John

After surviving three rounds of layoffs at his IT company, John, 46, was let go 14 months ago due to a reduction in their workforce. Over the past year, John has done some temporary contract work but is contemplating a career change, because he cannot find permanent work in the IT industry.

My Story
I thought I was OK—I survived three rounds of layoffs and thought that my job would be spared. I was wrong. I’m 46 years old and afraid that I’m too old and made too much money to get back into this field at the level I was at. Even though I got a federal grant to retrain for new systems, it’s not enough to get me full-time work in the IT industry.

I’ve gotten some temporary work in the past year but not enough on a consistent basis. So I’ve done what so many others are doing—put in job applications at places like Home Depot and Menards—hoping to get some sort of steady income. At the same time, I’ve also applied for government jobs, and I’m hoping to get a job as a corrections officer.

Since I lost my job, I’ve gone to a lot of job clubs in the area, and across all industries, it’s the same story. People just can’t find jobs that offer good wages, health care and retirement benefits. In fact, I’ve had to let go of my COBRA health insurance because I couldn’t keep up with the payments.

It’s so difficult to keep a positive attitude through this whole struggle. Losing my job has made me humble, and I continuously question my self-worth. This has been such a difficult time for my wife and me.

Economists keep saying that the economy is on the rebound, but I have to ask—what types of jobs are out there? Politicians are turning a deaf ear to what is going on with the people of this country. Before we start sending all of our help abroad, we need to focus on creating good jobs for America first.