Just wondering if any of your children have lost their jobs in recent months due to the economy.

Our son, who got a job working for one of the top three most desirable companies over a year ago, is currently facing a possilbe lay off. The company got in to trouble with their credit and things have been going down the tubes since. This morning, we awakened to the news of 800 people from his company being laid off, the majority from the commodities group. Guess what group he works for? You guessed it - commondities. Time will tell. I feel terribly sorry for his co-workers who have families, tuitions, and mortgages. While it will be sad if he loses his job, he certainly has less at stake. Tough times for so many. All I can do is have faith that God has a plan for him and we will watch it be revealed in time.

My son-in-law was laid off last month and this month as well. He does receive unemployment. He has to keep his student loans paid on time or he won't be able to apply for more next year to finish his degree. He works in an RV factory. No one has money to buy those right now. The whole county in Indiana where he lives has been hit hard. We live in Michigan and our state has been hit hard as well. Me, I'm a nurse...in the last ten years FOUR positions I have held were eliminated. (Why I'm doing hair accessories right now, lol!) I could work on the floor, but at my age, I don't know if I could handle it anymore.

We're doing the same, putting it in the Big Guy's awesome hands and waiting to see how He pulls us all through! Prayers for your family, as well, Dotsie!

My son left his trucking job because they never seemed to be able to get his paycheck correct, mistales were in their favor of course. Always promising to FIX IT but never doing so. He now works locally in a pool and patio place. Hates it but its a job!

My ex recently lost his position as 'head collector' for a collection company. NO ONE is paying their current bills, let alonre old ones like he was collecting on. It is a real mess here in Vegas where there WAS always money and jobs.

Want job security? Become an undertaker!!! I'm not kidding either.

chatty and justjoan, sorry to hear the job losses. joan, paying back college loans is another area that's being hit becasue the kids graduating are either getting jobs and then getting liad off, or not getting jobs.

chatty, I'm osrry to hear about your son, but I'm glad he's not letting them take advantage of him. He was driving when gas prices were the highest, wasn't he? I wonder if it'a any different now...

Our son lost his job at the end of this week. Fortunately, he got a nice severance package that will last him a few months, but meantime, he's got to get a job (finance major) at a time when not many are hiring. He worked for Constellation Energy. They laid off 400 this week, and plan to lay off another 400 in the next couple months. He was in their commodities department which is the department taking the most losses.

A good frien called me Friday to tell me she was also laid of. She worked in real estate. Her job loss means loss of health insurance. That's pretty scary when you're in your early 60s and single.

Somehow, I have faith that all will be well, eventually. I'm grateful my son isn't married and doesn't have children. However, he did just buy a house this summer so he has financial responsibilites.

This area of the country thrives on car manufacturing. Folks are concerned about pensions, health insurance, etc. Terrorists wanted to cripple the U.S. economy: I pray they don't succeed.

Jabber, I too pray they don't succeed either.

My step-sister's half-sister (got that?) lost her job last week, too. Media General is laying off folks at the station level. She is a smart young lady and was in the process of buying a condo. I'm certain she'll qualify for unemployment and is hopeful to find another job elsewhere. Since she has not closed on the condo, she is open to moving - wherever that may be.

I worry about not having a job after March 2009 b/c our trials conclude in March with not too many new cases on the horizon. I work at a law firm and about 20 folks have been layed off, yet somehow the firm has enough to purchase expensive lunches for the attorneys, not the staff. Also, they've hired two new lobbyists -- hope they earn their keep.

Think I'll schedule a physical soon -- while I have insurance!

Dotsie, has your son applied with the Federal Gov't? I understand they may be hiring.

Dotsie,
I'm sorry about your son being laid off! He is lucky, he has you for a mother!

My son is caught up in academia and applying for doctorate programs. The money is tight there too but he has excellent credentials to help him. We will muddle through and have not heard from the colleges he applied to.

Since school funding is way down, if he is not accepted with a package deal, he will take a year off after he recieves this degree this year and try to find work to save money.

