I've been thinking about posting this update on dh and the lack of a job. I hope it doesn't come across as whining. Just need to get it off my chest and out of my head.

So, over a year after being laid-off from his union construction job, still no union work in sight for dh. The construction industry here just has not picked up at all. Not to mention that about every contractor laid off carpenters too, so, if/when their work did pick up, of course, they 1st hired back their own laid-off workers. The co. that dh worked for is not doing well at all and filed for bankruptcy last week. We've pretty much written off going back to work for them.

When he was laid off, he still had enough hours to cover our insurance through this past June. However, now we have to pay that. $580/mo. this quarter.

Somehow, mostly by the grace of God, I'd imagine, we've been making it. Somehow, our *job EF* is still pretty much intact. I guess our living-below-our-means lifestyle has paid off.

Dh is still getting unemployment; he's had a few extensions. Not sure how much longer he'll be eligible for that. He's had some side jobs. I've been subbing a lot lately and also have my 2 classes at the comm. college that pays pretty well.

We feel that dh is between a rock & a hard place. Any nonconstruction job is going to pay about 2/3 less than what a union carpenter makes. Right now he can get more in UE than working a lower paying job. Not to mention the whole health insurance thing. He could go into business for himself but if he's doing carpentry work, he'll lose his union pension. He could probably look into becoming a union contractor and keep that, but I'm sure that will NOT be cheap. Not sure if it's even do-able.

I continue w/my frugalness, trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip. Thank goodness we only have the mortgage debt and that is low. If worse came to worse, I could probably pay off the mortgage if the alternative was losing our home. (We did have the camper debt, but ended up pulling savings at the end of last year and paid it off, even w/dh laid off.)

Anyway, just wanted to give an update. It does help to get it off my chest to people who will understand where I'm coming from. Thanks for listening!

Thank goodness for unemployment!! I will gladly pay my payroll and income taxes when all this is behind us.

My turn to whine a little. My dh was not laid off, but has been working only 16 hours per week since last winter. Next week, he will start 32 hours per week and go to 40 in February!!!!!! He gets unemployment for remaining hours, up to 40, but at only about 1/2 of his regular wage. After deductions, a $300 take home check for 2 weeks work doesn't go far.

I work part time and work as much as I can, but there is not much extra work to ask for. When I started, my employer had almost 250 employees in my job. There is now 5 or 6 of us remaining!!! I have looked for a full time job, but there just aren't any, within my company or anywhere around here.

I pray daily (or more) for help to keep my chin up and that tomorrow can't be as bad as today. If my family has a house, clothes and food--the rest is just a bonus to be thankful for.

Email me if you get too depressed. We will make through together.

I'm sorry things have been stressful, Kelly.  The construction industry in our area isn't too hot either.  One of our neighbors has been laid off for over a year as well, he's a union operator.  DH's cousin is married to a union carpenter, and he's been out of work for months.  DH is in the construction industry as well, but he's a project manager.  His company has been fortunate through all of this, but now work is hard to come by because a lot of companies are coming here from out of state to bid on jobs that they normally wouldn't bother with.  It's starting to improve around here, though, just slowly.  We're in the Chicago area, so a lot of people were really hoping the Olympic bid would go through.

I hope you start seeing some improvement in your neck of the woods soon.

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