• Health
• Money
• Leisure
• Make a Difference
• Family
• Online Community
• Membership

Let’s not sugar coat things.  This is the worst economic downturn in the past three generations.  Raging unemployment, falling house prices, financial turmoil, failure of major employers, absolutely incomprehensible Federal and State budget deficits, skyrocketing health care costs, home foreclosures and 40% to 50% declines in personal investment values.   People with traditional defined benefit pensions and retiree health benefits are the truly blessed – and even they’re potentially at risk as employers alter retiree benefits after a worker has retired.

Worse yet, this recession is global.  Our economy is intertwined in countless ways with the entire world economy, and conditions are worse in many countries.  Even optimistic economists and academics are predicting the global economy will becoming worse and be longer in recovering than any time inthe past.  It just could be that the best days for our economy and our families arebehind us – at least for quite a long time.

 The people writing to me are expressing the full range of emotions from “somewhat concerned” to “utter despair”.  People anticipating retirement now face the necessity of continuing to work.  Recent retirees are actively looking to returning to work, and older retirees unable to work are simply scared to death of outliving their assets and income.

 The truth is that many of us are not at all prepared for the economic conditions roaring headlong at us.  Large personal debt, meager savings and declining work opportunities are“the perfect storm”.  Even hardworking and qualified job seekers can’t find suitable work. The reality is that sometimes the only advice I can offer older jobseekers is go for any job you can find, reduce your living costs, takecare of your health and reach out to family and friends for support.  It’s been very discouraging for me that I can’t be of more help, or can I?

 We all have a choice to make about how we’ll cope, and I’ve made mine. 

 Before I tell you, let me share how I arrived at the answer.  I didn’t believe the stories my Dad told me about “picking coal” that had fallen from the railcars on their way out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to warm the one-room tarpaper shack he shared with his folks and eleven brothers and sisters.  I didn’t believe the stories about feeding the youngest kids first with little or nothing left sometimes for his Mom and Dad.  Until the day he died, he would yell at us if we left the front door open long enough for cold air to come in. 

 I was raised under the cloud of him thundering, “Just thank God you didn’t have to live through the Depression”.  Appreciate what you’ve got, share with anyone in need, look outfor your family, and most importantly, don’t plan on things staying good forever.  Work hard, save money, plan for bad days and never, ever give in to despair.  Now he went from the Depression directly into World War II.  By my count, that’s sixteen years of continuous struggle and challenges.  By comparison, I actually feel relieved at what we have to deal with today.

 So, now for my choice.  I choose to continue to work as hard as I can for as long as I can.  I choose to share the talents and knowledge I’ve gained from fifty years of work.  I choose to help some of the eleven million unemployed workers find appropriate jobs where they can care for their families and themselves.  I choose to encourage older workers to be proud of their capabilities and maturity.  I choose to be persistent and not tolerate age bias in any form.

 There will always be people who are unemployed for one reason or another.  Today, there more than 11 million unemployed and countless others underemployed and in financial trouble. 

 But I also know there about 3,500,000 jobs posted on online job posting boards and perhaps another million or so that are never advertised.  All in all, that’s about two or three candidates for every job.  The jobs will not always go to the best qualified candidate.  More often than not, they will go to the most skillful and persistent job seeker.  They will not go to the downhearted or discouraged, and they certainly won’t go to the people who have given up the search.

 I’m going to cope through sheer force of will and by remembering that people have survived much more.  I’m going to cope by doing the best possible work I can and by committing to assist others whenever I can.

 Please take a minute and write to share your thoughts on the challenge confronting us and how you plan to see your way through.  Thanks, Bob Skladany