I am 52 right now on a temp assignment. All I seem to get is temp assignments in New York/New Jersey. I get phone interviews only for full time positions, but I never get a call back for a follow up interview now. When I was younger, by the second interview I got called back and hired, now with my extensive knowledge in accounts payable (over 30 years) no one wants to hire me. I hear from everyone, the economy is getting better, but I can't see it. Why don't companies want the experience we have to offer them? I can't make a living on unemployment in between temp jobs. Does anyone have any advice on where I can look. I really need to find a F/T position, I would really appreciate any help you could give.

Worst companies for individuals see -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/worst-companies-to-work-for_us_575b26b0e4b0e39a28ada793 . Retailers are being hit hard by the post- 2008 aftermath called "The Deep Recession" while consumers are paying off debt as quickly as possible. The better employers represent large tech companies.

This year has been really crazy in terms of job openings. In the PNW, there is usually a huge need for contractors at Microsoft after June 30th, the end of their fiscal year. And then it picks up again when kids go back to school in September. But I'm not seeing any of that this year....which makes me believe that companies are waiting to see what happens on election day.

Be you Democrat or Republican, I do believe a lot of companies are holding their collection breath to hire more people until AFTER November 8th. But then again, we enter into the holiday season where everybody goes on vacation. Just keep plugging away, folks!

Over the last several days I have seen many postings about LONG TERM unemployment. Instead of answering everyone on an individual basis I thought I would just write this.

Today's Economy is very different then the 80's and 90's and the 2000's. It began in October 2008 with the Market Crash, a New President and Administration. So a Few things that are REALLY important to understand.

1: No matter what you hear on the news about unemployment rate being at 5% THAT is an OUT RIGHT LIE - this number that the media uses comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics you can find the web site here ...http://www.bls.gov/... The number the media and the President use is known as the U-3 Number... what does this mean?

U3 Counts those individuals who are unemployed and are collecting unemployment benefits. But that is NOT the entire picture. It is more important to look at the U6 Number - that number is at 9.7%

U6 Counts those individuals who are unemployed and no longer collecting unemployment, those that have given up looking for work, and those still seeking work or are partially attached to work force through temporary and part time jobs. Adding these together you have a REAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE of 14.7%. Imagine looking at 100 people who are willing to work, who want to work and for the sake of argument 15 of them are out of a JOB...PERIOD! 5 of them are collecting unemployment and 9 of them are not.

These are some serious numbers

95 Million Americans who want to work, are looking for work but can't find a job. To put that into perspective that is 1/3rd of all Adult Americans. The population of the united states is somewhere around 330 Million People.

Those that are looking are facing even a BIGGER HILL. Corporations do want to hire, but demand for products and services are down depending on the industry. Health Care will never change ... it only increases due to retirees, and other factors. Add to this the TAX RATE for corporations at 39% US...and that does NOT include the State taxes and City Taxes that corporations pay in the form of Income tax, property taxes, licensing fees, etc...the list goes on and on and on.

The fear right now held by MOST corporations is that these fees and tax rates are going to go even higher. Well as my Dad always said, there is only so much money. A corporation is going to be very careful with its money if it wants to stay in business.

Its not that Companies don't have the money to HIRE you they do, but also understand that hiring someone at what ever rate of pay is not just that rate of pay. I should know I owned a company and hired and fired people.

Take for instance someone working a job for $10 per hour. But its NOT just $10 per hour that employee is making. The company has to pay on your behalf

Liability Insurance Unemployment Compensation the 2nd Half of your social security tax the checking accounts that hold the funds so you can cash your check there are fees on these Fees for maintaining TAX records for quarterly filing which for me ran $275 a quarter...

So all in all a $10 employee is REALLY making just shy of about $20 an hour. With that said.

This is an employers market not an employees market, much like its a sellers market and a buyers market for homes. Right now, in my area anyway this is a buyers market. With in a 2 miles of me there are that I know of 16 homes for sale on the market for MONTHS.

Employers are very slow, and careful in choosing candidates for their positions. And even NOW as you apply most likely there are anywhere from 200, and in one case for me 900 people that applied for that very same position of which there was ONE job opening.

My now Husband was layed off from AETNA INS. CO going on 4 years this coming January. He works 2 full time jobs at just about $10 per hour at each one. He puts in 65-70 hours a WEEK working from 5am to 10:30 sometimes midnight 4 days a week and works 2 days from 2pm to 12am. he has NOT been able to find a job in his field, he is a graphic design artist and a good one at that. It is true that industry has also changed, but even with his marketing and brand standards background he still has NOT found a position that even begins to come close to the money he was making 4 years ago.

This is the NEW NORMAL, and I am NOT a DOOM and GLOOM person, but these are the facts.

Outlook for the future months to come because of the election.

