INGO Unemployment Tally

[DustinG]

Yes, but there also are insurance plans for times that you can't work. The problem is in America we have been convinced to spend, spend, spend and not save, save, save. I have been extremely guilty of this too, I hope this recession (soon to be depression) is a wake up call for all of us that the United States is not invincible and the government cannot prevent a recession, only make it worse. We have sunk ourselves into debt by being the consumers of the world and not the producers (at the fault of the government and people who put them into office).

 

[SWAMPMASTER]

Its to bad some are far away,I know that the comp I work for posted 2 new entry level jobs up today. 10.00 hr to start with .25 cent raise every 100 days and after 1 year and 100 days you go to full pay at I think 18.38 hr can be hard work and not on days 3-11 or 11-7

 

[DustinG]

Another thing, we could be self sufficient on oil and natural gas, but the government will not allow us. Instead of creating "green jobs" where everyone created another 2 1/2 jobs are lost, how about start drilling. Oil platforms would put Americans to work again and get us out of the major world conflicts.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Also when it comes to disabled veterans there is a difference, they deserve the best healthcare that the tax payers can give them, not the sleezy congressmen and senators.

I didn't mean to imply that I haven't paid into the system. I separated from active duty in May of 1994 and worked (10 years) as long as I was physically able (until ~2004). My disablilities had progressed over the 10 years and so I quit my day job in a factory.

To keep myself busy I hauled horses to racetracks, I mowed a few lawns on the side for the elderly living near me, hauled whatever needed hauling for my family and in-laws and hauled/sold scrap metal whenever I found someone that wanted metals hauled away.

Now I can't do any of the above, so I am fully a stay-at-home-dad, no shame felt by me because I love that I am directly responsible for raising and taking care of my 12 y.o. son since my wife works full time. She has worked since the age of 18 (23 years on the same job with the State of Indiana).

My wife and I had a long talk after my disability claim was approved about my excessive guilt over "taking from the system". For the first couple of years I felt massive guilt about not being able to pay into the system like I "wanted to"*** and I felt like the proverbial "leech". My wife pointed out to me many, many times that I had worked since the age of 16, paying taxes all the way along. I also spent my five years in the Navy, and while that legally entitled me to nothing, it meant something very important to her. Her father was an Army veteran from Korea so she has a soft spot in her hear for veterans. She said that she considered it her responsibility to continue to work to pay our taxes so that I could receive my disability check, or "offsetting" the cost to the people of the U.S. for getting my V.A. check.

Beau, if you have been working and paying your taxes, I agree whole-heartedly that you can draw from unemployment for whatever length you need to. I think Dustin didn't word his post very well, but I understand his feelings that, at any time for any reason, to draw off the system is "leeching." I was that way for a long, long time as I was raised to NEVER take a handout as long as I was able to work, even if I was "entitled" to it somehow. I am not trying to speak for Dustin, just saying that I can see a possible reasoning for his words.

***I "wanted to pay", as in, I wanted to work a day job and whatever other sideline jobs and pay all my taxes to keep my butt out of jail.

 

[bwframe]

...The problem is in America we have been convinced to spend, spend, spend and not save, save, save. I have been extremely guilty of this too...

This seems to be so true. I continually see forum members buying guns and related stuff, yet they are unemployed. I don't know how they do it.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I'm unemployed for the moment, have been since late May. I've been putting in applications like crazy most every week, and up till about 3 weeks ago didn't take one dime of unemployment. For one they had to decide if I was eligible for unemployment due to the reason for loss of my last job. But they decided that it was not a proper reason for letting me go, so I'm eligible. Since Sat. I've been getting calls from the two companies I am most interested in a job with. I have an interview set up with one for Friday, and waiting to hear back from the other to set up an appt. To pay bills during this time before taking unemployment, I was lucky I had most of the money needed to pay June's bills already in my checking acct, and my last check from there finished that off. But just in case I sold a couple of guns anyways. And then got lucky getting a job of doing some planting soybeans for another farmer. I got nice pay out of that and was more than able to pay my bills. I'm confident that one of the two companies will offer me a job though, possibly both. I waited to draw unemployment till I was getting to where I needed it. I don't like drawing it, but hopefully it won't be for much longer.

 

[gdh]

I am unemployed at this time. I work in the field of road construction and the last three years have been slow for me. Thought last year things were going to turn around but the company I worked for got bought out by the competition and they shut the plant down, I was working at. Hopefully the place I was working at this year will get some more work and call me back.
Luckily most of my stuff is paid for and my wife is working.

 

[hookedonjeep]

I myself got laid off the beginning of March, and just had an interview yesterday. There aren't alot of jobs available, and the ones that are are low paying - barely enough to offfset child care expenses - because of supply/demand. With any luck, we can all get back to working full time soon...... good luck to us all!

