Hi, my name is Greg. I have been out of a job for 15 months. It hasn’t been easy being and staying positive. I look at different job sites, fill out applications, have a few interviews, but nothing seems to work. I’m qualified for most of the positions, but no one wants to hire me. I wonder … what am I doing wrong? Why won’t they hire me? It is hard to stay positive. Some people think you are lazy and don’t want to work. Some people think you have all this time on your hands to do nothing. I try to get a job day in and day out. On Tuesday I had a job interview. I hope I get the job. Thursday, yeah, I got the job!
-Greg B.
Ex-Job Hunter!
In thinking about how people in the future will use the essays we’ve collected, this post needs some context. Since 2008, the United States (and most of the rest of the world) has been going through the “Great Recession.” Unemployment has been high throughout the country, with job searches taking much longer than when the economy is good. Those who’ve been unemployed the longest are having an even harder time finding jobs.
The legals section of the Morrison County Record has contained pages and pages of foreclosures for years now. Both of the boat works in Little Falls were closed for a time, which resulted in the layoffs of hundreds, perhaps up to 1,000, workers. Larson Boats reopened, but Crestliner closed permanently. Government on all levels, national, state, county, and city, have all felt the economic pinch. Local Government Aid (LGA) to counties and cities has been cut several years running, with the State Legislature actively attempting to cut it completely.
Greg’s essay echoes the refrain of many, many unemployed people and is a solid marker of the larger history of the current era. If you’re reading this in 2050 and need to write a research paper, this economic downturn would make a great topic.
-Mary Warner
Hi Greg,
Thank you for writing your much needed story. I hope it will give others in the same position you were in some hope for their future. Congratulations and best of luck in your new job.
Ali
Here’s an article from Minnesota Public Radio by Annie Baxter about the effects of long-term unemployment due to this Great Recession:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/10/longterm-unemployment/