The next time you are thinking about getting a job...

[_____V_____]

...think again.

And again. Give it a long and hard thought.

The recession has been brutal. The global economic crisis has taken a heavy toll on jobs. The American economy is one of the worst hit with job-losses rising to a 26-year high. The Indian economy is not far behind either. Practically every sector is cutting off jobs by at least 30-35% - airlines, mining, management, engineering, you name it.

The figures are alarming - about 333,000 employees lost their jobs in November, in the US alone. This year about 1,057,645 job-cuts have already been announced in the US. In India, major companies, airlines and even government departments have announced a huge cut of at least 40% of working staffs.

People have braced themselves to receive the "letter", as they call it.

Senior staff - a letter for Compulsory Retirement Scheme. Retire gracefully today with pension, PFs and financial support, or get kicked out without any benefits.

Junior staff - a letter for : A) demotion to a lower post with compulsory computer and data-entry training, B) look for opportunities elsewhere, and C) Termination with 1 month notice, or without any reason whatsoever. (especially for people on temporary/probation basis...probably the most frightening of the lot)

Plus, if they cant cut down on the jobs, they are cutting down on the "costs" - snacks, travel, telephone bills, power, stationery bills and even tissue rolls in rest rooms.

Most IT and large-producing firms are already reviewing their expenditure plans. Lower salaries and stricter yearly appraisals are coming to the fore.

Yes, think again.

The lowly bookstore owner at the corner shop makes far more money all through the year than a corporate bigwig nowadays, and that too with a much quieter and hassle-less daily schedule.

Maybe that is the way to go...today, and in the coming future.

[bloody_ribcut]

i plan on keeping the job i have for a long time, if not till i die. i work from home taking care of my brother for the state.

[mikeyjay88]

I just got fired today from Kfc. I seen it coming because im a shit worker but like this older woman that works there got fired too and she was actually good.

[missmacabre]

I just got fired today from Kfc. I seen it coming because im a shit worker but like this older woman that works there got fired too and she was actually good.

Aww sorry, did you find a new job in time?


I don't have a job right now. Don't need one. I don't spend a lot of money and I have enough money from osap to last me both years of my tuition if I get a part time job this summer. I also work for the college as a note taker for ADD kids so that 250 dollars for taking notes I would normally take anyway.


After school I plan on taking an online course about starting your own business so I can do web design from home and freelance stuff from the online job banks for freelance workers. I would really like to work as a designer in San Fransisco one day so I'm just going to slowly work my way up.

[mikeyjay88]

Wow you got alot planned. Good for you missy! :)

No job yet i put some apps in today but i have to wait for them to call. If i dont get a job soon im going to have to go back to...Wisconsin :eek: . Amber (gf) doesnt make nearly enough to pay the full amount of rent so im screwed.

[_____V_____]

After school I plan on taking an online course about starting your own business so I can do web design from home and freelance stuff from the online job banks for freelance workers. I would really like to work as a designer in San Fransisco one day so I'm just going to slowly work my way up.

That is actually pretty sound thinking and planning. Entrepreneurship is the way to go at the moment. And with today's world inundated with tech, computer savvy people will go a long way in being successful in their own businesses.

The future doesnt augur well with jobs.

Lower pays, higher costs of living.
Stricter appraisals, less chance of promotions.
Curtailing expenses (to the point of being absurd), exploiting the employees.

Sooner than later, jobs will start to become thankless. And that itself will become a big de-motivator.

I am interested in hearing from other people who are in jobs at the moment.

NE? Flayed? I know Cheebs quit his job with Playstation recently. Anyone else?

[Posher778]

I can't get fired from my job.

[missmacabre]

That is actually pretty sound thinking and planning. Entrepreneurship is the way to go at the moment. And with today's world inundated with tech, computer savvy people will go a long way in being successful in their own businesses.

The future doesnt augur well with jobs.

