God I love this economy... losing my job after a few months

[TwixVoy]

Well I just was informed today I am being "surplussed" (laid off) shortly after only a few months of employment.

Freaking wonderful.

[ddeclue]

1. Yep... that happens.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. What Kind Of Work Do You Do?

~

[TwixVoy]

3. Field technician at AT&T

doing Uverse work.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Sorry To Hear That

This economy sucks.

[NightWatcher]

4. but hey, stocks are going up

I too am about to lose a job making a shamefully low wage working harder than I have since highschool.

There is nothing, I REPEAT NOTHING, out here that I can apply for and or hope to get. I guess I'm going to have to be creative this time. So much for a BS degree and ten years experience.

[izquierdista]

18. Get 30 years experience

Then they won't even look at your application.

[notadmblnd]

20. you know what I think I'm going o do?

babysit. The state pays for babysitting for low income mothers to work. I think I'm going to open a small daycare and take 4 or 5 kids in. Let these young people go put up with the corporate BS. I'll stay home and raise their kids.

[Warpy]

6. Yeah, happy holidays. They always pull this shit in early winter

I understand the Starvation Army is looking for paid bell ringers.

I hope unemployment will tide you over until the spring when they're likely to start hiring again.

[uppityperson]

7. I am sorry, hugs to you

[sdfernando]

8. Really sorry Twix

I've been there in the past few years so I know what its like. Keep a good outlook bud...I'm sending good vibes your way.

[kentuck]

9. "surplussed"??

i hadn't heard that one before.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. even better in the UK when they declare you...

redundant...

sP

[bridgit]

10. You're being called to a higher calling...

You're free, to do what it is you will do to enhance & expand upon your own existence :thumbsup:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. My doctorate and $3 will get me a cup of coffee at Fourbucks.

Unemployed and not looking anymore.

Last job I had was a temp job for nine days in the summer of 2001.

[vadawg]

32. jeez 2001, that is a long time

[hfojvt]

48. yeah, but consider the implications

of having survived 8 years without work.

Not sure if this is the same guy, but I remember reading a DUer who felt a) he was too good for the menial and/or relatively low-paying jobs that were available and b) had a spouse who was working.

Not that I think that is so bad. There are better things to do with ones time than work, and if more people who didn't NEED to work stayed out of the labor market, there would be more jobs for the people who really need them.

[tonysam]

52. The key phrase is having a spouse who is working

People like that can AFFORD to be unemployed for years on end, or they can afford to retrain for another job. The working spouse doesn't have to make a lot of money, but at least there is a steady stream of income.

That's not the case for people like me who are self-supporting and in our mid-fifties. It's a nightmare.

[wickerwoman]

12. Shit! That sucks!

You're in good company though.

I applied for a job yesterday. The ad was taken down after only 7 minutes and today I got an e-mail saying they'd filled all the positions.

Hang in there and don't let it get you down.

[patrice]

14. I feel for you. Happened to me twice. For what it's worth, here's a hug.

:hug:

[Nikki Stone1]

15. Dammit all to hell.

:grr:

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

16. Sorry Trix.

fired < laid-off < downsized < restructured < surplussed

According to the progression, I know you feel better than me. I got whacked by "restructuring," which is a hellava lot better than getting downsized!

[KG]

17. haven't you heard? the leading economic indicators have gone for the 7th straigh month!

everything is hunky dory! we're saved!

[jpak]

21. it's true

but even when we had "full employment" (~4.5% unemployment rate) under Clinton, people still were laid off and applied for unemployment benefits

Good people still lose their jobs when everything is "hunky dory"

just sayin'

[Robb]

23. Did you just imply the OP is an outlier?

You're amazing. Remind me to call you when I have terminal cancer and need cheering up.

[jpak]

27. No just replying to KC - I hope that cheers you up though

:)

[spiritual_gunfighter]

30. Your constant cheerleading

which I have seen on other threads has made you justify someone being unemployed, be ashamed.

[jpak]

31. I merely pointed out that the economy is improving

and even in a roaring economy people still lose their jobs

that does not justify anyone being unemployed.

be ashamed indeed.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

35. Tell that to the OP

or to me who has been out of work for a year. The economy is improving for Wall Street not for us at least right now. Jobs should have been the central issue, it wasnt.

[jpak]

38. Yes, Obama has been jet setting and vacationing and Michelle baking cakes for those who have none

Obama has done nothing I tell you, nothing at all on the central jobs issue!

I have seen the light and will cheer no more...

(hanging head in shame)

[spiritual_gunfighter]

41. It was very telling that you decided to turn

the plight of the OP and mine as well into a defender thread.

[jpak]

42. telling indeed

n/t

[Hannah Bell]

49. improving? no. unemployment is still rising.

[TexasObserver]

19. Tough break

... and a good reason people shouldn't pay off all their debt.

