarrassed and because they believe they can get another job in a short time.
That is a severe mistake in these trying times.
The economy will get worse before it gets better; we will not see a positive change probably until 2010.
The combination of housing crisis, outsourcing of millions of blue-collar jobs, and the credit crunch, amounts to a catastrophic panorama for millions of US families.
In many cases, single moms are unskilled and work as waitresses or low paying manufacturing jobs.
They are the first to be laid off.
Once again, it is clear that a good education is often the key to survive in a recessive economy.
Some positions are more resistant to bad economic times, simply because they perform essential duties: 1.
Education.
Children continue to need education, no matter what the economic situation is.
Many people depend on schools to survive, such as hall monitors, school guards, nurses, teaching aides, janitors, food handlers, bus drivers, clerks, and, or course, teachers.
But as more families are evicted from their homes, school districts which rely on property taxes to function properly may have to lay off hundreds of non-essential personnel.
2.
Energy.
Although the price of gas has come down significantly, people who work for an oil company, an alternative fuel company, or a drilling equipment company, will probably survive the recession easily.
3.
Health care.
There is a severe shortage of nurses and medical specialists in the US, forcing us to "import" hundreds of foreigners to fill these jobs.
Let's train the single moms in these areas and stop looking for other countries to supply the manpower.
4.
Public Administration.
On the federal level, it is very unlikely that Washington (with Obama) will cut federal jobs, especially in Homeland Security.
On the state level, things may be slightly different, as federal funds will dry up in many cases.
If you fear losing your job, now is the time to start researching the resources available from the federal and state governments.
Look for retraining in your own company (some large companies offer the alternative rather than firing their employees), or in your area; many private non-profit organizations will help you acquire new skills.
Don't wait for the ominous pink slip to appear in your last check.
Prevention is the cure for all ills.
