DAMN! Unemployment ran out today!

[jdpolzin]

Well I'm officially a total piece of nothing now. I'm electrician by trade and have spent the ast couple years only working here and there. Shops are all closing down around here. The last shop I worked for can barely keep 6 guys working and i spent most of the time while there sitting at home with no work so I finally asked for a lay off so I could try to get work elsewhere.

All the time I was off here and there at the last shop burned up my unemployment and now I have nothing left.

Hopefully I can get some sort of extension. Damn economy really sucks.:frown:

 

[KevinB]

If you relocate to the Cincy area, I know of a few jobs in your trade that are available if you get hard up.

 

[justin84]

Same road Jeremy. I am/was a tool and die maker with an education. I decided to go to school for law and ended up not being able to afford it. The CNC work is good where I just moved so I am hunting now. I lost my unemployment in March. I never filed again after that. I hope for the best for the both of us.

 

[asto-t]

I know all about what your going through...I can see changes coming next year hopefully early jan or feb.. This is the worst I ever saw it..but hopefully were bottomed out and can look for better days.. Did you go through all your extensions...

 

[GNBRETT]

How long were you on unemployment for?

 

[justin84]

I was on for 7 months Brett

 

[IrvJr]

FL seems good for electricians.

 

[GNTIM]

You aren't a total piece of nothing, maybe just in the wrong area for what you do. I learned that situation years ago when I had my repair shop in an area that became the "replace your car every 5 years" suburb. I would think good electricians will always be in demand in most areas that are not depressed. I can't seem to find one that is not rediculously expensive, undependable or strung out. Even the expensive, but always good company I use sometimes is always complaining about not being able to find good guys. Good luck, times are tough.

 

[UncleDave]

I feel your pain Jeremy, although I was only out of work for 5 months. I'm a widower, so it's on me alone to bring home the bacon. Never been so stressed out in my life.

I'm in IT, and the job market here in CT is completely saturated with displaced IT workers. I am one of the lucky few who found work at the last minute before benefits ran out, it felt like winning the lottery. I believe the gov voted to extend benefits so I think you can get an extension.

It's a tough time to be a tradesperson, I have a friend who's an electrician with 25 years experience, who has been doing odd jobs for 2 years now. Every time I see the Pres talking up how the economy is recovering I either want to puke, laugh hysterically, or throw a shoe through the screen, cuz I just don't see this so-called "recovery." I may be lucky but I know too many people who are still unemployed to think it's getting any better. What happened to all those stimulus-fed "shovel-ready" projects that were supposed to "create" jobs? What BS.

Keep the faith, man. Take solace in the fact that you're not alone, many of your TB brothers have been there, or still are. The only way for things to go is up!

 

[GNBRETT]

I thought unemployment lasted up to two years now with the extensions?

 

[justin84]

I thought unemployment lasted up to two years now with the extensions?

It will last awhile. I can make money on the side and my fiance is now working. I wouldn't feel right taking money that I don't 100% need. That is what got us in this situation to begin with. I am surviving by doing side work. Some guys need it all. I took what I needed.

 

[asto-t]

The trades always lag behind the economy by one year..And with all the jobs going over sea`s nothing is left to spark are economy...WTF they even make pasta in china. What`s next cereal and condoms...Sorry to get anybody down but when does it stop... Unemployment I believe lasts up to 99 weeks just short of two years..with a stoppage at the end of the month unless they approve it to continue.. So dont wait look into it asp!

 

[Silver Fox]

Jason - sorry to hear that news. Are you looking at other careers or at relocating? Quite a bit of building is going on down here in San Antonio - I can check with a local electrician I know and ask him what job prospects may be out there (he is a Mustang guy though...).

Are any mechanic jobs available where you are, as you seem to do pretty good work at the "Turbo Farm?

I remember what it was like when I was looking for work this time last year - not fun.

Rob

 

[DIAZ 87]

Jeremy,maybe it's time for you to open up your own business.......

