Is anyone else getting sick of the recession?

[Sum Dum Gai]

Well, maybe not the recession so much as hearing about it I guess. I got lucky in that I was never really affected. I've been getting steady raises every year, my job was never looking iffy. Hell, our industry was growing while everything else was falling. We didn't own a house, so the huge drop in home prices was a blessing for us. We're basically doing alright.

Now I realize that's not true for everyone. I know that, and I sympathize. However, I'm just getting a little burned out on recession stories. It's been several years. The economy is turning around. I just don't care like I used too. I mean, I'm still sorry people are struggling, but I'm not going to dwell on it.

Anyone else feel or starting to feel the same way?

[Urban Chicago]

I do get mad at the way some of my friends are complaining, but still shopping like crazy.

[Deleted]

Is the economy really turning around, or are you just immune to its effects? I read today that consumer income went up in January (because of the social security tax reduction) but not consumer spending. Our state legislature is considering cutting teacher days to save money so that's a potential reduction in my salary. There are still lay-offs going on as well. There certainly are no raises in sight for me for several years but probably cost increases in our retirement contribution (currently 5%) and insurance.

I'm not really complaining, but I think you are a little premature in your attitude. A lot of us are still worried. You can't blame the media for picking up on that fear or friends who are still a little scared.

[shanendoah]

Trust me, those of us affected by the recession are just as sick of it. DH has been out of work for 21.5 months, and yet I still hope every day that I'll come home and he'll tell me he has an interview. (He's had 2 total.) We've re-worked our lives so that if he never works again, we're still meeting our monetary goals, but still...

I get the same feeling around natural disasters- when the news starts throwing huge numbers at me, they mean nothing. I feel numb. Individual stories can still get to me on some level, but after a while... Well, how sympathetic are people now to those displaced by Katrina? On some level that will have an impact on the rest of thier lives, but as a society, we don't care that much anymore.

And, if it helps, this is normal and natural. I don't remember what its called, but experts have studied it. The best way to describe it is in the terms of charitable giving after natural disasters - the first one of the "year" results in lots of giving, but if a second disaster hits within a month, even though its in a different part of the world, giving goes down. It goes down more with each subsequent event, even though the people affected aren't any less in need.
It also diminishes in the time after the disaster. Haiti is still barely recovering from its earthquake, but no one wants to talk about that anymore, or give money.

So yes, definitely sick of hearing about the recession, but even more sick of the recession itself.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Is the economy really turning around

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. Unemployment is slowly coming down, consumer sentiment and spending are slowly creeping up. Businesses have a few trillion dollars on their books waiting to invest. We aren't out of the weeds by any stretch, but we're getting there.

The longer people focus on the recession and are too scared to spend anything the slower the recovery will be though.

[SVT]

The economy seems to be turning around to me. And same here, the economy hasn't impacted me much.

[shanendoah]

www.bls.gov/lau/
Click on any state along the right hand side to see UE rates for the last 10 years.

Yes, unemployment is going down. In WA, we're at 9.3%, down from a high of 10%, Dec 09-Feb 10, and progressing at a steady downward trend. At the same time, we're still higher than we had been at any point in the last 10 years before June of 2009, nor does it compare to the way UE rates jumped in late 2008.

Still, I understand where Dark Honor and SVT are coming from. My job has only been marginally impacted by the recession. My company skipped raises in 2009, we haven't gotten an "ack, we made too much money last year" bonus in a couple years (we're a non-profit), and had a vacation time "freeze" for a quarter (which was then retroactively restored), but there have been no lay-offs or hiring freezes (though we have let open positions remain open longer). In fact, I got a promotion that came with a 33% pay increase.
If it weren't for pesky DH, I wouldn't have been impacted, either. Well, other than it taking over 2 years after getting my MBA to get a new position, but I had the job security to be picky about where I went.