Lower pays, higher costs of living.
Stricter appraisals, less chance of promotions.
Curtailing expenses (to the point of being absurd), exploiting the employees.

Sooner than later, jobs will start to become thankless. And that itself will become a big de-motivator.

I am interested in hearing from other people who are in jobs at the moment.

NE? Flayed? I know Cheebs quit his job with Playstation recently. Anyone else?

Yeah, I would like to work at home regardless because I want to be a mom above all else, and with the way things are today a double income is a must. That way I can work and play with my kids or whatever.

[neverending]

I'm keeping my job as long as I can. As an older worker jobs are harder and harder to come by. My company went through some pretty tough downsizing early this year. A lot of positions got cut. I was doing fairly well for a while but then my wages got garnished for my student loan being in default. So, against all odds I asked for a raise and got it. So, my employer seems to value my work- and I value the salary they pay me.

Hopefully my company can weather the hard economic times that are coming.

[roshiq]

Though recently I had a nightmare about my boss is kicking me out with no reason!:confused: but the fact is at the moment I can't do anything better than this & my office also needs me badly to deal with all the commercial matters. So I'm quite happy with my job:)

But the real problem is my family (specially my parents) doesn't understand the situation, they always like to compare me with other people & 'like' to get frustrated and often keeps me under a pressure to go abroad & do something "worthy"!:mad:

[urgeok2]

i think i'll be ok - but these days there are no guarantees.
many companies - including mine - look at outsourcing as a viable option.

a short term bandage which has long term ramifications ... usually a catalyst for the cancer that grows and eventually kills a business.

its funny the geniuses at the top cant see the signs of a pattern thats been repeated so many times - but then again - these guys leave with solid gold parachutes while everyone else crashes and burns - so what do they care.

rich old white men do not care about anything but themselves.

[Disease]

Where I work they seem to hire new people every day, most don't stay long though. The thing I'm worried about is these new people taking my hours. The Directors are such morons they give shifts to people who are not trained and experienced sometimes instead of the long term staff.

We also have a low period over Christmas and new year a month with no pay from 17h of December to 15 of January it looks like.

That's just the worst time for this to be happening, I need to try and get some shifts in a bar or somthing to get me through.

I have savings, but I don't want to go back to work in Jan and have to start all over again.

Hopefully I can get a few shifts somwhere, just to cover the rent.

[The Flayed One]

We're still hiring as well. As far as I know, we're one of the companies that are actually still doing good. I'm busy as hell.

Apparently we were talked about on a radio show as being good for the economy. We use tons of cardboard for all those millions of packages, so we keep a lot of paper companies in business, which in turn keeps a lot of loggers in business.

[_____V_____]

its funny the geniuses at the top cant see the signs of a pattern thats been repeated so many times - but then again - these guys leave with solid gold parachutes while everyone else crashes and burns - so what do they care.

rich old white men do not care about anything but themselves.

They just dont care, as long as they are in the boss's seat and the company is running fine. They call the shots, they do the snips, they are the real cold-hearted sobs.

My heart goes out to the average performers who struggle to maintain their salaries and make ends meet. It sure is a tough life for all of them, and it is going to get only tougher.

Heck, I envy all those people who are living off on welfare.

[Roderick Usher]

My job is scary as hell. No matter how much work I do or how many hours I put in, there is rarely any gaurentee of pay. In the past year I have written one spec screenplay (meaning no one hired me to write it) that didn't sell, produced a film without producer pay or rewrite pay, was hired to write a screenplay for a low-budget company, was hired to doctor a script by people who didn't want to pay union wages and doctored a television pitch.

A busy year.

And I made $36K before Taxes and agent/manager/lawyer commisions. I would have made more money managing a Burger King.

And now the poeple who do pay writers are spending less and less and hiring only the most established people in the business. And a potential SAG strike looming means production is even slower.

