tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24555572.post-1146319471429142182006-04-29T08:11:00.000-05:002006-04-29T09:04:33.680-05:00It's been over a month since I posted last. I've been around, but have been going through periods of employment and unemployment at my current job.<br /><br />The government reports that the economy has improved and unemployment is on the decrease. Then why do businesses continue to close and lay off employees? <br /><br />Case in point: <a href="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/BIZ/604140371/-1/all">Ford is closing F150 plants around the country</a>. 1,700 Cincinnati jobs will be lost. Now, if the economy were good, people could afford to buy new Ford F150s and employees would still have their jobs, right? <em>Right?</em><br /><br />Here's another reported April 29, 2006: <a href="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/BIZ01/604290344">Kahn's plant in Cincinnati is closing</a>. 350 jobs will be lost. <br /><br />And <a href="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060419/BIZ01/304190022/-1/all">Seagrams in Lawrenceburg</a>, Indiana, the same area I grew up in, is closing. They've been there for over 150 years. It's been a location for steady employment for as long as anyone remembers. Over 400 people will lose their jobs.<br /><br />Now, would you point to the statistics and show me how unemployment is decreasing?<br /><br />I was a broadcast engineer from 1997 to 2002 until my position was eliminated. I then worked for nine months as an installation technician for a local A/V company until I was let go because the company had insurmountable debt and they couldn't afford my salary anymore. The same week I was let go my <em>Subway</em> book came out. Following that I tried my hand at freelance copywriting. But after nine months I couldn't find the business and my unemployment ran out. Deciding on a career change, I went to work at an investments company doing data entry starting in March, 2004. I've been there ever since, working in a variety of different departments--at least I was until April 28 when I was let go due to a slowdown of work.<br /><br />I didn't mind doing this work. It was easy, the company was a five-minute drive, and the pay ws good. Not <em>great</em>, but coupled with my wife's salary, it kept us afloat. Book royalties also helped; it <em>does</em> pay to be a published author.<br /><br />However, once again I am unemployed. I <em>was</em> unemployed for three weeks last month for the same reason, but was brought back in April for a three-week stint.<br /><br />The first time I was let go was in February, 2006 for two-and-a-half weeks. It was at that time my wife ordered me to find a "real" job, that is, a real salary, benefits, and a sense of permanancy. So I updated my resume and started searching for technical jobs, writing or editing jobs, and even data-entry jobs in other companies. Since then I've applied to over two dozen positions, most of which I would be <em>perfect</em> for. Only one called me back. After a long phone call about the position, he promised he would call back and let me know if I were selected for the "next step," but said he still had thousands of resumes to go through.<br /><br /><em>Thousands</em>. Think about that word for a moment.<br /><br />Thousands of applicants. One job. <br /><br />It's no wonder nobody ever calls me back. Even with my solid experience and education, there are countless other job-seekers with the same or better credentials than I have.<br /><br />That's where I stand right now regarding my job. I've had to start selling things on eBay again to have at least a little trickle of money coming in. And I'm going back on unemployment next week. So, just call me a statistic I suppose, but I'm still out there looking.allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127988109083320748noreply@blogger.com