Long Term Unemployed - How Long...

[Anonymous]

My husband was unemployed for 4 months in 2009, then underemployed for 3 years, and now unemployed again for 7 months now. We had over $100K in liquid savings and severance- were saving for a house down payment- in 2009. Now we are completely wiped out and accumulating debt. He is an economist/ financial analyst. He has been a finalist for federal and private jobs multiple times but no offer yet. I am so depressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I lost my job, I would not wait around for years until I got another one to my liking. I would take what was available.

Let me teach you a new word: "overqualified". Many hiring managers shy away from someone who has 10 years experience when the job description calls for two. They think that you'll just be looking to jump ship and go back to your previous, higher-paying work as soon as you can. And they're not usually wrong, especially in the case of someone who's unemployed, as opposed to, for example, someone who wants to reduce their job-related stress.

I'm a high-level administrator, and have spent years learning every element of my industry. I can do budgets and strategic plans and substantive writing and editing. When I was unemployed, I applied for more executive assistant positions than I can count. And never got a single call. Everyone was looking for someone just barely out of undergrad who would think that $35k was a super salary. Thankfully, I did find something at my former level, but believe me, I wasn't "waiting around" for it to open up. You should thank your lucky stars you're still able to write "IF I lost my job..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I lost my job, I would not wait around for years until I got another one to my liking. I would take what was available.

Let me teach you a new word: "overqualified". Many hiring managers shy away from someone who has 10 years experience when the job description calls for two. They think that you'll just be looking to jump ship and go back to your previous, higher-paying work as soon as you can.

This is true, but what about temporary positions and contracts that are designed to be short-term? If they are looking for someone to replace a mom on maternity leave for a few months, they shouldn't care whether you have 2 or 10 years of experience. I would take any short-term opportunity and keep looking for a full time job at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I lost my job, I would not wait around for years until I got another one to my liking. I would take what was available.

Let me teach you a new word: "overqualified". Many hiring managers shy away from someone who has 10 years experience when the job description calls for two. They think that you'll just be looking to jump ship and go back to your previous, higher-paying work as soon as you can.

This is true, but what about temporary positions and contracts that are designed to be short-term? If they are looking for someone to replace a mom on maternity leave for a few months, they shouldn't care whether you have 2 or 10 years of experience. I would take any short-term opportunity and keep looking for a full time job at the same time.

Of course, you are absolutely right. All these people are unemployed by choice, bc it is so easy to get temporary opportunities and there is no competition for short term contracts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Of course, you are absolutely right. All these people are unemployed by choice, bc it is so easy to get temporary opportunities and there is no competition for short term contracts.

I'm confident they are unemployed by choice - unless they are sick/disabled. Because anyone can deliver pizza, teach something to someone (even English to people from other countries over Skype). I'm sure people who stay completely unemployed for years do not really want to work and find every excuse not to: "Oh they are offering me just 150K and I need at least 250K. I'd rather keep watching TV 24/7".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Of course, you are absolutely right. All these people are unemployed by choice, bc it is so easy to get temporary opportunities and there is no competition for short term contracts.

I'm confident they are unemployed by choice - unless they are sick/disabled. Because anyone can deliver pizza, teach something to someone (even English to people from other countries over Skype). I'm sure people who stay completely unemployed for years do not really want to work and find every excuse not to: "Oh they are offering me just 150K and I need at least 250K. I'd rather keep watching TV 24/7".

Agreed that anyone can do those jobs, but those jobs also have their own groups of people competing for them. Some fast food places get many, many applications for a single opening and those places are far more likely to hire an 18 y.o. that needs that money than a 42 y.o. analyst who will leave as soon as they get a better position.

My friend's daughter just graduated college and she cant even find a retail job or a waitress job and she has been applying since January.

There are unemployed people in every demographic and many of them would take any job, its just that there arent enough jobs to go around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Of course, you are absolutely right. All these people are unemployed by choice, bc it is so easy to get temporary opportunities and there is no competition for short term contracts.

I'm confident they are unemployed by choice - unless they are sick/disabled. Because anyone can deliver pizza, teach something to someone (even English to people from other countries over Skype). I'm sure people who stay completely unemployed for years do not really want to work and find every excuse not to: "Oh they are offering me just 150K and I need at least 250K. I'd rather keep watching TV 24/7".

Agreed that anyone can do those jobs, but those jobs also have their own groups of people competing for them. Some fast food places get many, many applications for a single opening and those places are far more likely to hire an 18 y.o. that needs that money than a 42 y.o. analyst who will leave as soon as they get a better position.

My friend's daughter just graduated college and she cant even find a retail job or a waitress job and she has been applying since January.

There are unemployed people in every demographic and many of them would take any job, its just that there arent enough jobs to go around.

Yup. My family owns a restaurant, and they learned their lesson. They hired a few bright, personable types who were qualified to do other things, and what do you know, they bailed as soon as possible. (The record was three shifts.) Hire someone who is qualified to wash dishes and bus tables and very little else, and they'll stick around.

I will say one thing though: I declined to apply for/ accept jobs that paid less than I was collecting through unemployment. I needed money, as much of it as I could get. And if I took a part-time job, I would no longer qualify for my benefits (for which I paid for decades before needing them). Ditto for short-term contracts: your unemployment benefit is calculated based on your former salary. If you go off UE to take a temporary low-paying job, the next time you apply for UE benefits, it will be based on the lower number. It is often wiser to stay unemployed a little longer in order to get a real job.