How many of your Jobs, Incomes etc. are affected by the economy?

[totoro]

With the increase of posts by board members about finances wages possible loss of jobs etc. I was wondering how many of us out there are at risk of losing jobs or just struggling because of how things are???
My husband works in the Steel Industry... up in NorthWest Indiana. The Steel Industry is solely based on the economy. So let's just say it is at a record ALL time low and jobs are being lost and wages are down in record numbers.
We broker and recycle steel, which is being hit the hardest... so while we run our own company, their is NO market.
husband has had people who once were rejecting his product now begging him to take anything and try to sell it for anything.
People filling for bankruptcy left and right.
We still have our house in Idaho as well, which is not going to sell anytime soon.
The only thing we have done wise is squirrel away as much money as we could when things were going OK. But we are having to put things on the credit card each month as well, due to mortgage and rent.
Although we have it better than most, things are still scary, and I know it is scary for so many people.

On the news they are even talking about how the Christmas jobs are not going to be as available as usual...

 

[busywend]

Totoro, I find out in about 3 hours and 20 minutes if I still have a job. It is an amazing amount of stress to be put under. At least if I lose my job, the tears will not be seen be all since most will have gone for the day. In fact, that is why I am thinking it is the last one in the day.

I will be OK. I have always said I would never be homeless. My family, friends and my boyfriend would never let that happen.

Hey, at least I just got my degree in May!

 

[totoro]

I hope the news is not what you think. This whole economy just hoovers.
I really do hope there will be no need for tissues in your house tonight!

 

[busywend]

Thank you.

 

[gcvmom]

BW -- sending prayers you don't get bad news today... and if it is, that you're able to bounce back and find a better job quickly.

 

[tiredmommy]

Wendy- Crossing body parts and saying a prayer....

My husband works in the banking industry. 'Nuff said.

 

[hearts and roses]

Busy - Holding a good thought that your job is secure.

The industry I work in is affected by the economy, but we're in insurance and our business is mostly dictated by tragedy. Some of the companies that were recently bought out or the few that folded were clients of ours, so yeah, we were affected.

We're very slow, especially for this time of year. Like undertakerse, we thrive on others' losses. Sad, but true.

I worry about my job mostly because a portion of my job responsibilities were taken from me earlier this year and that leaves me with gaps of time when I have nothing major going on. I am easily bored if I don't have anything pressing to do...which is all the time now. I am just waiting for my boss to knock on my door and say, "Listen, we know you've been blabbing on line and playing Bejeweled all day, so we're letting you go this Friday." I haven't really been doing only those things, but I will admit that I have a little. And I seriously would be so majorly screwed if I lost my job. When my job responsibilities changed I asked for new ones and I was told more were forthcoming, but nothing so far. I reminded my boss again, but he actually chuckled at me, as if I was being silly. I just try to keep a low profile these days and do my job the best I can.

Sadly, we are letting our guy in another office go - in about a month, just before Christmas. His past year has been awful and I wish I didn't know, but I'm in HR so I am the one who placed the ad for his job. When I think of it, I am sick over it.

 

[Wiped Out]

Busywend-Keeping good thoughts for you.

With husband and I being teachers we're not really in danger of losing our jobs. We haven't always made good financial decisions and are struggling now. I'm just thankful we both have jobs at this point.

 

[DDD]

We own our small business so there's no fear of being fired BUT a number of small companies in our industry have cut down to the bare bones and
are contemplating closing.

"They" say (don't ask...I don't know, lol) that Florida, Michigan and Ohio are the three most affected states. Business is way off throughout most of the state. Nothing we can do but continue to be frugal and hope there is a rebound.

Fingers crossed for those of you concerned about layoffs. Hugs. DDD

 

[Jena]

Hi,

Busywend - good luck!!!

Me, well as many of you know I left job back in April. I guess it was a good decision, made sense for difficult child.

I have been looking for a job for 4 mos. now I have not recvd. one response or bite to my resume at all. Wait, one but was too far away.

So, I'm now checking out the stores to see if I can land some sort of job so that xmas will happen the way it should. While back I would put my resume on a site and get multiple responses, now nothing.

My boyfriend, he had to sell one store. It wasn't making enough money and they have to take care of huge tax issue he had last year. He still has business and it is holding it 's own. Yet we are not married as many of you know.......so for me I need my own financial security it's always been the way for me. So, here's hoping.

 

[Steely]

I am in retail, we are definitely affected.
My bonus will be cut, hours cut, the structure of my position is changing ~ personally I am not sure how it will all unfold.
The only profession I know that is not being challenged at this point is health care.

 

[Woofens]

My SO manages a gas station. We do make a (tiny) profit from gas sales. When gas prices were so high, we were really strapped. Combine that with losing child support for difficult child D this month... it's going to make for a rough holiday season. We are still keeping up with the bills, haven't fallen behind yet, and I don't think we will, but alot of the unnecessary luxuries have been cut out. We used to order dinner out a couple nights a week, I have been cooking every night. Harder on me, since I'm so darn tired all the time, but more economical. We have not and will not cut out our Friday night date, or our every other Sunday night dinners out with the kids. I had been buying alot of new clothes, since most of mine were years old and falling apart, but they will have to get packed away soon, until after the baby is born. Sigh... now I need maternity clothes.. well, not now, but I will in a couple months.

