Laid Off? Now What Do You Do?
----------------------------------------------------------
Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint,
distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free
bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are
made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is
included.
---------------------------------------------------------- Laid
Off? Now What Do You Do?
By Stephen Bucaro
First of all, don't feel alone. The U.S. has lost 2.5 million
net jobs since March 2001. The average jobless stint is now five
months, and many people are leaving the unemployment statistic
not because they found a job, but because they feel the
situation is hopeless and have dropped out of the work force.
Where did the jobs go? Did they go to Mexico where the average
hourly rate is $2.17, compared to $15.45 in the U.S.? Mexico is
losing jobs to countries like Vietnam where the average hourly
rate is 37 cents per hour, or Pakistan 34 cents, or China 24
cents. While the U.S. economy has been stagnant for the past
three years, China's economy has experienced a 9% annual growth
rate. The U.S. now has a $20 billion trade deficit with China.
China alone, with a population of 1.3 billion, compared to 250
million for the U.S., can provide more low cost labor than this
planet can ever absorb. At the same time, as some jobs are being
exported other jobs are being automated out of existence.
Remember when an attendant was required to pump gas into your
car? Remember when a human teller was required to make a bank
deposit? Those attendant and teller jobs have been long gone.
Now we're seeing self-checkout machines at discount stores,
grocery stores, and even at the library. Say goodbye to millions
of checkout clerk jobs. The buzz word for American business
today is "productivity" - to produce the same amount or more
with fewer workers. Many businesses have increased productivity
by more than a third in the last four years. This is only the
first wave of productivity increase. Millions more jobs will be
lost as computers and automation are put to the task of
eliminating jobs. It's the American way.
As an individual who has been laid off, what should you do? As
stated previously, the average time required to find a new job
is now five months. If you are a worker from an industry whose
jobs are being exported or automated out of existence, your
reentry into the work force could take much longer. You need to
develop a plan for your financial survival for an extended
period of time.
If your sources of income are less than your expenses, you need
to adjust your standard of living. People accustomed to making
purchases without a thought sometimes find it difficult to
adjust their spending habits. You may be required to tap into
savings or sell assets to remain financially viable. You may
need to trade your car for an older model in order to get rid of
the payments. You may need to sell your house to raise cash and
rent an apartment until the economy improves.
You need to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Stick
to an exercise program. Get involved in outdoor sports. You need
to be looking sharp for job interviews. Keep up with current
events, especially business news. You need to know what
geographic areas and economic sectors are poised to provide
opportunity.
Don't spend your days laying on the sofa in front of the TV
snacking on junk food. Whether you get a pay check or not, you
need to stay productively engaged in the economy. Even if the
chance of actually getting a job in today's economy is slim, you
need to stay out there, making contacts, ready to seize
opportunities.
Now is the time to get more education or training. You don't
have to train for a specific career. Any general business or
technology training will give you an advantage. Even seemingly
non-related training, like art classes, will get you off the
sofa and out making contacts that might result in a job.
If you don't have the funds for education or training, become a
volunteer. Volunteering will get you off the sofa and out making
contacts that might result in a job. It's not unusual for
someone who starts out cleaning cages at the dog pound to end up
keeping the books or managing the dog pound, and get experience
that results in a high paying job at a corporation. The secret
is being reliable and willing to take on responsibility.
As contradictory as it sounds, the worst part of a recession is
the best time to start a business. During a recession, money to
start a business is cheap and available. Low cost surplus and
new business equipment is available. Skilled employees are
plentiful and wages are reasonable. As the economy begins to
pick up, established businesses are slow to gear back up to meet
the demand. That leaves clients looking for new sources. If you
are interested in starting your own business, contact the Small
Business Administration for guidance.
The U.S. has lost 2.5 million net jobs since March 2001. If you
are one of the individuals who has been laid off, you still need
to stay productively engaged in the economy. While looking for a
job, you can get more education or training, become a volunteer,
or start your own business. Most importantly, don't spend your
days laying on the sofa in front of the TV snacking on junk
food. Take care of yourself.
----------------------------------------------------------
Resource Box: Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to
maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a
Web site and make money on the Web visit
http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp
Newsletter Send a blank email to
mailto:bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com
----------------------------------------------------------