 

[ttaowner]

i am a tool+diemaker,cnc machnist and manual machnist. i can set up and operate quite a few machines and can work from blueprints but i have also been layed off 5 times!!! this trade sucks!!! the last job i had i started in oct 08 i asked as soon as i was called in for a interview when was the last time you had a layoff and was told 2 weeks ago but don't worry it was office people nobody on the shop floor.i started there on tuesday guess what they laid off 5 more people that same week.they moved those jobs to mexico.3 weeks later they had a big meeting called everybody in told us they let about 10 more people go and by the way no more 401k and your insurance is going up retroactive mine went from $25 to $50 aweek i was pissed especially at the way they went retro and if you had a family your insurance went from $50 to $150 a week try dealing with that if your a single mom which we had a few of there! around january 09 our insurance went back down but about every 2 weeks 5 people were losing their jobs. went sent me over the edge was the went retro and took 10% of eveybodys pay away i was furious alot of people were like well at least we have jobs,so they just wanted to take the beatings i went to the state to file complaint paperwork becase of them going retro on taking $$$ from us but nobody had the balls to do anything about it, about 3 weeks after this they took a ADDITIONAL 10% of pay from the office people. YES THE OFFICE PEOPLE LOST 20% OF THEIR PAY! they did not do this to the people actually making the parts because their would of been a mutiny. i stayed there for 5-6 months and saw too many bad things and felt like crap going there everyday and did not really care about making parts within .0002 yes two tenths of a inch. i was suppose to check the parts about every 20 minutes and i figured they did not care about us so why should i care about the parts so sometimes i would check things out every couple hours. the last night i was there i was making parts that were
1.5x1.5x 1.0 and had about 60 diffrent dimesions on this tiny part and i apprantly missed 1 dimension and the lot of parts were no good i found this out the next day,friday was payday and i usually went in early to get my check and found out my blunder the night before and i was told i was gonna have to start filling out this giant sheet with all the dimensions and the times etc.... but what my boss did not realize was the racetrack was opening in a couple weeks and i hated the job so bad and the weather was getting really nice so i just never went back!

from oct08 till now there are a lot more jobs around here than there was in my trade.i have recently started entertaining the idea of maybe trying to give it another try. i have had a few jobs that i actually liked and was treated well but circumstances happen i guess.

at least they can't outsource electricians YET! they are doing that in my field.i wished i took up a trade that i could buy a van and some tools and go into business for myself. the last place i was at i was running a $500,000.00 machine.

check on craigslist for jobs i found one on there 3 years ago and based off craigslist i see a lot more companys listing jobs around here now than what was around here in the last couple years

 

[TR Custom Parts]

James, if you need a machinist job let me know. Have a friend that owns a small shop in Meriden. Can find out if he has any openings. AND he is a car guy.

 

[slow305]

All you guys are suckers... Here in small town middle of nowhere Australia, you can be working within 24 hours if you go looking for a job. While the rest of the country might be hurting for employment, businesses here shut down because they cannot find enough workers. Seriously... that's why there's no Pizza Hut. :redface: Miners, bricklayers, plumbers, welders, mechanics; they need them all.

Oh yeah, and the minimum wage is $19 per hour. Last I checked the Australian dollar was trading at more than the American dollar.

 

[Warp6]

slow305 - I hope your term "suckers" is some sort of endearing way of saying you feel sorry for them. Here in the states suckers is a way of saying someone is ignorant to what is happening to them. That is not the case here. We are not ignorant. We're stuck in a very bad situation and are having a hard time digging out. Call one of these guys suckers to their face and you will have a bad day.

I saw in the news that the recession was over last summer! That would be 2009, guys. I certainly don't believe it. I run a furniture factory in NC. The first half of 2006 was setting us up to be the best year ever. The second half of 2006 was like someone pulled a rug from under us. We went from 150 employees in 2006 to 49 in September 2010. Very sad to say the least.

I hope you guys find work soon.

 

[slow305]

Dude, I feel for you guys. I've only been here four months and I know how hard it is in the states. I lived in Virginia before I moved here in July. I am just that random jack@ss that has to come in and say a wise crack. Times are tough, but you have to keep a sense of humor. Just saying that moving for work (as I have) is not always as bad as it seems, even if it requires you to leave the country, that's how people came to America in the first place.

 

[JOHNDEEREGN]

I can get ya a Job Jeremy, but you have to move to Kansas. Also, could probably help ya get a Job in Iowa, PM me for details.