GOT WORK? Is the economy affecting YOUR job or industry?

[up10ad]

I'm not trying to start a discussion of the state of the economy or debate how we got here or how we get out of the situation. Please, let's leave politics out of this one.

We have a number of regular members that are employed in industries that may be affected by the current and future state of affairs, and I'm asking how things are going for our members. Talk about YOUR job and how it is/isn't affected. I'm hoping to hear interesting answers from Dave, Jack, Jacqueline, and many others. Tell us what you do and what your future holds.

I'll happily start. My situation is a bit unique since my current job is managing a small regional telecommunications company out of bankruptcy. After three years we are finally moving to a Plan of Reorganization, including selling the entire company assets in an auction on December 12. Fortunately, the current state of the telco industry isn't affecting the sale and there are at least 3 bidders. Will I have a job after that? Who knows. Depending on who is the successful bidder I will continue in a management position, but there is the possibility that I'll be out of work after a short transition period. The telco industry has seen significant layoffs in the last 60 days, including over 1,200 jobs in my home state. Time will tell. I'm an optimist and a survivor so even if the worst happens, I'll reinvent myself and start another adventure. How about YOU?

[dcom]

Not mine (much), nor my wife's. We work at the opposite end of the job market. I work for a company that pays people and she works for "the company" that takes it away :) Her position is solid and very secure, and in general so is mine but our company has been tightening the budgetary belt a little with things like hiring freezes and only necessary travel. No layoffs though. They always told us that even in a nuclear war, people still need to get paid and that's what we're all about.

[Hayesimus]

I make plastic food wrap. They fired the temporary help because they claim we have a surplus of product, which I don't really buy because 3 weeks before they were hiring like crazy. But I have seniority over a great many people so I'm not worried about layoffs unless they were to like close down the whole plant or something, which probably won't happen either. They make billions every year apparently... :p

[acosmichippo]

I work at Geek Squad... which is part of Best Buy for those not familiar. Retail in general is down, so they're trying to cut hours before the holidays hit. But somehow the same amount of computers keep getting infected or breaking... which leads to a lot of grumpy employees and customers. Every day it feels like we're two steps behind where we should be.

[up10ad]

With the bankruptcy filing at Circuit City and Best Buy announcing sames store sales down almost 8% and expected to be near 15% by January, I certainly wish you the best hippo! But my bet is that there will always be a market for PC repair.

[Alexander]

I work at a drug store and it pretty much is the same. Everyone always needs those last minute items.

This is despite our stocks went from 4 a share to .35 a share within the past year...

[Youngbinks]

Well I am a full time student primarily but my parents own a seafood restaurant and wholesale/retail market. They have noticed a slight dip in sales from last year but people are still buying seafood pretty regularly. Thankfully.

[Buffy]

Well I am a full time student primarily but my parents own a seafood restaurant and wholesale/retail market. They have noticed a slight dip in sales from last year but people are still buying seafood pretty regularly. Thankfully.

You know, I've noticed this, too. Even in spite of the recession and the fact that spending has gone down for many Americans, the restaurants are just as full. I wonder if it's because people are denying themselves things like major purchases and vacations that they feel that it's okay to be treated to a few simple pleasures. Either way, I'm glad your family business has not been hurt, Phil. I hate to see the local businesses suffer. Any family business, for that matter.

[SikShift]

I work at Bank of America as a teller, and up until two weeks ago, we were kinda slow...I would average about 120 transactions a day. But with the snowbirds starting to make their way south, I've noticed a nice pickup...just the other day I did 222 transactions, and it was a Wednesday!

Then again, the branch where I work has the customer volume in Sarasota County.

[psylichon]

The studio industry as a whole has been in turmoil the past decade because of the advancements in home recording. Most large studios are gone except in NY, Nashville, or LA. Fortunately, I work at a mid-size facility.

Most of my studio clients are part-time musicians who are self-funded and doing stuff largely as pet projects (they self-release, but few make a killing off their albums). My work seems to be largely seasonal. For those that remember long hours of chatting with me in the summertime... well, that's my usual downtime. It's seriously picked up again.

I watched my savings dwindle to freightening levels this summer (Jen works too, makes the same as me, but it's not enough to keep us solvent), but within a couple weeks of heavy production work, I was right back up.

We also deal with a lot of churches whose projects are funded by the plate being passed around each Sunday. While folks surely cut back there during hard times, the churches always seem to come around with enough money to finish their projects eventually. Although, admittedly, we're sitting on some data that is over 3 years old now and unfinished. In fact, I'm restoring a project from '05 as I type this to start new overdubs tomorrow.

Long story short, you just never know with my industry. Make hay while the sun shines and all that, but we don't seem particularly hit by the downturn of the economy this fall season. At least this week.