I hope it does not come to that. There are student loans but I don't want my child rolling in debt.

My son who is a Pastor resigned his position only very recently. He has a business that is his own, it is in recycling, which I feel with stay afloast but he is in the job market to do what is close to his heart, which is, helping people. (He has a psyche degree.)

Our children may be the ones who suffer as they compete for jobs with former CEOs!! Quite the problem, I think.

I read that it may stay this way until 2011!

Still, if you choose to travel, now is the time with gas as it is now. Also, any job to do with driving should be easy enough to keep with gas prices SO, So low!

Best of luck to everyone. It seems it's hitting everyone, this financial problem in the country, doesn't it?

Dancer

It's hitting the entire world, Dancer. In Germany the unemployment rate is terribly high. But it was always higher statistically, compared to the US.

Sorry to hear about all the lay offs. I'm worried about my son's job as well. He had to lay off 35 people last week. I hope the next bout won't include him. He works in a large industrial real-estate company, and nobody is buying.

Oddly enough, I'm holding my own in our business. People are buying apartments, which are so cheap at this point. Certainly is wiser to invest there, than buying stocks.

Good idea to take advantage of the health insurance coverage while you can, Mustang.

I've been timing my dental appointments carefully....so I will get covered...before left on my own when my contract job finishes next year ..probably in summer 2009.

Yes, us experienced folks will be competing shortly, head to head with the children mentioned in this forum by other members.

No need to worry about young university graduates..they are perceived as faster, technology savvy, etc., etc. They WILL find good jobs, they just have to persist, flexible on type of jobs, be more mobile and start from bottom. Like many of us did or....still might do so to survive.

That's why I do include my resume as part of my hobbies..cycling for xxx years... and all the software where I've designed systems applications from ground up.

I do like to show I am a highly active and experienced worker in good health. Not ready to fall asleep at my computer at work...like another employee my age. (I'm serious...I've had to wake her up. She denies it that she's fallen asleep. yea, right.) THere are ..serious reasons,..why I must remain healthy...to still work and earn money.

For the time being, since right now I'm wondering about end result of yet another job interview, I have already submitted a request for a salary increase for the duration of present contract job. And....I found out ..a number of guys have already requested and got their salary increase. If I don't get the new job, then I get a salary increase. Forget about being a good girl now and waiting around for things to happen.

I appreciate all the stories about lay offs. I think more and more families (couple generations) will be living together as all of this pans out during the next few years.

I do agree that much of it has to do with greed. While my son was employed, I was sickened by the way his company spent money entertaining employees from other sites. The dinners, the wine, desserts, etc, were so way over the top, and he jumped right in with it using his corporate credit card when allowed. It's how they did business.

We need a sermon on "fear"... anyone have one?deleted rest of post

gims, funny you should ask. I'm doing Max Lucado's book Experiencing the Heart of Jesus. When I went to the kitchen table yesterday, I opened to the chapter Freedom from Fear. It was a welcomed study. I will finish it this morning. Some of the verses mentioned were:

I will fear no evil.

So don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you. Isaiah 4:10

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.

gims, I was reminded about how fearful Jesus was in the Garden of Gethesmene. If you read it closely, you'll see that he was sweating and full of anguish. We're human so we become afraid as Jesus did, but fortunately, we have God's promise that he will walk with us and remain with us always. He also prayed, not my will, but yours.

Our job is to trust: The Lord is my light and the one who saves me. I fear no one. The Lord protects my life; I am afraid of no one. Psalm 27:1

I might add that we should fear nothing, not just no one. This is a tall order and I often find myself way off track in this area of trust. It takes studies and being in the word to bring me back...and then I slip again, and over and over again depending upon the situation. If the situation involves my children, this worry wart can go whole hog, forgetting all about my faith. But then, when I return to prayer in the morning, I'm whipped back into shape - at least temporarily. I'm always working on carrying my studies throughout the day.

Do you have copies of your dad's sermons? I think it would be so comforting to read what your dad had to say about this topic.