I think there might also be a bit of backlash to "survivors' guilt" here. Many people who weren't greatly impacted by recession were given to believe that they should feel extremely lucky that they weren't. That gets old, too, and we have a natural urge to figt back against it.

[Angel!]

Feb 28, 2011 18:16:52 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

www.bls.gov/lau/
Click on any state along the right hand side to see UE rates for the last 10 years.

Totally off topic, but why do you click on a little dinosaur icon to get the statistics on the BLS website? Using a dinosaur makes no sense to me - is it their logo or something?

[shanendoah]

Feb 28, 2011 18:21:43 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Feb 28, 2011 18:16:52 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

www.bls.gov/lau/
Click on any state along the right hand side to see UE rates for the last 10 years.

Totally off topic, but why do you click on a little dinosaur icon to get the statistics on the BLS website? Using a dinosaur makes no sense to me - is it their logo or something?

I think its because the brontosaurus is the same general shape as the continental US, but don't quote me on that.

[whoisjohngalt]

I will say this - I don't think ever in US history UE benefits and other benefits have been as generous and I firmly believe that it is prohibiting economy from recovering quicker. It's gotten much easier not to work than it was in previous recessions. And I do think that many people using "the economy" is an excuse to be lazy bums.

I said it before and I'll say it again - I wish govt would stay out of private business and let things happen naturally the way they have before. It could have gotten much worse but it also could have gotten much better much faster.

I could be wrong, I've been wrong before

[SVT]

Feb 28, 2011 18:41:23 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I will say this - I don't think ever in US history UE benefits and other benefits have been as generous and I firmly believe that it is prohibiting economy from recovering quicker. It's gotten much easier not to work than it was in previous recessions. And I do think that many people using "the economy" is an excuse to be lazy bums.

I said it before and I'll say it again - I wish govt would stay out of private business and let things happen naturally the way they have before. It could have gotten much worse but it also could have gotten much better much faster.

I could be wrong, I've been wrong before

Then that would impact voting.

[Deleted]

I've been thru the bad and the good during the recession.
My wife was accepted at SUNY albany August 2008 and we moved... bad bad bad.

Took me 9 months to find a job and I took a 50% pay cut because at that point I was desperate for any job.

I will say that 2008 - 2010 was seriously a bad time in my life; went thru a period of being depressed, gained weight, etc. And worse, we were newlyweds, not a good way to start a married life.

But June 2010 it turned around. Got a promotion which more than doubled my salary and my wife also got a job the following september.

One thing it thought be: never take anything for granted and save save save. My wife says I am obsessed about money but after the two years I have been thru, I am not ashame of that fact. I do not want another period like 2008-2010, or if it happens I want to be ready for it.

And during those two years we used 20K of my savings... I don't want to imagine how worse it would have been much worse. Yes now we are much better, making 3-4 times what we made 3 years ago, but I know it;s outhere and how bad it can be for some.

Too add, I currently know 5 people (cousins and friends) that have been looking for job for close to 2 years if not more. So not getting tired of hearing about it, because it is a reality.

[xia]

I know there are lots of people struggling and they have my sympathy however I also feel that there are way too many people who use the “in today’s economy…” line as an excuse. Good example is my sister, her financial situation has always been a mess because they are unwilling to wait &save for things and have to have everything now. Its not unusual for her to tell me in span of one phone-call how they are broke and their cell may be cut off again because Verizon is evil (expecting money in her book is evil unless it’s her who is expecting I guess lol), how they had a blast going to movies (family of 5) and how exited she is about all the new stuff she just got. I love her to death but when it comes to money we just clash so I avoid talking to her about it. However her lines of “in today’s economy/with this recession who can afford to pay they bills on time…” variation while spending like crazy on crap is making me roll my eyes.

[patchwork150]

I'm just watching and waiting. I know that all we ever get is the bad news, but the way things have been going I don't see things getting substancially better overall. I think that too few people have had a real wakeup call, too many people are focused on getting everything they can out of the government, while paying as little as possible, and complaining all the way to the bank to cash their check. OK, maybe I'm exagerating, but if the people where I live are any indication of the US as a whole, we are in big trouble.