I don't think SO has to worry about job security, but he is looking for something else, that would have him home more. He works 92 hours a week right now. I'm afraid to let him change jobs in today's market though. Another baby in the house is definately going to put a strain on things financially. The plus side is, now that difficult child D is 18, and has cut me out of his life, there is a couple hundred bucks a month I'm not handing out to him anymore to get him off my case.

We have been trying for almost a year to sell a house, and having no luck what so ever. We own 3, the one we live in, the one Moonwolf and Mo rent from us, and one that has sat empty for almost a year. We have 2 mortgages and 2 car payments. We need to sell both the cars, and buy a work car for SO to drive and something bigger for me. We have a Jeep Wrangler and a Chevy Trail Blazer. Neither is big enough, the Jeep only seats 4 and the Trail Blazer 5. We are looking at a Chevy Suburban that we can pay cash for, that seats either 8 or 9. We have to get rid of the Jeep though. SO bought it for his difficult child son, who was supposed to make the payments. Not gonna make that mistake again.

SO says the economy is going to get worse before it gets better, no matter who gets elected next month. We have decided to not do any Christmas shopping until the week before Christmas (which is going to be hard, as most of our shopping has always been from catalogs). SO says that the Christmas season is going to be so bad, that come the week or so before Christmas, the prices will be rock bottom. The only thing we have bought so far is Nintendo DS Lites for all 3 kids, and we got those on sale plus 10% off the sale price. I was afraid to wait to get them, because each of the kids wanted a certain color. No games for them yet though. I'm hitting the indoor flea markets for games.

The price of groceries is what kills me. We feed 7 people almost every night. Moonwolf and Mo do help out with groceries, but it doesn't go nearly as far as it used to. We are going to buy a side of beef and put it in the deep freeze. I have been stocking up on canned goods for a couple months.

Things I refuse to give up... my bottled water, my date night with SO, my 1 16 OZ bottle of sunkist a day. I'm too spoiled to give those up. LOL

Jan

 

[busywend]

Thanks for the well wishes!
Whew/phew - I 'get' to keep my job. Oh and I 'get' to do someone else's in addition to mine. Wahoo!!

It is what it is and I am thankful I do not have to hit the pavement when things are so bad in the job market.

I should celebrate now!

 

[KTMom91]

The uncertain economy is one reason I substitute. If I went to work full time, it's last hired, first fired, but as long as I sub, I'll be able to work. Hubby's probation period for his job will be up Nov. 12, then we can rest a bit easier. He works for a utility company. Miss KT is putting in apps, but no calls yet. My mom is retired and on a fixed income, and having Miss KT there is affecting her expenses, though I turn over the child support I get from Useless Boy's mother.

 

[gcvmom]

Woo-hooo BW! That's got to be a HUGE relief I agree -- this calls for celebration...!

 

[tiredmommy]

Congrats Wendy... your boss must realize what a great asset you are!

 

[mstang67chic]

That's such good news!!!

husband and I worry but we've been very lucky job wise. Most people are scaling back on things and land lines seem to be one thing going. husband is in the cell phone industry so business is still decent there. With me recently getting a job, that has helped tremendously. I work for a tire company .... we have 3 locations. Two are mainly cars/trucks but mine is semi's and big things that take big tires. Everyone still needs tires so we seem to be doing ok. I update a monthly sales report for my location daily and we seem to be about par with last year. Some months I noticed were a bit down from that time last year but nothing major.

Even if I hated this job, I would keep it. There's just too much going on now to not have a job. It's still lean at times while we're catching up but I'm feeling very lucky and blessed.

 

[donna723]

I work for the State and I think I will be OK, but you never know! They have a huge budget crunch so we never got the raise we were promised, and our insurance went up - again. They 'bought out' 1,200 State employees statewide but it didn't make much of a dent and now they're talking layoffs. There are three of us where I am with the same job title and seniority-wise with 22 years in, I'm in the middle of the three. So if one was to go, it wouldn't be me. But the one with the least seniority has only a few months less than me. It stinks all the way 'round!

The thing of it is, I HAVE to make it at least another three years. Technically I could retire now but on reduced SS and a lower pension and it wouldn't be enough to live on, even as frugal as I am! All of this stuff that a lot of people are doing now to save money, I've already been doing for years! I don't have a lot of 'wiggle room' if you know what I mean. And if for some reason I had to retire early, I'd never find another job here! We had one big factory where half the town worked and it closed down, sending all those jobs to Mexico. So now our little county has the highest unemployment rate in the whole state! We're finally "Number One" in something!

 

[Suz]

I figure I can retire when I'm 94 or the day I die at my desk; whichever comes first.



Suz

 

[Hound dog]

(((Suz))) If it makes you feel better husband is in the same position. Although his isn't because of the economy.

I don't know how secure husband's job is. Except that they have a hard time filling the position. husband can do the same job as someone with a degree, but since he has none they can pay him much less. And he works for Kao/jergens so......I guess we all will still need shampoo and deodorant no matter how poor we are.

But he has no senority. He was only hired a year ago. And the company is owned by the Japanese and it sounds like they're doing worse than we are right now. So who knows?

And this is why I went back to school in the medical field. People always get sick.