It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Gigervamp

smileyt wrote: »

I really hope I can snap out of this mopey mood soon. My 'Aunty Flo' is visiting any day. She'd better bl**dy hurry up, I can't take much more of this PMS thing :mad: Be afraid, be very afraid!!

<Passes smileyt some chocolate>

mardatha

I am shocked at you lot. Deeply and utterly. You mean to say that, in the worst recession since the war, when firms are closing down all around us, and this thread has 140 pages full of O/S-ers who have had pay cuts, lost jobs and had hours cut, that you DO NOT BELIEVE the nice govt people when they tell us of this amazing surge in the number of new jobs that has miraculously popped up ?
Shame on you all ! :cool:

Larumbelle

floss2 wrote: »

Or that those people who have stopped receiving jobseekers allowance for whatever reason have fallen off the figures as they only count people in receipt of benefit....or did I make that up?!

Usually they pull that stunt, Floss, but for once they don't appear to be - I read that the number of people actually out of work fell as well as the claimants. I think though, that an awful lot of people aren't claiming because they've found part time work (when really they'd prefer to work full time) and a lot have become self-employed, scratching out a little cash instead of claiming. So people are destitute, but it doesn't matter because they're not on benefits. I haven't looked properly though, because I'm at w*rk at the moment...

...what I came on to say was I've just had a blight watch reminder that conditions here (Midlands) are perfect for blight to spread. All those tattie growers that haven't already, register for the fight against blight and they'll tell you if it becomes a risk in your area.

ginnyknit

My Ds spends hours on our Pc applying for jobs, he is in a new scheme where he HAS to apply for 10 jobs a week and prove he has, he is quite happy to do that if he can find 10. He also has to go to meetings in Manchester, fine, then rush across town to sign on, all in the same day, not a problem. Trouble is there aren't 10 jobs to apply for, He has already retrained twice in 8 months since he got made redundant, they said 'oh yes we have firm job offers if you retrain - nope - we will even help you buy the tools for the job - nope not been unemployed long enough. So he asked for a job working for the training company as they like his drive, 'oh yes they said' - whoops no jobs. He hates been stuck at home, but has been raised to juggle his money MSE style and helps me anytime I ask but he is 29 and feels useless.

And of course I believe the government, I have utter faith in them. theres an old American Indian saying 'believe in God but row away from the rocks' should replace God with government:p:p:p:p

charlies-aunt

As you all know, I am currently employed by the 'enemy' - shortly be unemployed by them because the number of claims is apparently falling rapidly and we are overstaffed...there is a big change which mean that JSA claimants are referred through to a provider at 26 weeks instead of 52 weeks so I don't know if that accounts for the drop in numbers.
I scan the job searches daily as part of my job and just lately there seems to be less jobs than ever before...so I find it difficult to understand whats happening...especially as I have a full diary every day and am very busy.
Figures and statistics can be manipulated until they lose all meaning - the whole situations is all smoke and mirrors

AnnieG

Greenqueen wrote: »

Well the cutbacks in public sector jobs have already started. I was called into a meeting last Thursday to be told our place was no longer viable due to a lack of funding. Basically it was ..dont bother coming back in next week! That`s just 2 days notice and I`ve worked for them for 8 years (am on garden leave), So here I am sitting at home wondering whats going to happen after my redundancy money runs out, probably just before Xmas. I`ve met some of my customers/clients/service users who are all devastated that there is now no facility available to them- it`s literally life changing for them and myself and my work colleagues.

I'm really sorry to hear that Greenqueen, you must still be in shock. Good luck with finding an alternative - I'm jobseeking too at the mo, I hope it works out ok for you.

ceridwen

elizabunny wrote: »

I hear from the news that the unemployement figures have fallen by 34,000, just can't help wondering if this is the calm before the storm, with all the cuts that are being planned. Both public and private sectors will be affected and this must surely lead to job losses, or am I missing something? Surely if the schools don't get rebuilt/refurbished and the leisure centres don't get their grants for improvement then the building industry will be affected. Just focussing on one area here, because there are so many cuts to be made, goodness only knows where we're all going to end up.

The construction industry has already been affected. A friend of mine works in it and he said things changed and there has been a lot less work for him as from last year and its getting worse.

ceridwen

BigMummaF wrote: »

Having seen the number of posts on this particular volume of the thread, I wondered if it might be time to begin the next instalment. It's pretty obvious that things are not going to improve to a noticable degree any time soon, so perhaps we should think of moving to a bigger thread...bit like those 'available in 10,000 weekly parts; get a binder free with pt 752!' but a helluva lot more interesting

FYI - I've sent a PM to Kittie (as she was the one who started this thread originally) to get her thoughts on this...so will wait to see what she says...

elizabunny

silvercharming wrote: »

...what I came on to say was I've just had a blight watch reminder that conditions here (Midlands) are perfect for blight to spread. All those tattie growers that haven't already, register for the fight against blight and they'll tell you if it becomes a risk in your area.

Thanks for this silvercharming we have been struck with this for the past two years running. Lost a whole crop of big beefsteak tomatoes both times:eek:

What with the birds and the blight just can't win:(

Larumbelle

...Also, forgot to mention that blight can also affect tomatoes and aubergines, in case anyone didn't know...

Has anyone seen this economy tracker over on BBC news? It is really interesting - also really shocking and really depressing too.

Huge hugs :grouphug: to all the job hunters out there.