I'm terrified that I might not get another gig. Every day I work is a gamble, which is exciting and frightening. I know I chose this path, but it ain't glamorous. I drive a crap car that's about to die and the four of us live in a tiny 2-bedroom apartment.

[La Chat Noire]

I'm able to make ends meet with my job, but I can't really seem to get ahead or be able to build up a savings. I'm fine for now, but if my car were to break down or something like that I'd be screwed.

[hacelikewhoa]

I have been at my job for almost 3 years and I am always afraid of losing my job. Not because I don't do my best because I do..I had perfect attendece for two years even, but because Nursing staff are so disposable. We're shit and yet we do all of the work while the department heads pretend to give a fuck about the resident's well beings. Sitting behind a desk, pretending to resolve problems of any sort..Banking the money while these families are trying to get their loved ones taken care of and paying a ridiculous amount of money, only being on top of their game when it's time for our annual state survey. And this place is just begging for fines...It's dirty, they never staff enough people per residents (which is illegal), people aren't filling our their paper work correctly, nurses making med error, ect, ect. My facility is a mess but I plan on hanging in there until I can get to college and become a nurse or get a hospital job. My work is so tight on money that they will not give us paper checks or mail our pay stubs...we have to have direct deposit and we have to pick up our pay stubs within a certain time frame or they will be disposed of. We don't get paid for lunches..we used to get food but now we don't..we can't use color paper...they exchanged normal adult depends with paper thin ones.. mind you this people pee and poop all day and night long..If I were only to count how many complete bed changes I do in a days/nights work. phew.
Now we have even crappier equipment than before..It's crazy. But I'm really glad I have a job.

[Vodstok]

The last few years have put me in a constant stae of worry; i have been bouncing from contract to contract ever since I became a father, and now I have nice staedy work,but I can never relax. i have had the rug pulled out form under me way too often, not to mention working my ass off for people who then wouldnt pay.
I am trying my hand at both after hours work, and writing my ass off. I have 2 articles published at Associated Content with a 3rd submitted, i have a blog, which I get paid for, AND i have been pitching ideas in hopes that one will get snagged as an article for Cracked.com (which is AWESOME exposure, their stuff gets grabbed for IMDB links all the time)
So in case some of you though i was just being an attention whore by posting links to my blog (http://popcultureobservations.today.com/)and my articles (http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/135373/david_dietle.html), think again.

And click the links, comment... Throw a dog a bone (i have a new dog, har har).

Unless you all have been lying to me for thepast 5 years, i am apparently a decently entertaining writer, so do us both a favor. :D

[novakru]

I may stay married for the dental alone;)

But actually, I have no idea what will happen in the near future. My temporary husband may or may not have a job in January. Regardless, I will be fine, I always am.
I really could care less anymore, I could live in a shack and be fine- HE would have have a nervous breakdown if he had to sell his mercedes:rolleyes:

These are definitely the grasshopper/ant days of life...the only difference to that story is: the ant doesn't give a shit if you freeze.


Chaos: bring it motherfucker, bring it

[Spallalala]

I don't have one and its not going to well either ha. I apply and apply and apply and barely even get a response back. Had 2 interviews this year but there is always someone better or employers not wanting to make acceptions. ( one job finished 30mins after the last bus left and they wouldn't allow me to rock up earlier) pfft I say.
Imma keep trying just cos I have to ( stupid government payments ha) but don't think im gonna get anything even remotely interesting here.

Our world is going to shit and grrr @ it

[hacelikewhoa]

I don't have one and its not going to well either ha. I apply and apply and apply and barely even get a response back. Had 2 interviews this year but there is always someone better or employers not wanting to make acceptions. ( one job finished 30mins after the last bus left and they wouldn't allow me to rock up earlier) pfft I say.
Imma keep trying just cos I have to ( stupid government payments ha) but don't think im gonna get anything even remotely interesting here.

