Laid,Off,amp,#63,Now,What,You, family Laid Off? Now What Do You Do?

A lot of women avoid wearing nice clothes when they getpregnant because they believe that they look fat or ugly. You know that there’snothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman glowing and smiling, so youshouldn’t hide your body during p Raising a family can be challenging and stressful at times. However, the common goals and emotional, financial, and physical investments made can be a common bond between husband and wife. One that compliments their marriage relationship.Of

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included. ----------------------------------------------------------Laid Off? Now What Do You Do?By Stephen BucaroFirst of all, don't feel alone. The U.S. has lost 2.5million net jobs since March 2001. The average joblessstint is now five months, and many people are leaving theunemployment statistic not because they found a job, butbecause they feel the situation is hopeless and havedropped out of the work force.Where did the jobs go? Did they go to Mexico where theaverage hourly rate is $2.17, compared to $15.45 in theU.S.? Mexico is losing jobs to countries like Vietnamwhere the average hourly rate is 37 cents per hour, orPakistan 34 cents, or China 24 cents. While the U.S.economy has been stagnant for the past three years,China's economy has experienced a 9% annual growth rate.The U.S. now has a $20 billion trade deficit with China. China alone, with a population of 1.3 billion, compared to250 million for the U.S., can provide more low cost laborthan this planet can ever absorb. At the same time, assome jobs are being exported other jobs are beingautomated out of existence. Remember when an attendant wasrequired to pump gas into your car? Remember when a humanteller was required to make a bank deposit? Thoseattendant and teller jobs have been long gone.Now we're seeing self-checkout machines at discount stores,grocery stores, and even at the library. Say goodbye tomillions of checkout clerk jobs. The buzz word forAmerican business today is "productivity" - to produce thesame amount or more with fewer workers. Many businesseshave increased productivity by more than a third in thelast four years. This is only the first wave ofproductivity increase. Millions more jobs will be lost ascomputers and automation are put to the task ofeliminating jobs. It's the American way.As an individual who has been laid off, what should youdo? As stated previously, the average time required tofind a new job is now five months. If you are a workerfrom an industry whose jobs are being exported orautomated out of existence, your reentry into the workforce could take much longer. You need to develop a planfor your financial survival for an extended period of time. If your sources of income are less than your expenses, youneed to adjust your standard of living. People accustomedto making purchases without a thought sometimes find itdifficult to adjust their spending habits. You may berequired to tap into savings or sell assets to remainfinancially viable. You may need to trade your car for anolder model in order to get rid of the payments. You mayneed to sell your house to raise cash and rent anapartment until the economy improves.You need to take care of yourself physically and mentally.Stick to an exercise program. Get involved in outdoorsports. You need to be looking sharp for job interviews.Keep up with current events, especially business news. Youneed to know what geographic areas and economic sectorsare poised to provide opportunity.Don't spend your days laying on the sofa in front of theTV snacking on junk food. Whether you get a pay check ornot, you need to stay productively engaged in the economy.Even if the chance of actually getting a job in today'seconomy is slim, you need to stay out there, makingcontacts, ready to seize opportunities.Now is the time to get more education or training. Youdon't have to train for a specific career. Any generalbusiness or technology training will give you an advantage.Even seemingly non-related training, like art classes,will get you off the sofa and out making contacts thatmight result in a job.If you don't have the funds for education or training,become a volunteer. Volunteering will get you off the sofaand out making contacts that might result in a job. It'snot unusual for someone who starts out cleaning cages atthe dog pound to end up keeping the books or managing thedog pound, and get experience that results in a highpaying job at a corporation. The secret is being reliableand willing to take on responsibility. As contradictory as it sounds, the worst part of arecession is the best time to start a business. During arecession, money to start a business is cheap andavailable. Low cost surplus and new business equipment isavailable. Skilled employees are plentiful and wages arereasonable. As the economy begins to pick up, establishedbusinesses are slow to gear back up to meet the demand.That leaves clients looking for new sources. If you areinterested in starting your own business, contact theSmall Business Administration for guidance.The U.S. has lost 2.5 million net jobs since March 2001.If you are one of the individuals who has been laid off,you still need to stay productively engaged in the economy.While looking for a job, you can get more education ortraining, become a volunteer, or start your own business.Most importantly, don't spend your days laying on the sofain front of the TV snacking on junk food. Take care ofyourself. ----------------------------------------------------------Resource Box:Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. 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