I wrote a diary last year about how I lost my job. My boss called me and "de-selected" me over the phone. Yes, the company used the term "de-selected". I assume it made some of the higher ups feel better saying that instead of saying "laid off". I hope that helped them sleep better at night.
I find that I am not alone in my unemployment. In fact, Florida has experienced unemployement not seen since WWII!
Jump under the fold for more!
According to the St. Petersburg Times (yes, I read the St. Pete Times, have you seen the Tampa Tribune lately? Besides being a Republican rag, there isn't much to that paper anymore!)
Florida's unemployment rate jumped to 12.2 percent in February, the highest since the state began tracking such data in 1970.
Many blame Florida's unemployement rate on the fact that Florida housing has been hit so hard in this recession. Droves of people are moving out of the state while the numbers moving into the state have fallen dramatically since 2007. In Tampa Bay, the unemployement rate is higher than the state rate. Our rate is 13.1% currently. Broken down by county the unemployement rates are as follows (as of January):
Hillsborough (Tampa) 12.7%
Pinellas (St. Pete) 12.6%
Pasco 14.3%
Citrus 14.5%
(Pasco and Citrus Counties are more rural)
One thing that I have not thought about are the fact that many who seek summer employement will not be able to get it. Many shops that use summer workers have closed, or seen business drop dramatically.
I am lucky that my company gave me a severence package that carried me for several months. My husband and I also had a 6 month emergency fund. (All gone now.) Luckily, his business has began to pick up in the last several months and he even received a nice bonus.
I am actively looking for work. I have sent my resume out to many companies and individuals. Nobody is interested. Of course, I worked in the banking sector and they still are not replacing jobs (at least not around here.) I have even considered a career change. We will just have to see!
Oh yeah, thanks to the Republican obstructionists who are now playing with COBRA. I suppose Republicans don't want ANYONE to have health insurance!