Atlanta Journal-Constitution: One Family, Three Layoffs

[marmar]

For one Georgia family, it’s unemployment times 3
State’s jobless rate hit 8.1% in December

By MICHAEL E. KANELL

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, January 22, 2009


Georgia’s unemployment rate in December climbed to 8.1 percent, up 80 percent in the past year to reach its highest level since 1983, the state Labor Department announced Thursday.

During the past year, the state has lost nearly 122,000 jobs.

The pain has not been spread evenly: For instance, three of the job cuts came under the same roof in Loganville. Sharon Khilling lost her job as a legal secretary in November, the month after her husband was laid off from an auto-repair shop and several months after her son-in-law lost his job at Wal-Mart.

A legal secretary for 20 years, Khilling has tried a series of online job postings and registered with temp agencies. She has been unable even to land an interview.

“We are applying every day to every single job we can apply for,” Khilling said. “We can’t even get a nibble.”

Her household, which includes her daughter and two young grandchildren, has seen money trouble steadily seep through their lives. They have pawned her husband’s tools, as well as her laptop, jewelry and wedding ring.

“We have already lost our car,” she said. “We will probably lose our house. The utilities are going to be shut off before long. We don’t even have enough food in the house.” .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2009/01/22/georgia_unemployment.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab