$13 an hour? 500 Sign Up, 1 Wins A Job. (2009, health insurance)

[westcoastbabe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/us/22hire.html

Makes you thankful to have the job that you have. It's a d@mn shame that you have to compete against others for a position/wage of that calibur. Very humbling.

[abcornwell]

Originally Posted by westcoastbabe

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/us/22hire.html

Makes you thankful to have the job that you have. It's a d@mn shame that you have to compete against others for a position/wage of that calibur. Very humbling.

Coming up on a year searching for a job, any job, I will tell you that $13 an hour is not bad for that type of position. I have seen, and applied for, many that were less per hour. (And I used to be a $55k+ per year wage earner.) Employers can be ultra-picky right now, and I think some are low balling hiring wages because they know so many are so desperate.

Interesting article! I've always wondered how businesses decide to divvy up the hundreds of resumes they receive.

[nascarnancy]

Originally Posted by abcornwell

Coming up on a year searching for a job, any job, I will tell you that $13 an hour is not bad for that type of position. I have seen, and applied for, many that were less per hour. (And I used to be a $55k+ per year wage earner.) Employers can be ultra-picky right now, and I think some are low balling hiring wages because they know so many are so desperate.

Interesting article! I've always wondered how businesses decide to divvy up the hundreds of resumes they receive.

I just passed my year mark. Saying it sucks is an understatement.

Interesting article indeed. When I send a resume I don't even get excited anymore to think, oh this would be a great company to work for etc. I send my resume, add it to my list and basically say to myself I'll never hear back from them. At this point I have 0 expectations and I think this article pretty much sums it up.

[chicagomichauds]

Originally Posted by nascarnancy

I just passed my year mark. Saying it sucks is an understatement.

Interesting article indeed. When I send a resume I don't even get excited anymore to think, oh this would be a great company to work for etc. I send my resume, add it to my list and basically say to myself I'll never hear back from them. At this point I have 0 expectations and I think this article pretty much sums it up.

I'm sorry to hear this. I wish there was something I could do but I'm just a cog in the wheel myself

[JanuaryGirl]

That is humbling, and sad. About a decade ago I was making just under that ($11/hr), and that was in high school, with no experience, and the job was easy to get. Definitely a wake up call, especially to people my age that grew up during the tech boom/good economy-- even when we were 16 years old we could easily find somewhat decent work without worrying about competing with people that had years of experience.

I was surprised in the article how much the company focused on cutting people that were "over qualified." I suppose they are being optimistic, assuming the economy will recover soon and those people would have better jobs to move on to? Let's hope they are correct....

[nascarnancy]

Originally Posted by chicagomichauds

I'm sorry to hear this. I wish there was something I could do but I'm just a cog in the wheel myself

Well thanks. I know something will eventually come along so I just keep plugging away.

[abcornwell]

Ah, Nancy, I know what you mean. It is tough to keep up one's spirit!

Although the article in question mentioned eliminating overqualified applicants, I have found the opposite to be true as well. For the first time ever, I am competing against people with masters degrees, who previously would never have been interested in the level of work we're applying for. And some are being hired. Guess it goes to show that there is an element of luck to getting a job nowadays.

I never thought I'd be looking at the news, hoping that the US Senate gets its act together and passes another extension to unemployment benefits! But the pit of my stomach has been making itself known - our household is hanging on by a thread - as are lots of households!

Hang in there Nancy, FWIW there are many of us who understand and empathise!

Originally Posted by nascarnancy

I just passed my year mark. Saying it sucks is an understatement.

Interesting article indeed. When I send a resume I don't even get excited anymore to think, oh this would be a great company to work for etc. I send my resume, add it to my list and basically say to myself I'll never hear back from them. At this point I have 0 expectations and I think this article pretty much sums it up.

[nascarnancy]

Originally Posted by abcornwell

Ah, Nancy, I know what you mean. It is tough to keep up one's spirit!

Although the article in question mentioned eliminating overqualified applicants, I have found the opposite to be true as well. For the first time ever, I am competing against people with masters degrees, who previously would never have been interested in the level of work we're applying for. And some are being hired. Guess it goes to show that there is an element of luck to getting a job nowadays.

I never thought I'd be looking at the news, hoping that the US Senate gets its act together and passes another extension to unemployment benefits! But the pit of my stomach has been making itself known - our household is hanging on by a thread - as are lots of households!

Hang in there Nancy, FWIW there are many of us who understand and empathise!

Thanks Abcornwell. I sure do understand and empathise with us all. I know there was one thread a while back and I finally had to stop reading it because some people didn't understand how a person could be out of work for a year and had some harsh words regarding unemployment and that we were sucking up the system. It just really upset me as they have no idea how hard we are all trying to find work, it's just a terrible time right now. You hang in there too.

[cynwldkat]

If anyone has questions about how tuff the job situation really is or about the pay and how low it is right now they should check in with their local unemployment offices. It's not good! My neighbor has been out of work for months and yesterday he had his first job offer--$7.95 to be a prison guard in a town over an hour away!! This man was making well over $20.00 an hour with health insurance just 7 months ago and sure didn't have to put up with prisoners and or risk his life. He was a welder and the only available job for him is a prison guard?? At $7.95 an hour??? That's just sad!

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by JanuaryGirl

I was surprised in the article how much the company focused on cutting people that were "over qualified." I suppose they are being optimistic, assuming the economy will recover soon and those people would have better jobs to move on to? Let's hope they are correct....

It has more to do with the fact that someone who is very "over-qualified" is only taking the job to have something...and once they find something more in line with the job they really want, they'll bail. Whereas someone who would have just the right qualifications for the job is someone who is interested in taking the job and sticking around.