I'm starting off too negatively today. I'm sorry.

All I can say is that I am focusing on getting DH & I ahead in life. I'm tired of people using us. I'm tired of hearing from people complaining about their life and doing nothing for themselves. Thats why I like it here- so many people, despite their different opinions, really care about doing whats best for them and theirs.

[happyscooter]

We have always donated to charities, last year we picked 2-3 to concentrate on. After DH retired, we are very selective about who we give to. I temp and haven't gotten any offers in the past 6-8 months other than working weekends handing out fliers. Now if I truly needed the money I would have done it. I didn't need the money. Our expenses are low.

What I am sick of are the news stories about foreclosures and job losses who just scratch the surfaces. Stories that are just enough info to pull at your heart strings, but if the reporters would ask a few more questions, you would change your mind.

[happyscooter]

Last week I was in a store in a strip mall. I saw a woman pull into the parking lot and pull up to the store I was in. She came in, asked if they were hiring, he said 'no', she got into her car and pulled back out of the parking lot.

In this strip mall are 2 restaurants, a grocery store, a dollar store, a small discount store and 6 other businesses.

She didn't go to those, I am sure they would have told her 'yes' and she would have had to report that.

So another week of UE for her.

[sapphire12]

The recession is very real for some people and that is unfortunate. There is a segment of the population that is feeling the recession harder than they needed because of the choices they made before the recession. I'm sick of these people blaming everybody but themselves for their predicament.

[reader79]

"The longer people focus on the recession and are too scared to spend anything the slower the recovery will be though."

So, is this permission for me to buy a new Charger? They are reallllllly, really pretty....who needs to go back to school, LOL.

[xia]

Mar 1, 2011 7:11:42 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

Tell your sister who buys movie tickets for five to at least consider getting passes through workingadvantage.com. It knocks the price down from $12.00 a ticket to less than $8.00. Joining the movie clubs at Regal Cinema, AMC and Clearview and presenting the free card at the same time will yield free drinks, popcorn and tickets to future screenings. I could never go even once without that.

Here are some other ways:

www.associatedcontent.com/article/2252717/see_movies_for_less_cinema_for_a_song.html?cat=40

Thank you for the info I’ll pass it on to her next time she’s crying about being broke

[Deleted]

Not sick of it, exactly- I've been steadily employed at a job I like, that pays the bills and a whole lot more- so I do feel blessed that I've been spared the worst of it. We were also able to ride out the market crash and most of our investments have recovered.

I do think that some things have changed permanently- it's going to take a long time for depressed housing prices to recover, and companies have learned they can get by with fewer employees, and may never backfill those positions when things get better. Work that was automated or outsourced to cheaper providers (whether in the US or elsewhere) will not be restored. People who depended on SS and are told "you don't get COLA because there's been no inflation" are being hit with spikes in gasoline, food and medical costs.

Some of the comments, though, remind me of the post-9/11 bust. So many companies used "the tragic events of 9/11" to explain their poor results when it was really years of bad decision-making based on the assumptions that the boom times would never end.

[tea4me]

I am sick of people using the recession as an excuse.
The small town I live in has had 'help wanted' ads for various positions. The same people that live with their parents and don't work won't apply for these jobs because "they probably don't pay much" or "it might be evenings or weekends". Then they whine because their lives suck and they cannot find work.

[Deleted]

I find talk of recession or boom very abstract. When we were in the boom I knew people that were struggling and during recessions I know people that are thriving. I've never known a time that everyone I know is doing great or everyone I know is doing terrible.

[spartyparty]

I'm sick of gas prices. I'm sick of having to pay through the teeth for housing, health insurance, pension contributions.....

The worst is being forced to contribute to a pension plan that's been underfunded for decades and will most likely be bankrupt when I retire.

