I wonder what effect a prolonged recession will have on crime rates. I suspect that a significant portion of those laid off are not very resourceful, and if high employment drags on without extended government benefits, some of these people may turn to crime just to survive.

I hate to say it, but we may end up paying people simply not to commit crimes. That might be an argument for extended benefits.

I was laid-off a few days ago from a medical products company where I’ve worked for over 20 years. The company gave me a generous severance package and I’m not bitter – I cherish my years working there and the people I worked with. My wife, who was diagnosed with cancer recently but is in remission, is now our sole breadwinner. We have lots of savings and our only debt is a $500/mo mortgage so we estimate we can last a couple of years if my wife is able to keep working through the spring.

Still I was feeling a bit anxious and sorry for myself when I went up to Nashua to shop yesterday. Then I stopped into Linens N Things, which was festooned with “Going Out Of Business” signs. The staff there were busily helping customers, working the registers, and breaking down empty shelves.

In a month they’ll be on the street in the wintery teeth of the worst retail recession we’ve seen in decades. I’m sure they won’t have my severance benefits, and, because of their low pay it’s unlikely they have my savings. So I have no right to feel sorry for myself! I need to count my blessings and spend at least some of my new free time helping those less fortunate than me.

In 2002 same scenario with a company I was with for 15 yrs.

PS:
Why can’t the government take some of our tax dollars being used to bail out all the big companies that put us here in the first place, and give some back to the folks that didn’t sell their stock and lost most or all of their savings? We were told “It’s not a good idea to sell, it will bounce back”, yet the folks that sold came out the winner, and those of us stupid enough to listen to the government have lost BIG!
I have lost 42k so far. I am by no means rich, nor middle class. I worked hard for that money; it’s not fair that I don’t get some of the bail out money when I didn’t bite off more than I can chew in the first place. I also didn’t sell any of my stock. Why are the bad guys getting all the breaks and the good guys get nothing.

Generally, consider the “real” unemployment figure as running 4 to 5 percentage points higher than that reported by the GAO. That puts current “real” unemployment in the US above 11 percent.

a new website to help women find the help they need (legal or otherwise) to fight pregnancy discrimination

I too was laid off when pregnant years ago. In my case the company had 60 days severance with health care benefits – and that expired days before my due date.

It was pretty clear from things management & even HR rep said (that others reported to me) that I was selected as an easy target (”she’s having a baby and will want to stay home anyway.”)

An attorney advised me that to sue would take a long time and be very unpleasant, but she was able to use my log of things people said to negotiate a payment equivalent to maternity leave, and an extension of healthcare benefits.

Use your time now to write your resume. I did and started sending it out. You don’t have to say anything about the baby. I filed for unemployment when my daughter was 2 weeks old. I probably got my first interview when she was one month old, and got a job better than the one I had before when she was 5 months. Good luck with baby and job!

I too was let go while pregnant. My daughter is now 2 months. I did not qualify for benefits during the first 4 weeks proceeding the birth. I have fallen behind with rent, am on the verge of losing my home. I am currently receiving the max for the state, but have found that not only can I not make ends meet, that the cost of child care for 3 children would make my take home much less then it is now while collecting. I am feeling very stuck. To go from making 50,000 a year to applying for aid, while trying to keep life as normal as possible for my older children is not easy.

About 50% of mothers I have met, report some kind of pregnancy discrimination, with many losing their job.

I suspect that the “economic emergency” will make it just so much easier for employers to get out of paying maternity leave. There is a large civil rights issue brewing about this.