Our world is going to shit and grrr @ it


My boyfriend has had the same problem for about 6 months now. No were will hire him, no matter how much he harasses them ( calling them ). The only jobs that he's been offered have been scams. Either they want him to pay money before starting the job or something else sketchy. He found one that's basically based on setting up appointments with people to get them to buy kitchen supplies..this kinda seems like a scam to me too. But he would make 17.25 for each appointment plus commission if they decided to buy anything. BUT..he has to do three days training WITHOUT pay before he can start.. AND he doesn't get to start training until the day after xmas..So it really isn't looking good. Plus this job is about 30 minutes away but it's the only one that's given him the time of day and actually 'hired' him.

[neverending]

Office Depot has announced they're closing over 200 stores in the coming months.

Jobs are going to be harder and harder to come by.

[_____V_____]

Office Depot has announced they're closing over 200 stores in the coming months.

Jobs are going to be harder and harder to come by.

Exactly.

The next 4-5 years are going to paint a totally different economic picture of the world. I still predict entrepreneurs to blossom in this no-win situation.

Folks, be innovative. Set up your own business enterprises. If you still think you can score with a job, I have to sympathise with you.

[hacelikewhoa]

well, I'm getting a second job. I'm tired of being broke. Put in 13 applications with resume included for various hospital positions and today my mom is taking me to this agency she worked for a while back. They pay excellent and they would send me out to different places (hospitals and nursing homes) and its a good way to get into a hospital. She already talked to them and they said they would give me a job. I could work as I please when I want to where I want to. This is why its so great being in medical...If I lose my job, I could easily find another or already have another waiting.

[Vodstok]

Its been hard for a while, I have bounced from contract to contract for over 2 years now. Everyone is downsizing, no one wants to pay anyone for anything. I am luckiy enough to be working for a company now that actually understands that the employees are people, although their parent company is pretty typical corporate (Which is A-OK! because companies monitor forum postings :))

[newb]

I've been at the same job for twenty years. This year has been pretty scary....there's been a layoff and manufacturing has taken a big hit in this country. I should be alright....unless the whole ship sinks...then I'm fucked.

[stubbornforgey]

Same with the job market over here but we are surviving.
Its the big businesses that are closing up shop and moving offshore
or having thier products sent offshore to be built ..mainly to china cos the
labour there is cheap..BUT..in doing so ..the work is coming out cheaper.

An example...our biggest school shoe provider for intermediates and colleges
who sent all thier work to china
had to close thier doors a few months ago because..parents were buying
shoes that were broken after only a months worth of wear.
I ended up replacing my college students shoes 5 times in 2 months.
So parents no longer supported that shop and have moved to another brand.

Our government has also stopped funding to the 'buy newzealand made'
because all of our products now bear the made in NZ but at the bottom
of the tag it says..made in china that would tear in after a few wears.

Smaller companies now are taking advantage of the skilled labour that were made redundant...so there are jobs out..here in my country.

[UngodlyWarlock]

I got laid off from my job of almost 6 years.
They didn't lay off many, but layoffs at my previous job had been pretty much unheard of because they were just really good at finding shit for people to do and rolling off people onto new projects and stuff.

It really hit me like a ton of bricks...because I always just assumed that even IF there were layoffs, I would not be chosen. Apparently, I was judged on my last 6 months (end of 3-year project, 5-month 60-80 hr work week crunch back in the Spring, and a new management regime that I hated) instead of my last 6 years and the hammer fell to me an 5 others.

BUT..........I got a sweet severance (6 years will do that) and immediately flopped back into my job prior to that place within 2 weeks, so I feel *VERY* fortunate.

The lesson if there is one? Never burn your bridges! hahaha...I left my current employer on great terms so they were happy to have me back even after 6 years.

Now, I'm beyond happy....turns out getting laid off was the best thing to happen to me all year, as I am really enjoying what I am working on finally.