[TwixVoy]

22. WTF are you talking about?

Why would I regret that? I would be screwed if I had tons of debt payments to make.

Worst case scenario if I run out of cash is to start taking on debt which I will be able to do thanks to having no debt.

[TexasObserver]

24. I'm wondering how your advice is working out.

Will you be able to rely on your gold reserves?

You have talked about how you paid off all your debt, and converted your savings into gold which you keep at home, or the investments you keep in other countries. Isn't that what you've said for months, encouraging others to follow your advice and do likewise?

[TwixVoy]

25. It's worked out fine for me

If I need to I can easily Ebay some of my gold eagles.

If I was in massive debt with nothing in reserves I would be screwed right now.

[TexasObserver]

26. Is this the economic collapse you've been warning would come?

Do you expect the entire economy to collapse soon, as you've indicated in prior threads?

I'm wondering if you think there will be any new jobs in your field any time soon?

I expect we will see jobs returning some by next summer, and wish you the best with yours.

[jpak]

28. There are no new jobs - only doom and gloom

n/t

[TwixVoy]

39. Show me once where I said the economy was going to collapse

Prove it. Show it.

I've said MANY times I don't expect a collapse or 2nd great depression.

[Dreamer Tatum]

44. You told people to convert all assets into gold and stock cupboards.

I'm sorry you lost your job, I really am, but you've been publicly fearing a meltdown for a while.

And why would you sell gold on eBay, when you can get market rates face to face anywhere?

[TexasObserver]

47. Notice my post showing where he gave the bad advice went unanswered.

He said to show him. I did.

Until the past couple of weeks, he started a thread a week exhorting posters to buy gold, sell their US holdings, make a contingency plan for a complete collapse, and pay off all their debt. I have consistently said that advice is good for very few citizens, most of whom need to hoard their cash, catagorize their debt according to just how important paying each credit account is, act accordingly.

When people are unemployed and drowning in debt, telling them to buy gold is not just ridiculous, it's cruel. Telling them to minimize their credit payments in such times is the smart move, because they need to always have cash, and with the dollar devaluing, debt will be repaid with cheaper dollars in the future, so paying debts off now makes now sense in most cases.

[Dreamer Tatum]

50. My problem with TwixVoy was his/her fallacies of composition

Not that being in retail management isn't important work, but when you make dire predictions about the biggest economy in the world based on casual observations about the number of people in the aisles, you tend to make yourself look ridiculous.

And for anyone who converts all of their assets into hard commodities, you might experience some decent appreciation in value, but you will soon learn the dirty little secret of stuff kept under your pillow: it isn't FUNGIBLE.

Anyway, I hope TwixVoy becomes employed again as soon as possible.

[TexasObserver]

51. I agree. I wish full employment for everyone here.

I think the situation with so much unemployment and underemployment makes keeping cash and NOT paying down debt the best move for many Americans. It's simply not wise to part with one's cash in a decline, for most citizens.

[TexasObserver]

45. I'll be happy to.

Your words from September 27, 2009:

But I am 100% sure with out a doubt in my mind we will experience a mass decline in our standard of living over the next several years. I believe that 10 years from now we will look back at 2007 as the year we began a decline in to being a poor country.

My best advice to people in general is to:

1. Pay off debt.

2. Be almost completely out of ANY investments in this country

3. DO have emergency plans in the back of your mind should the unlikely happen and we have a sudden collapse.

4. Own at least SOME physical gold. I would recommend $10,000-$20,000 worth at a minimum. This is easy to do by purchasing 10-20 1oz US gold eagles minted by the US treasury.

I don't know what specifically will happen, but as far as the general trends I see coming I am very sure at this point nothing will prevent it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6638416&mesg_id=6638416

[spiritual_gunfighter]

29. I love it too

Been out of work for almost a year, if you dont count my part time job as a pizza delivery man. Not even able to get an interview in my field. But jobs are number one as we are all being told.

[vadawg]

37. do you think your field will come back or are you looking to another field

it always interests me when i read about people who catagorise themselves as looking in a certain field, not that i think its neccessarily a bad thing, just different from the way i look at it.. :)

[spiritual_gunfighter]

40. You think I am going about being unemployed in the wrong way? n/t

[vadawg]

43. no idea, was just wondering if you see yourself as always going to work in the same field

or if you are thinking of doing something else, wasnt saying you were doing anything wrong, it was just a simple question...

[DU GrovelBot]

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[marmar]

34. Surplussed.....Lovely.

HUMAN resources are just another commodity for corporate America, like steno pads or copy paper.

[Odin2005]

36. "Surplussed"? Thats a new one!

:(

[StarfarerBill]

46. Sorry to hear that, and the best of luck to you finding another, good job quickly.

Having been pretty much unemployed for over a year, I can definitely commiserate.