1: Hiring will come to a slow down even more until at least May or June of 2017

2: Pay rates are NOT going to return to what we think are a decent wage - if the Democrats win both the white house and the senate and the house and if they pass, and that is a big IF, a increase in minimum wage of $15.00 an hour that is NOT going to go into effect over night, and that will put even more pressure on companies NOT to HIRE...like I said a $10 or $15 dollar wage is NOT just that its double that ...PER PERSON...

Some areas of the company are better then others. Right Now Florida, South and North Carolina, Georgia and I think Arizona are better places to find halfway decent jobs.

If you live in the northeast, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania - you are looking at, at least another 12-18 months of the same hiring environment. Add to that every year the new graduates that are coming out of college. Competition for jobs is only going to get that much tougher.

YOU CAN NOT take this personally, you can put out 100 resumes a week, I do, but we unemployed are up against a LOT of factors when it comes to hiring.

KEY THINGS...

Get your resume in order and create 2 or 3 different types for different careers Use LinkedIn and other social media to make contacts Find WEB SITES to help you stay positive and MOVE FORWARD Enlist with Temp agencies, remember a 3-6 month assignment is NOT forever, but at least your working and earning money.

This is NOT a political statement on who I think or who YOU should vote for this coming November. But there are some major issues that the new incoming President is going to have to deal with. I am only trying to tell you what I know as a former person who owned a business and paid those very same taxes that I listed above, the stress and the worry of meeting a payroll, and trying to keep the doors to the business open. Yes it failed I am sorry to say, but my industry is always the first to feel the pains of a failing economy, it always will be too.

I hope I have helped you understand what you are up against in this economy and the job market. You must be flexible enough to change with the times. Open yourself up to new opportunities ...

This is NOT an attempt to scare you, but to make you think about what is going on and how you can take control of your life and turn it around with some perseverance, hard work and a lot of disappointments. The road is not an easy one. YOU ARE NOT ALONE....its easy to feel this way, and I get it, I have been only unemployed since April. But non the less I feel the very same frustrations as many of you folks do.

If anyone has CONSTRUCTIVE ideas on how to beat unemployment I am all years, because maybe we can all learn from each other.

I wish you all well in your attempts in finding work.

T

Is it a bad economy or just new?

Did you watch the debate? NO, I didn’t BUT does it really matter? Trump or Hillary - why should I care anymore? I jumped on the Obama bandwagon 8 years ago and what did that get me? Layoff, unemployment, and ageism bias. I that Bush was the American version of the savior before that only to end up with the fear and inevitability of losing my job as a result of the housing collapse which later on led to being priced out of my home and neighborhood thru Gentrification. Gentrification… is assigning every social injustice a name supposed to make it more tolerable! Ask me why I think my vote doesn’t matter and let me count the ways. Are these most qualified presidential candidates that the most advanced society in history of the world is able to produce? Is it too late or is there anything we can do as a nation to save this election? Which one of these two is actually better for jobs and the American worker? I think everyone willing to work should be able to qualify for a job based on this candidate pool competing for the highest office in the world. What in the hell is happening to the USA?

Full Employment isn’t the issue. The REAL problem is that these jobs don’t pay! Payscale.com report s the national Retail Sales Associate MEDIAN Salary is $9.00 p/hour. Try raising a family on that income anywhere in the US....Good Luck! http://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2016/retail-labor-shortage-concerns/

I'm so sick and tired of hearing on the news that unemployed is down. Guess what, politicans? unemployment is still a HUGE problem. Just look at everyone on this site. It's so hard to find a job in my hometown that I'm considering uprooting my family to where the manufacturing jobs are, and even that isn't a guarantee that I'll get something. Unemployment is still a problem - DON'T IGNORE IT!!

I'm seeing many American companies hiring off-shore IT Professionals which is taking away opportunities from American citizens. This is mostly due to the cost savings of hiring out of country professionals which reminds me of the issues we been having with the migrant farm workers as well as the construction industry. Unfortunately for the US citizens this issue is going into higher paying fields and wondering where we'll be in another ten years? I've met and worked with many 'green card' holders and must say that most are very well educated and good folks which I applause and wish them success however I see the devastation and destruction of our American born citizens and believe there must be a way to do some preventive maintenance before its too late. With all the US grants and incentive programs our government has I would think there should be a way to demand our legislation to put together an incentive program for our corporate companies to put American citizens on a priority hiring list and provide them with a special tax deduction or some monetary kickback. I heard Australian companies hire within their country prior to looking for off-shore work. Maybe we should understand their procedures and processes. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

This Atlantic News article was shared with me by a co-worker today so I decided to move the message along to the community. It reveals what we already know first hand or may have experiences but too ashamed to talk about it. Great Read - http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/my-secret-shame/476415/