Laid-off workers feel seasonal chill
Many laid-off workers are feeling the sting extra hard this month as the holiday season approaches. Host Steve Chiotakis gets reactions from engineer Tanja Beshear, who is working her last day today.
A job seeker looks at a job listing board in Oakland, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
More on Jobs, America's Financial Crisis
TEXT OF INTERVIEW
Steve Chiotakis: Add Tanja Beshear to the ranks of the unemployed. Today's her last day on the job as engineer for JDSU, a fiber optics company in Colorado. She'd been there for three-plus years, and obviously the timing stinks.
Tanja Beshear: Yeah, you know it's always a tough time if you get laid off, but before the holidays it's a little bit extra critical, because a lot of companies also don't really hire. You know, November and December are traditionally slow months for hiring, and especially with the economy right now I'm a little bit concerned that it's a bit tough to find a job very quickly.
Chiotakis: Your husband, your family, other family members, is there supplemental income?
Beshear: No, my husband is also not working. He is self-employed and doing contract work for other companies. But contract work -- he's an electrical engineer -- also has quite dwindled down over the last year and a half already. So that put a lot of pressure on me, I was the only bread-winner right now.
Chiotakis: What's your gut feeling right now -- anxiety, nervousness, hopeful?
Beshear: Part of me is a little anxious to see where things going, how quickly we can find a job. There's also some anxiety because if we want to go back to California, where there are jobs right now, or some jobs, we are a little bit tied to the house -- it's not a great time to sell the house and move, so we're a little bit tied down here in Colorado. We would also like to stay in Colorado if we can. You know, we have always, my husband and I, we're pretty resourceful and smart, and we will find a way to make it work.
Chiotakis: Well Tanja Beshear from Colorado, thank you, good luck to you.
Beshear: Thank you very much.
Comments
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From S Plainfield, NJ, 11/07/2008
Why would the lame &*%$ president sign for an unemployment extension. I just want a hand up not a hand out.
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