Hard Times

ByronBob · Mar 14, 2005

My company on Friday laid off about 20% of it's workforce. I was given an offer I couldn't refuse to stay on board. Really got me by the back side for the moment.
Don't know what it's like out there in the real world but things in WNY aren't all that good. I wonder sometimes how my kids will survive when I'm having a hard time doing it??

GRUMPA · Mar 14, 2005

Trust me it isn't any easier here in AZ. I work in the manufacturing aspect and the work load is really dwindling down fast. Our co. is downsizing rapidly, but I saw it coming and at the end of this month putting the home up for sale and moving to our other home in the country. The wife and I have been aware of this for years and have been planning for it and are ready. So at 44 I'll go into semi-retirement and live off the equity as long as possible. Our 4 kids are grown up and on their own but it's tough for them on a constant basis. The work force isn't what it used to be.

CajunRider · Mar 14, 2005

I am sorry to hear that. I know exactly how you feel. My company has gone through that serveral times in the past few years. At our location we went from 700 employees down to 175 in 5 yrs. In my case I went from being a department head with dozens of reports to just being a worker. I've had good offers to move else where but my children asked me to stay in our home town. I swallowed my pride and took the "offers" just because I didn't want to see my little ones cried.

Keep your head high, your attitude positive and surprisingly you will still be able to get ahead even in these conditions. Remember that your children are watching you and learn how to deal with adversity.

Take it easy. Money and prestige aint every thing.

frank_f15 · Mar 14, 2005

KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! over the years my co. went from 3 plants in this area, with over 3000 employes to now 0 plants and 0 employes, i was terminated abot 18 mo. ago but as luck would have it ( for a change) i was old enough to just slip into retirement. also know how you wonder about your kids? that why mIne are out in AZ AND NV EXCEPT FOR MY YOUNGEST WHO IS STILL DOING WELL IN ROCHESTER. keep pluggin thats all one can do. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

TBone · Mar 14, 2005

Times are BAD in the deep south as well. My company has downsized, laid people off and closed plants right and left with no end in sight. I am 57 years old and have never seen the job market as bad as it is now.

If you listen to Paul Harvey you would think we are in a booming economy. During the last election he told us every day how the economy was growing and all of the leading indicators were going in the right direction. I'd love to get the address of his ivory tower.

gsganzer · Mar 14, 2005

I was asked (more like told) to take a 50% paycut right before Thanksgiving, because the company couldn't make payroll. It pretty much torpedo'd our Xmas. Fortunately, it was only until the end of the year.

I left a very stable company 2 years ago to come on board with my current employer (all kinds of promises and flush with cash, I was told and led to believe.) I was asked to take a 15% paycut 8 weeks after coming onboard. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

slowrev · Mar 14, 2005

It will be rougher for our kids. I have worked in telecommunications for most of my career. For the last 10 years or so it has been annual or semi annual layoffs. I got laid off a couple of years ago and found a job contracting with a 30% pay cut and about 90% benefits cut. Job hunting at 50 is no fun /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

My best advice is to pay cash for everything except your home mortgage, and do not overbuy there either. I have gotten things so that I think I could exist with a Wally World job and a bit of repair work on the side if I have to. Or maybe when I have to. Also have a bit of land where you can at least raise and preserve a lot of your food, better and cheaper too.

I am no longer playing the game of moving all over the country chasing a job, did that for years, cost me a lot of money and just wound up getting laid off, so someone in India could do my job cheap.
Now a days it is not a matter if your company will layoff, just when and will it get you.

Good fortune to us all.
Ben

wroughtn_harv · Mar 14, 2005

Ganzer you coming to the spring fling thing? I still have your memory stone I'm holding. It's getting heavy. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

On topic; I have to worry what kind of opportunities we're leaving our kids.

Sad to say, but we might have witnessed the last great boom that was across the board. Where effort and determination could compensate for lack of education or training.

TOMLESCOEQUIP · Mar 14, 2005

I got laid off from my 2nd "good" factory job I had in 1980. I had a $315 per month mortgage and got $90 per week unemployment. I really wondered what i was going to do with the $45 surplus...........Eat perhaps?? I started doing auto repairs (tune ups & brake jobs) for friends until I got another "real" job.....Never did get another job........I got so busy working I didn't have time to look for work !! Back then I thought that losing my job was the worst thing that could happen to me......BUT as I look back..........It was the incentive I needed to start my own business that I lacked because I didn't want to leave the security of a REAL job...............Being laid off turned out to be the best thing that could of happened to me.......(although it sure didn't seem like it at the time) I'm on my third business venture (each more involved than the last) and couldn't go back to working for someone else again. When a door closes........Another one opens........Try to find something you'd enjoy doing for free and get paid for doing it............That's what I stumbled into........for the last 25 years or so............Good Luck.........Tom

Charolais · Mar 15, 2005

This area has pretty much been gutted. Unemployment in the Martinsville Va. area was 15% last time I looked at the figures. Danville Va. was 13-14%. Just had another textile mill shut down in Drakes Branch Va. last week. Over 300 folks lost their jobs there. Nothing new to take their place either.

The tobacco buy out was passed and there's very few that will raise tobacco. That will hit the machinery dealers soon. I called Southern States to get a quote on fertilizer today. 19-19-19 is $325 per ton and $5 spread charge per ton. Two years ago that same fertilizer was $180 per ton. Hmmmm. I think we spent the last 5 years giving it all away to other countries. In the name of profits. TV says our economy is doing good. I say it's doing good without the American worker.

Hard times??? Just my opinion, but it hasn't hit us yet. Our buying power is going fast.