Permanent losses reach past factories to retail, building construction, and even design fields.
Fewer construction workers will be needed.
Don’t expect as many interior designers or advertising copywriters, either. Retailers will get by with leaner staffs. Millions of jobs lost in the recession could be gone for good.
Unlike in past recessions, jobs in the beleaguered manufacturing sector aren’t the only ones likely lost forever. What sets the Great Recession apart is the variety of jobs that may not return.
[C. S. Rugaber, May 26, 2010]
Stanislaus County supervisors lay off 16 community services workers
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to lay off 16 Community Services Agency workers.
The county is cutting services for children and seniors at risk of abuse or neglect to save money. Welfare payouts and payments to in-home care providers and foster parents protected by law would not be affected, but some programs that reduce demand for foster care and nursing homes will be eliminated.
The Community Services Agency’s cost-cutting strategy includes giving up $12.5 million in state and federal social services money because the county can’t afford to put up $3.4 million as its share to secure that funding.
“Look at how screwy government funding is,” Supervisor Bill O’Brien said, noting the double-whammy to needy people. The social workers would be laid off in August, but are expected to transfer to positions in job development with salaries entirely paid by state and federal money.
Jobs are being cut across disciplines, and people are looking for any full-time or part-time job they can find.
Modesto-area unemployment rates rise
California was among 36 states that saw unemployment fall last month, but it remains among the worst-off states for jobs, tying for third-highest unemployment with Nevada and South Carolina.
The improvement in California’s overall unemployment rate comes despite the loss of another 10,200 jobs in November, according to a survey of employers.
More than 2.2 million Californians were without work in November. The number does not include the nearly 500,000 workers who have taken low-paying or part-time jobs because that’s all they could find, or the 111,000 people who reported having given up looking for work, according to the state.
The bureau says California, with the nation’s highest population, also led the U.S. in job losses in the last year, with 617,000 jobs gone.
What can we do about this? How can we bring jobs back? Not just seasonal jobs or stimulus funded jobs, but long term employment? What kind of jobs will give us the most return on our investment?
EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT
- LEARN – Learn about Modesto. What are the city’s resources? What kind of labor force does Modesto have? What do area businesses think would help them thrive? What place-consciousness strategies can we build upon?
- ACT – What can you do about it? What projects and groups are already working for Modesto’s economic future? Are there any projects or goals you find particularly compelling? Tell us about which group you help out by using your own self-described super powers to give a micro-loan to, helping them kickstart Modesto’s economic future.
- IMAGINE – Unleash your creativity. Tell me about how your micro-loan strengthened the economic development of Modesto five years in the future through your videos, images, and blog posts and post a link to them in the comments below.
- Ask A Mentor for Help
Questing Heroes:
| Dark Shadow | Sad Sack | Super Mom | Corrupt Angel
LEARN: After doing some research I have discovered that the beginning of our recession began with the plunge that the real estate market and the employment was a casualty of the real estate market crash. When people could not afford their homes it forced then into foreclosure and everyone fell further and further behind on their payments and bills. This also caused people to be out of work because with so many people in debt, there was no spending and the economy crashed. This is where my action takes place.
You bravely venture forth to attempt 2: Employment Empowerment…
You encountered a Cost Saving Lay-off!
– The Cost Saving Lay-off attacks!
– It has 9 hit points.
You attack the Cost Saving Lay-off and miss.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off attacks you for 12 damage.
You distract the Cost Saving Lay-off, and attack it for 7 damage.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off attacks, but your armour protects you.
You attack the Cost Saving Lay-off and miss.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off slashes at you, but you dodge.
You attack the Cost Saving Lay-off and miss.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off attacks, but your armour protects you.
You distract the Cost Saving Lay-off, and attack it for 25 damage.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off slashes at you, but you dodge.
You attack the Cost Saving Lay-off and miss.
– The Cost Saving Lay-off casts a spell at you, but you resist.
You stab the Cost Saving Lay-off for 9 damage.
The Cost Saving Lay-off defeats you.
You are paid 86 gold pieces for your bravery.
Holy Laminated Pie Charts, Madman! The Unemployment Rate is Sky High!
I can understand the pains of not having a job, I really can. What’s more, I can understand the pains of not having a job but having lots of bills to pay.
The difference between us, and not to be bragging of course, is that I am essentially the Spirit World equivalent of a trust fund baby. Don’t let the shabby look of my host fool you: she might look like a barely trained gorilla most days, but my parents are loaded. We’re talking vomit-inducing loaded. With cold hard cash monies. After all, I didn’t study something profitable in Spirit World U. I studied linguistics. Why would anyone need to pay me to do any sort of linguistics job when I’ll essentially talk without end for free. Luckily I have parents to foot all of my bills. Again, not like I’m bragging.
But because I do understand that being unemployed is not that great of a thing to be, I figured I would take on Mission Two and try to see what I can do about unemployment in Good Ol’ Modesto, California.
You bravely venture forth to attempt 2: Employment Empowerment…
You encountered a Double-dip Recession!
– The Double-dip Recession attacks!
– It has 20 hit points.
You attack the Double-dip Recession and miss.
– The Double-dip Recession attacks you for 8 damage.
You attempt to distract the Double-dip Recession, but fail.
– The Double-dip Recession slashes at you, but you dodge.
You attempt to distract the Double-dip Recession, but fail.
– The Double-dip Recession attacks you for 13 damage.
You attack the Double-dip Recession, but miss.
– The Double-dip Recession casts a spell at you, but you resist.
You attempt to distract the Double-dip Recession, but fail.
– The Double-dip Recession attacks, but your armour protects you.
You stab the Double-dip Recession for 4 damage.
– The Double-dip Recession attacks you for 7 damage.
The Double-dip Recession defeats you.
You are paid 44 gold pieces for your bravery.
Hello, once again, be-limbed* mortals, ye who slavishly worship the Cult of Sack…not to be confused with cul-de-sac, that’s a totally different thing. Though they’re nice, you know, safe…good if you have kids-I don’t. Have kids, that is. Not that I want one or anything, you know, a little carbon copy blobule rolling around with my eyes and clever wit. Someone to spend time with and talk to for always, that’d be…Yeah, it’s for the best it is; the world probably couldn’t handle that much Sack.
So, anyway, the SackPhone (it’s shaped like a ham) just started buzzing and I get this urgent message that there’s now a freaking employment crisis in Modesto. For freak’s sake, people, didn’t I just save your bony butts from an educational catastrophe last week? I mean, at some point we need to stand back and ask whether having me solve all your problems is actually helping you or hurting you. What would my fellow gelatinous flesh-sack, Dr. Phil, have to say about all this? It might be time for some tough love, folks (as opposed to rough love).
Well, in the meantime, I’ll figure out this one problem for you, but you’d better not need my help again anytime soon…because I will seriously lose it. Ok, here we go…
You bravely venture forth to attempt 2: Employment Empowerment…
You encountered a Budget Cut!
– The Budget Cut attacks!
– It has 17 hit points.
You attack the Budget Cut and miss.
– The Budget Cut attacks, but your armour protects you.
You attack the Budget Cut, but miss.
– The Budget Cut attacks you for 24 damage.
You attempt to distract the Budget Cut, but fail.
– The Budget Cut attacks you for 17 damage.
The Budget Cut defeats you.
You are paid 35 gold pieces for your bravery.