-D

[The Flayed One]

What really amazes me is how many people in these hard times get themselves fired or just quit showing up. Amazon treats its employees pretty well and the wages aren't bad at all. I see these people all of the time. Come in really wanting a job. Then all of the sudden, they have all these days that they have to take off for 'something really important' I'm talking about their initial 90 days. These aren't bargain contract workers; these are people who pack boxes who need a job to supposedly make ends meet. There are people losing their jobs by the thousands right now, and these people can't show up consistently for three months. It makes me sick, really.

I think back to stories I've heard from great grandparents about the great depression. Their fathers washing the coal cars of trains from top to bottom for less than livable wages just to try. Because it was something. Because they got it, and even though they knew they were getting shafted because there were 100,000 people behind them that could replace them at the drop of a dime, they busted their ass. Because they had a sense of responsibility.

I don't understand why these people think they're too good for some of the available jobs. If you get something for above minimum wage right now without a college degree or several years as a specialist, you're lucky. You're lucky you're not sweating your ass off shoveling pig shit for 12hrs a day at less than minimum wage under the table in the bitter cold. Do what you will with your life, but don't expect me to throw a quarter in your cup because you thought you were too good to cook french fries at a stable job when you were offered.

/rant off

[_____V_____]

Nicolas Cage took just a minute to vanish away with one car in the 2000 Hollywood blockbuster Gone in 60 Seconds, but the jobs seem to be disappearing at a faster rate, with companies laying off at least one employee every 10 second to cut costs and fight the economic crisis.

So far in December, companies across the world have announced at least 115,000 job-cuts -- a figure which translates into an average of more than 8,200 people being laid off a day or about six every one minute (60 seconds).

In reel scenes, the plot might have been thrilling but in real sequences, the story is getting gloomy, with lay-offs happening across diverse sectors -- right from finance to electronics to mining, to name a few.

While the financial crisis cost more than 30,000 jobs in the first week of December, the number nearly trebled to touch about 85,000 in the following seven days.

More than one-third of the layoffs happened in the United States, which has already seen a stunning 5,33,000 job losses in November alone.

Last week's layoff wave was led by banking firm Bank of America, which announced plans to axe 35,000 jobs in the coming months.

In terms of sheer numbers, Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp came next with 16,000 layoffs followed by mining major Rio Tinto, which is all set to trim its headcount by 14,000.

Adding to the global market woes, Swedish auto components maker SKF would be reducing its workforce by 2,500 employees and French telecom entity Alcatel-Lucent would be slashing 1,000 jobs.

Both the world's first and second largest economies -- the US and Japan -- already in recession, are bearing the brunt of the worsening labour market.

Other companies which announced layoffs include Abx Air (1,900 jobs), International Paper(1,500), Delta Airlines (1,000), Fairchild Semiconductor (1,100) diversified consumer business group Sara Lee (700 jobs) and world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal has said it would cut 650 positions at its largest plant in Belgium.

All the firms have cited cost cutting measures amid the ravaging financial turmoil as the prime reason for layoffs.

"Bank of America expects to have a final plan early in 2009 and estimates it will project reduction of about 30,000 to 35,000 positions over the next three years," the company said.

Sony would be axing 8,000 full-time positions and 8,000 temporary jobs. Further, the company plans to reduce the total number of manufacturing sites by 10 per cent from the present 57 by March 2010.

Rio Tinto would trim its global workforce by 14,000 employees as part of a slew of measures to reduce its debt of $10 billion by the end of 2009.

In the first week of December, the telecom giant AT&T said it would slash 12,000 jobs or about 4 per cent of its total workforce.

Further, Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse would be axing 5,300 jobs, accounting for 11 per cent of its global workforce, by the first half of the next year.

Other major job cuts have been announced by ArcelorMittal (over 9,000 jobs), American car rental firm Avis Budget Group (2,200 jobs), Japanese financial services major Nomura (about 1,000 jobs), General Motors (2,000 jobs) and chemical company Dupont (2,500 jobs).