Do you know of anyone (personally) who has lost their job in the last while due to the economy?

my boyfriend was IT for a soccer store and was laid off several months ago.

Absolutely. One 14-year veteran, one 9-year veteran, one 18-year veteran, and many more. With more to come, just in the small group I work in. I am very likely to be another one before the end of the year. Those of use who are being replaced are seeing the jobs go to Bangalore; as for the others, those who remain take up their work.

At my son’s place of employment, hourly workers are having their hours cut below the level of eligibility for benefits.

Yes two of my good friends lost their jobs at Amtrust bank.
This is how it was done.
Each employee in the company received a message to go to a conference room A or B @3.:00 The ones in B lost their jobs and the ones in A kept them. It was a group thing. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth. You would think they would have handled it differently.

@Emdean1, I don’t think anyone knows how to handle it well. I have seen it done in many different ways, and only one of them was smooth and decent and humane. The rest were some version of awful.

Here at my company they at least do it individually. Sure everyone is on pins and needles just waiting to hear their name be called into a managers office. But i think its more respectful of the employee.

A lot of the people in my husband’s building were slashed. And even more were given notice that they’ll be gone by October. My husband, while he hasn’t been let go, has found another job anyway and will start in March.

My sister and her husband. They are in their 50s so it may be more difficult for them to find something new.

My niece was laid off at the beginning of December and has not found work yet.
It’s very hard with so many people looking for work and seemingly fewer and fewer jobs to be had.

I know 8 people personally who have lost their jobs.
The glut on the market of those seeking jobs is far outnumbering the jobs available.
3 of them had been working for over 20 years and never dreamed the company would fold.

Hoping that things will turn around soon.

My small company laid off fourteen people last year out of about 40. Most everyone I know here in Eugene OR has a friend or family member who’s been laid off. Two of our biggest employers in town have shut down in the past year. And my mom, a high school teacher in Colorado just got laid off for next year. So yeah, I know quite a few people who’ve been impacted by the economy.

Bad times. Nationalize the banks, imprison their decisionmakers.

I have a very close friend who lost his job at Dell. They let a bunch go.

Me! I was given notice at the beginning of the month that “there is a more than 85% probability we will phase your position out in the next month or two.” Later I basically overheard my boss tell someone that I’m going to be gone at the end of next month.

My husband was laid off around the 3rd week in January. I have been a stay-at-home mom for years. Not only do we have no income, we also lost our health insurance and the company truck that my husband drove. He knew it was coming and has been looking for another job since November. I’ve been looking since the first of the year, too. So far, we have not even gotten a response, let alone an interview or job offer!

My son in laws work for the state of California and they have been forced to take unpaid “furlow” days, but they still have to work. They are told that they can take the days as comp days later, but with the time frame they give them to take them in will be impossible for everyone to get the days back. I hate Arnie! and to think, Terminator was my favorite movie. Who’d a thunk he’d take it so literally.

Fortunately, I do not.

My best friend was laid off about a year ago, got a new job, and was laid off again a few months ago.

I was laid off Oct 07, got two temp jobs, Jan-Mar 08 and Apr-Jul 08. I’ve been looking ever since.

Another one just got hit about fifteen minutes ago.

@Jeruba , wow. I’m sorry to hear that.

Thanks. Long-time friend, worked with her at two companies, senior status—she just sent me a message. Her group is tied closely to mine, so there may well be more news to come.

In a way it would be a relief.

A friend of mine was laid off the first week in January. Her skill set matched a position that was open in my company, and now she’s working about 100 yards from me.

My SO’s older brother (a journeyman electrician), a friend of my aunt (a full colonel)... the list continues. I don’t think it matters anymore what field you’re are in, there is just no such thing as job security.

Quite a few people, unfortunately. And quite a few more that fall into the “discouraged worker” category of pseudounemployment.

i don’t know anyone either, but lots of my friends are worried.

@StephK, what do you mean by “pseudounemployment”?

My mom has had to cut many positions and we’re in Canada, not America, our banks and economy are still somewhat stable, though unemployment is rising.

About 15 friends and family including my wife.

It is ugly and taking quite an emotional toll on many of them – including my poor wife who I wish I had the power to find her a job and restore her self esteem.

But hey, at least those corporate CEOs are sleeping well. ~

My Uncle was laid of from his job over Christmas. Now he, his wife and daughter are without health insurance because is new, lower paying job, has a 6 month waiting period.

My husband works at UF and they cut a lot of jobs last year and expect to continue this year.

@dragonflyfaith: Same thing happened to me in 2007.

I resigned from a position before they could lay me off and took a more stable but lower paying gig. They also had a 6 month wait for health insurance – and family COBRA was $1200/month. WTF!

I lost one of my two jobs.

@Jeruba – Pseudounemployment as in a made up word for ‘not in the working population but would like to be’. Sorry. =) I forget that I’m actually talking to people sometimes and throw in nonWebster-approved vocabulary.

Ok. It didn’t make sense to me because “pseudo” means fake or false or pretended. I couldn’t imagine how those discouraged workers might be pretending to be unemployed. Maybe you mean the would-be (or “wannabe”) employed? People who want jobs but can’t find them?

@Jeruba I think that would include most of the unemployed folks that I know of.

Well, sure. But calling those folks “pseudounemployed” doesn’t make sense when they are really unemployed, nothing pseudo about it.

I hear ya!

@Jeruba I did mean ‘fake-unemployment’ but now that I think about it, that’s definitely not the right word for what I’m getting at. I definitely mean the wannabe employed group.

… unless you count odd jobs as ‘fake-unemployment’ but it’s too early in the moring to start thinking about that. =)