I'm rarely booked more than 2 weeks ahead of time. :/

[iCafe]

I work in a Hospital
There are always going to be sick people
unfortunately

[JFN]

I repair fixed wing aircraft, some general aviation, some agricultural and some Corporate, Things are way slow, but I am hoping I can keep the 5 great people we employ. right now we have work through January, but who knows what will happen tomorrow. I sincerely wish everyone good luck in these changing times.

[up10ad]

I'm rarely booked more than 2 weeks ahead of time. :/
That would make a lot of folks very uncomfortable. I'm glad to hear that your schedule has proven to be steady.

[FlwrPwer]

Well, I'm a teacher and while some people say we will always need education, NY's governor has just decided to make $800 million in mid-year cuts to education. This means many will lose their jobs.

I don't have tenure (this is my second year and I need three) so while I'm not low man on totem pole, I don't have the protection of tenure just yet. I'm pretty sure they're going to do everything possible before they start laying off academic teachers, but we just don't know with these new budget cuts.

It's been rumored that art, music, library, enrichment, and teaching assistants will be the first to go. Being that i'm intervention services, I'm federally mandated, so that makes me safer and I'm in a big district with 14 schools (big for here), so there are quite a few people "under" me, but we just don't know at this point what these cuts are going to do.

My dad on the other hand is "retired" from IBM....he was forced to retire due to layoffs and was working steadily as a contract employee, but isn't anymore. He is collecting unemployment, but that runs out and he cant seem to get an interview at all....even with 30+ years of experience with computers. My guess is, he's too expensive.

[psylichon]

That would make a lot of folks very uncomfortable. I'm glad to hear that your schedule has proven to be steady.

My short notice with scheduling has more to do with the flakiness of musicians and producers than it does the steadiness of our clientele. I've been at this studio about 5 years now, but it's been there over 30 years and has a great returning client record. I owe a lot to my boss for that. He's really set it up right and knows how to make people happy. I look to carry on his tradition.

[projectdarkside]

Well as long as their are hungry people that are craving McDonalds fast-food, or teen-agers looking for a job then my job will be their:wink:

[coasts]

i work for an importer of exotic fruit pulps, bringing rare and unknown juices to the U.S. and European market. most of our products go into expensive drinks found in your grocery stores, for which sales have slowed. we have had "some redundancies" within the past six months. we're affected the same way Starbucks has been...people would rather save the $4 they'd normally squander on a costly cup of coffee or juice.
regardless, the company is solid and will weather the storm. i hold an important position there, one that would need to be filled if i were let go, so i think im secure...

if not, i'll go back to stripping

[up10ad]

if not, i'll go back to stripping
Whore. ;) I'm just jealous.

[dturner]

if not, i'll go back to stripping
:laugh2: That job is safe and secure in any economy.

[Buffy]

Actually, someone was just telling me that even strippers are suffering; people are turning to porn. Saves a few dollar bills, I guess. :rolleyes:

Better hang on to your day job, James!

[coasts]

to clarify, i meant stripping aluminum from new construction and selling it on the silver/black market.

[Buffy]

Doh! *slaps forehead

I think the former was more exciting. ;)

[dturner]

Doh! *slaps forehead

I think the former was more exciting. ;)
Yeah, I think you have disappointed a lot of the ladies here.:tounge:

[coasts]

my avatar is misleading. there's no option to select a fuzzy, pear shaped body and apparently mangatar has never heard of "stink lines".

:2cool:

[up10ad]

to clarify, i meant stripping aluminum from new construction and selling it on the silver/black market.
:mad:*** pops Buffy's bubble ***:mad:

[kisstine]

I'm a teacher at an alternative ed public school. We are on the regular distric salary schedule and fit into the seniority matrix just like any other teacher in the district. There were massive pink slips at the end of the 07-08 school year, but one-time monies from a huge grassroots fundraising effort saved all of those jobs temporarily. Luckily, I teach in a town that is demographically well-off and takes pride in the quality of its public schools. The town just passed a parcel tax to augment the dwindling support we are receiving from the state. (Our governor is calling for 2.5 billion dollars in mid-year reductions for education.)

My job is secure, but my budget at school is less than I've ever had available. The families I work with are feeling pinched by the economy. The result is that I am going out-of-pocket for more and more things my students need, which ultimately impacts my personal budget at home.

We got a 1% raise last year. Obviously, there will be no raises this year and we've been told to expect at least another year of the same. My eldest will start college in 2010. My youngest, in 2011. We always assumed that if we needed to do so we could pull from the equity in our house to cover those expenses, but our house is worth less than half of what it was a few years ago.

At least the gas prices are coming down...

[squestered]

i'm in web design and business is still strong. But a typical project lasts for 5-6 months. So things could dry up once. Hard to say.