Not sure what my generation did to have to pay so much more than my parents, so when someone complains about the government running up debt on my kids, I have to wonder where this concern was 1, 2 or even 3 decades ago?

[lurkyloo]

I've generally followed it with interest, being somewhat insulated. I would've liked to change jobs for personal reasons a couple of years ago, didn't find anything within a couple of months that would justify leaving my current (fairly secure and enjoyable) job, and then the recession hit. In retrospect, that was a blessing--the job market in my field was already very tight, and I have no desire to be on 99 weeks of unemployment.

I definitely get tired of sob stories in the media that gloss over or ignore the individual choices, sometimes very significant, that led to the hardships. And I get a sort of schadenfreude out of stories of former mortgage brokers on hard times; they're reaping a small portion of what they sowed.

But, I also think it's getting progressively and exponentially harder to be a member of the middle class. It's not enough to be a warm body sitting on an assembly line; you have to figure out what you can bring to the table that's unique enough and valuable enough to justify getting hired and staying employed...over your Chinese or Indian counterpart who's willing to work for 1/4 or 1/10 the wages, or even the illegal business down the block that doesn't bother with overhead items like taxes or insurance. There's a seismic and permanent change happening particularly at, but not restricted to, the lower end of the jobs spectrum, and it's coupled to ever higher consumer peer pressure and entitlement attitudes. It's sad. (Except when the politicians get involved, and then it's grisly.)

[telephus44]

I'm sick of listening to people complain about it. Yes, times are bad. Yes, jobs ARE hard to find. But most people do nothing but complain about it and play the victim role.

For once I'd like to hear people that are doing something about it. Like hey, I was laid off so I decided to finish my GED. Or I was laid off, so I spent time caring for my aging mom and developed a better relationship with her. Or my husband couldn't find work but started his own business as a local landscaper.

[robbase]

glad you can emphasize with others. This is like if there were a plague out break but as long as it did not effect you and you ive din a bubble, after a few years you of the continued plague you wouldn't hear about it anymore because it was "starting" to go away but was no where back to normal yet?

[Deleted]

I just read another flimsy "in this economy..." excuse. A mega-church nearby is going bankrupt. They over-extended themselves with mortgage debt and the pastor, until recently, was getting a salary of $400K. His son-in-law was on the payroll for $180K; wife and 2 daughters collected another $100K combined. The church finances were known only to a small group of insiders until the local paper started digging into them a couple of years ago. Donations are now down. "It's the economy", according to the church leadership.

Ummm, I don't think so.

[readsalot]

glad you can emphasize with others.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

don't think that's the word you're looking for.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2011 22:04:52 GMT -5 @patstab said:

On the one side I feel sorry for many that did nothing to cause this recession, on the other most could have done better if they had just saved some of the money they were earning and not overextended.

I agree; I am profoundly grateful that I stayed employed through all this, and my prospects still look good, but DH and I never went crazy on spending during the boom years. We just got our tax assessment and the value of our house has dropped $10K in the last 3 years, but we've paid over $30K in mortgage principal over that period.

I really feel bad for the people who did nothing but buy a house they could afford at the wrong time; now they're underwater and if a promising job comes up that requires relocation, they can't move because housing prices sank due to others' stupid decisions.

[8 Bit WWBG]

There is no recession in this area. These legendary deals I hear about don't seem to apply here. Contractors aren't slashing their prices to get jobs. Restaurants aren't throwing out freebies just to get people in the door.

...:::"A mega-church nearby is going bankrupt. They over-extended themselves with mortgage debt and the pastor, until recently, was getting a salary of $400K. His son-in-law was on the payroll for $180K; wife and 2 daughters collected another $100K combined.":::...

Heck yeah, now there is a gig to get into if you can. Some of these church "executives" (for lack of a better word) are taken VERY good care of. Even smaller churches can do very well. A friend told me that the congregation chipped in to get the pastor's wife a BMW. I am so in the wrong business. I need to start my own church...