You've all summed it up....scary! I do know Frank and he's willing to do most anything at all. His pride won't get in the way. I told him to be good to himself this weekend but still came home yesterday to find him slaving away here. Actually he's doing little projects that have been pushed aside for quite awhile due to more important things and no time. I'm in healthcare....well, hospice...and do feel somewhat safe because there will always be a need. He worked in the heating and air conditioning field and that's one reason why we were so shocked....it's an ongoing need. What we're finding is that even in companies that will always have a market, EVERYONE is tightening up and trimming....thus his job in this case. There are people at his workplace who have now been delegated all those jobs that were lost on top of their own duties. It must make for very poor morale, not to mention that everyone is walking on eggshells wondering when round two of the lay-offs will hit. Onward....

Hi Lady Jane,

I"m sorry to hear of your struggle. My husband has worked for the same company for 30 yrs. and retired this year. They hired him back contract, and do periodically lay him off for a week at a time. So far, this has worked out ok.

I do hope your husband is able to find something he can enjoy working at. It's a hard time.

Blessings to you both.

Just to update you all on our status....we are a tiny spot here of unemployment. We're in huge company across the U.S. Frank is still unemployed since January 14th. Looking for work is an absolute joke. Every company appears to have a freeze on hiring, of course. There is still some hope that he could get called back when things pick up in the Spring but I don't have much hope personally of any of it. We're chugging along here doing what we can. Thankfully, I still maintain my 40 hour job at the Hospice House which holds our health insurance...that is, when I'm not home sick with bronchitis and pneumonia. I hope to go back on Monday but didn't need the lack of day's work right now. We're trying to stay positive and he is keeping busy doing things around here. Thanks for allthe warm thoughts!

Ladyjane, I've thought of you because my son also lost his job, and I kinda pray for all those in the same boat. I'm so grateful you had your job when he lost his, because it wasn't that long ago when you weren't working this job, right? Have to find something to be thankful for, right?

I know what you mean about finding a job. Hardly a soul is hiring. My sister lives in Charlotte, NC and she said it's so bad that people have signs on their businesses that say NOT HIRING. I guess they're sick of people asking if they're hiring.

Yes, Dotsie....it's also so bad out there that Frank asks about hiring most anywhere his travels take him...all for his work search log. In my lifetime, I've never seen anything like it and from what many say we've barely begun this journey.

LadyJane,
I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. It seems like Frank needs to think outside the box. I know here in CA, people who get jobs never ask for them -they research companies that they like and find a project or service where their skills can add considerable value to the company. They present that to the company and then it is hard for them to say no because they have proven that they know that can add to the bottom line and they have what it takes to do that.
Hope that helps.
Fern
www.boomerwomenretirerich.com

My husband just got laid off two days ago. It has been very hard on him these past years since 9/11. He got laid off after that when all the companies were in a panic and has not kept a job for more than a few years since because of age-ism and also (my opinion) because he is not in the "good ole boys club) meaning they already have old established friendships;golfing;yachting etc in the higher ranks and quickly figure out he is a believer and maybe this makes them unfomfortable with their 'talk around the water coler' figuratively speaking. I really have felt just from listening to him speak and it's not what you know it's who you know. There were people who were promoted to very high positions within companies that had not even graduated college then would come to my husband to put "bandades" all over there work. He seems to fix everyone elses blunders and messes and then when they have their big meetings they give credit to the guy in the clique. I can't believe men have cliques but I don't know what else to call it. Today I brought him home from his second biopsy for prostate issues so now we await the results. Personally I have been in the ER 2x over the last 3 weeks. I now have four staples in my head from a dizzy spell......but I get great radio reception:) So we are on our rollercoaster ride in our houseold.....we tried to scale down with the house this past yr. in case this happened as we don't have much equity in it only having been here for 7 yrs but it would not sell in this market and we lowered the price a couple times or so. There are for sale signs everywhere around here and also up for aution signs and foreclosures. I am taking one day at a time........and wearing my old Karate helmut) :)(not) Also can't go job hunting as my hair is about 3 or 4 different colors now and looks terrible and I can't get it done until my stapels are out the the wound is completely healed. Anyway nice to talk to you all again........

Bella, I can only hope that you have insurance. Yipes! How devastating this must be to your husband. I'm so sorry this has happened. I don't have any words of wisdom but I can tell you that I share the angst with him.

I was laid off four years ago and at 54, it did several things for and TO me. It woke me up to the fact that I'm single, unemployed, and no insurance. But....being of a Pollyanna nature, I started looking at the bright side...I was free of the corporate world and NOW, I could do whatever I wanted to do. I retired from that company instead of trying to wait it out and see if I would be recalled.

I decided to begin writing full time, published my book, had another one published with five other women, and started speaking to audiences everywhere. As my granny used to say, "who would have ever thunk it."

At first my family was YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHATTTTTT????!!!!! They thought I was nuts. Now, they are my biggest fans.

So tell hubby that he might want to try to look outside his normal employ....and there just might be some dream worth following.

Oh...and so that I don't mislead you, I eat alot of cardboard nowadays...but honestly? I couldn't be happier.

I don't know if this resource would be any good, but I happen to see it just this morning.

Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love by Barbara J. Winter

The subtitle gives you an idea of where she is headed: that you can make a living and have a life that you craft for yourself. One liberating idea was her concept of multiple profit centers--earning income in different and creative ways so that all of your sources-of-money eggs are not in one basket.

She also has a subscription-based print newsletter called "Winning Ways" and a free electronic newsletter called Joyfully Jobless.