 

[leftsock]

I was laid off from HHGregg because they decided to contract out their delivery service. I have a wife and three kids to house and feed. My wife started working after I got laid off and is also a full time student. Thanks for implying that I am a leech.

You're not a leech. Everyone goes through difficult times at some point and needs a helping hand one way or another. If the government didn't have this program in place, we could band together to help each other out in our times of need. Leeches are those who abuse the system, and it doesn't sound like you're doing that.

 

[Paco Bedejo]

Employees don't pay into the Unemployment fund in Indiana. Only employers do. Self-employed people have the option to pay into it or not.

As for a private unemployment insurance policy, that's called a saving account. It actually pays you back all of the funds you paid into it, with no insurance agent involved.

That is money which would otherwise be paid to the employee. It doesn't matter "who pays" because it's a per-employee cost to the employer. It would be on my check if it didn't go to the state. Between employer SS, Medicare/aid, & unemployment taxes, my $15/hr job could easily be a $20/hr job with me buying my own insurances for $5/hr. Until that $5 stops going into government programs & I get myself out of debt, I'm forced to use the system which is in place.

 

[techres]

Employed = yes.
Having to work 2x as much to make less than before = yes.
Grumpy = yes.
Thankful to God for the job = absolutely.

Tough times...

 

[jennybird]

Employed = yes.
Having to work 2x as much to make less than before = yes.
Grumpy = yes.
Thankful to God for the job = absolutely.

Tough times...

^^^
What he said. My company hasn't laid off, but they do offer incentives for those who volunteer to leave. The more people that leave, the more work it leaves for the rest of us. But the guys in the suits don't see that. They just look at the money they think they're saving by shipping jobs to other companies as well as overseas. They don't understand that they really aren't saving anything and are creating long-term damage to the company.

 

[rambone]

A third poll option might have been *Other* for reasons such as Retired, Full-Time Student, Disabled, etc.

Still, a third of us are out of work? Dang.

 

[CarmelHP]

My wife's an Army veteran and has put IN to the till for the last 20 years.

No shame in taking out some of what YOU put in.

Actually, employees don't put anything in exactly. Employers are taxed based on their experience accounts, which reflect their number of claims filed. It's a fully employer paid system.

 

[CarmelHP]

That is money which would otherwise be paid to the employee. It doesn't matter "who pays" because it's a per-employee cost to the employer. It would be on my check if it didn't go to the state. Between employer SS, Medicare/aid, & unemployment taxes, my $15/hr job could easily be a $20/hr job with me buying my own insurances for $5/hr. Until that $5 stops going into government programs & I get myself out of debt, I'm forced to use the system which is in place.

Not quite, the employer doesn't pay the major cost of you drawing until AFTER you have separated and it hits the base period experience accounts. Also, employers have not been paying quite enough to fully fund the system, right now Indiana is drawing federal dollars after exhausting their trust fund. That's a big part of what the budget blow-up was about.

 

[fireman1328]

I have been unemployed since last Nov, but can't draw unemployment yet because I am still getting a severance check. I was told that when severance runs out they may rehire me. I have submitted nemerous resumes but have only had 1 interview and am still waiting to see if I got the job.

Fire

 

[hornadylnl]

I have been unemployed since last Nov, but can't draw unemployment yet because I am still getting a severance check. I was told that when severance runs out they may rehire me. I have submitted nemerous resumes but have only had 1 interview and am still waiting to see if I got the job.

Fire

Are you saying you are getting 7+ months of severance? Is it a public fireman job you lost?

 

[fireman1328]

No, I am volunteer fireman. I worked in a factory for 25+ years. The severance package was 2 weeks for every year of service + 4 weeks, but a max of 52 weeks. They actually kept me on the payroll till Jan 1st, and then the severance started.

Fire

 

[jedi]

I have worked a total of 12 days this year.... Journeyman Millwright but with the slowdowns in the steel, automotive, and most other industries it has really hurt me.

On a plus side a majority of the days I worked this year have been in food plants and I love it so much cleaner.

Well mike go read the "fun-unemployment" thread for ideas on what to do according to the media.

 

[jedi]

^^^
What he said. My company hasn't laid off, but they do offer incentives for those who volunteer to leave. The more people that leave, the more work it leaves for the rest of us. But the guys in the suits don't see that. They just look at the money they think they're saving by shipping jobs to other companies as well as overseas. They don't understand that they really aren't saving anything and are creating long-term damage to the company.

long-term damage hu? what? No such thing to a guy in the suit who will show the world that he kept the copany lean and mean and then fly off to a bigger paying job with company abc.

Back in the olden days when the owner was still the MAIN person running the company s/he understood all about long term planning. S/He was in it for the long term and knew that he needed to keep his/her experience peope in order to be ready to roll once the economy started up again.

Plus they had honor ad pride in the biz they worked in.