I hope my good news isn't bad news

[Gadave]

After 14 months of being unemployed, I finally got a job. Also it seems that I am actually getting opportunites now where before it was like being in a dessert.

As good as it is for me personally, if this type of things happen to too many people, I fear they will forget about the economic disaster which we call "the bush administration".

It seems fishy to me that companies (in my field) are only now starting to hire again, considering it is an election year. I am not a conspiracy theorist usually, but I wonder if the Bush administration didn't ask for a few favors to delay hiring until spring 2004. The reason being is that the job creation is low, but will look more impressive if it doesn't start till later.

Starting now means that there is still time for it to be reported shortly before the elction. Good job numbers from the 3rd quarter could help him get relected, even if they are worse than the 4th quarter from last year. (Simply due to the "upward" trend).

I think this is they type of strategy that Bush uses all the time. Lower expectation and then dazzle em with mediocrity later.

[mhr]

1. Unemployed 44 Months, Still No Job In Sight, Congrats Though

eom

[Gadave]

2. I feel for you

Although you make my break seem like a long weekend. I know how you feel. It is not only financial debilitating, it destroys your psyche.

I was right at the limit, maybe 2 months from financial disaster (No more retirement fund or investments). How did you survive this long?

Also, what field are you in? I have made some contacts, and maybe if I know someone I can give you a lead.

[mhr]

3. Thanks For The Words Of Support

I have survived by cutting to the bone and stretching my meager savings.

I have a very diverse background and have worked in several industries, mostly high-tech.

PM me and I will forward a resume.

Thanks for your help.

[Florida_Geek]

4. Greed says NO

These CEOs are too greedy, they would not hire extra people just to make * look good.

Florida_Geek has been out of work 36 months in the IT field.

[Nobody]

6. If they can get away with not hiring at all, they will

I WAS in the IT industry two years ago and has been fortunate enough to get temp jobs that barely pay the bills.

I used to do the kind of IT work that couldn't be sent overseas - deskside support. You can't fly a tech in from Latvia to take apart your computer and replace the hard drive or move computers and make sure the new network settings are correct.

But these jobs are gone, too. Guess where? The admin assistants in the departments are getting saddled with not only their own jobs, but mine as well. With no computer training, they have to troubleshoot printer problems and software/hardware/networking problems.

[Habibi]

10. My situation too

ex-desktop support techie. Companies are basically telling employees that they aren't going to get their computer problems fixed unless they fix 'em themselves. Employers have pared down the feet-on-the-street IT depts to bare bones.

[Gadave]

8. I don't mean hire to make Bush look good

I mean delay hiring people they would hire anyway, just so the timing is right. For example, lets say you improve the unemployment rate by one percent with hirings, and every quarter it goes up a quarter because of firings. Which of the following look better?

Scenario 1
3Q 2003 7.00%
4Q 2003 7.25%
1Q 2004 7.50%
2Q 2004 7.25% (After hiring 0.5% with 0.25 loss in jobs)
3Q 2004 7.00% (After hiring 0.5% with 0.25 loss in jobs)

Scenario 2
3Q 2003 7.00%
4Q 2003 7.00% (After hiring 0.25% with 0.25 loss in jobs)
1Q 2004 7.00% (After hiring 0.25% with 0.25 loss in jobs)
2Q 2004 7.00% (After hiring 0.25% with 0.25 loss in jobs)
3Q 2004 7.00% (After hiring 0.25% with 0.25 loss in jobs)

Scenario 1 looks better, and all the CEO's had to do was withhold hiring for a little while (which lines their pockets). In the first case, Bush can say the economy is on the way to recovery, in the second case, we are stagnating.

[Fitzovich]

5. Congrats

After 14 months it's time to take whatever good news there happens to be for you. My congratulations on finding employment, I hope it works out for you and things go well.

[htuttle]

7. You don't mention what field you are in

It's not fast food manufacturing, is it?

[Gadave]

9. I am in information technology

Oh, and not the kind where you answer questions at a Kiosk in the mall.

[tobius]

11. makes sense. bush makes a nationwide call

to business leaders and tells them when to start hiring. He knows everyone can keep a secret, look at mihop,bbv,wellstone, and how he is coordinating the media to drive his poll numbers down so he gets the right nominee to beat in the fall.

[SheilaT]

12. Congratulations of finally getting a job.

If you pay close attention to the way unemployment numbers are being reported these days, you'll realize they're fudging things quite a bit.

For instance, a week or so ago, it was said that the number of unemployment claims were down from the week before. They left out the word new -- it's always the number of new unemployment claims that are reported, and the number of new claims was down from the year before. And those who are unemployed long enough to no longer be getting unemployment benefits, are often completely left out of the equation entirely.

What they'll be talking up will be the number of people hired in any month or quarter, completely overlooking those laid off in the same time frame. So it will look as if there's ongoing new job creation, when the reality is going to be, no matter how fabulous the new job numbers are, that there's been a permanent loss of some 3 million jobs and they will not be made up by election day this year.

[Gadave]

13. And we are in a tough spot

We bring this up, we are accused of "talking down the economy". We don't bring it up and it is accepted as truth.

[tobius]

14. "tough spot"

As good as it is for me personally, if this type of things happen to too many people, I fear they will forget about the economic disaster which we call "the bush administration".

Looks like your hope is that people won't get hired. Nothing like hoping for bad news for people.

[Gadave]

16. Is it necessary to troll?

Interesting you would take the title from one posting and the content from another in order to cause trouble. My statement speaks for itself. I fear people will forget about what Bush has done to our economy.

Reading is a critical skill in these modern times.

[tobius]

19. exactly, you would rather they stay unemployed. I am calling you out on

that outrageous wish. Name calling isn't much of a defense.

[Az]

15. Nope, my company just announced another round of lay offs

Major automotive manufacturing supplier just announced to us that it had not met its expected projections and was going to take the short fall out of us. Across 2 campasses they will be laying off 150 people. Shutting down overtime. Cutting back everywhere. We have been reporting consistant record profits and are typically considered to be doing better than our competition. If it is hitting us it is hitting everywhere.

[Hammie]

17. Bad News

'As good as it is for me personally, if this type of things happen to too many people, I fear they will forget about the economic disaster which we call "the bush administration".'

If it happens to too many people, it won't be an economic disaster, which would be bad for us. Yep, bad new!

BTW: Congrats on the job! I hope you traded up in the end.

[Gadave]

18. I suppose I was unclear

Fixing a problem in an election year does not make up for the harm caused by Bush for 2 years. It's like forgiving the husband who beat you, simply because things are ok today.