LAYOFF & UNEMPLOYMENT

From Susan M. Heathfield, your Guide to Human Resources
Vol. 11 No. 30 - ISSN: 1533-3698 March 16, 2010
Dear People:
Each of us eventually selected a career. Whether that career has worked well for you, or not, you always have the chance to throw that dice again. Usually, thrown a bit later, that roll results in a career that you value. The earlier one was often a career that you fell into, not one you chose - and maybe not even one you trained to pursue.
I have several friends who are training in various aspects of health care careers currently. Dissatisfied with their earlier career choices, upset and left unemployed in the current job market, they figure health care credentials will keep them employed until retirement.
In this job market, retraining for a different career may be the option you choose. Want a couple of words of advice? Don't sit around waiting to get called back to your former job. Assess honestly whether that will ever happen. Sometimes the retraining may be unnecessary, but some people who are experiencing a second or third year of layoff, could already have that much time invested in retraining and a future.
Interested in exploring? Make a plan to reignite career passion. Or, create the life you want with a mid-career crisis. You may not like the life the dice dealt you, but you can create a better path from here.

Worried About a Layoff and Unemployment?
Wednesday March 10, 2010
Unemployment took a dip in Michigan in January. Woo-hoo! We now have 14.3% unemployment, doubled to count underemployed, part-time employed, and people who have stopped looking, to 28.6%. And, these are just the people who remain in the state looking. On a daily basis, the freeways are jammed with people, who are mobile, leaving Michigan for fairer climes with potential jobs. Thus, I awaited the Department of Labor February unemployment announcement with interest.
Nationally, unemployment is holding at 9.7% for February. Given that many economists and pundits predict no recovery in unemployment numbers prior to 2011 or later, this is better news than expected. Keep in mind that various experts say that 7-9,000,000 jobs have disappeared forever and this magnifies the difficulty of the unemployed in finding work.
Are You in Danger of a Layoff?
In this job climate, remaining employed is paramount. So, is knowing if a layoff and unemployment are headed your way. There are actions you can take, while you are still employed, that will help you navigate the sea of unemployment should it strike your family.

Please feel free to offer your comments.