Michigan is topping the charts for jobless rate...

Comments: 22

debra g. Mar 13, 2009, 10:59am EDT

When gas started up we cut back on everything that we could,stocked up on staples and are doing ok.We are at 9.7 and it does not look any better in South Carolina as it is at 10.4 All we can do is hope it gets better soon.

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Nora Davenport Mar 13, 2009, 10:59am EDT

Yes, jobs are getting harder and harder to find these days.....fortunately, hubby is a trucker, and that business is doing very well....as a matter of fact, a lot of the truckers are retiring, and the companies can't find/get enough replacements!!!!! However, our son got laid off his seasonal job at the cemetery and has been upset about that....he's not been able to find another job, but, they said they'd try to call him back later. It seems like prices are so high on everything, it's just really tough all over. We try to stay out of stores and don't shop nearly as much as we used to.

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Carla B. Mar 13, 2009, 11:00am EDT

We haven't really felt the economy crunch up here. Our area hasn't been hit. I live in one of the lowest states anyway (ND is number 2), but my area especially has a lot of jobs available. There are usually at least 2 pages of help wanted ads in the paper everyday, and just about every retail store and restaurant have help wanted signs up. There are plenty of professional jobs available, too.

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Teresa A. Mar 13, 2009, 11:04am EDT

Not too bad here yet either.

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Melanie S. Mar 13, 2009, 11:11am EDT

Topping? hehe... Poor Michigan has laid claim to the top position for awhile now. In fact until December, Michigan was the only state in the double digits.

And yet... There are people in MI who are still trying to live as if they have an endless supply of money (a particular person I know as a matter of fact). All I can do is shake my head at the stupidity.

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Randall C. Mar 13, 2009, 11:19am EDT

I acutally heard that Wyoming is doing good and places are hiring...
I would surmise that it has to do with the fact that there are all the car compaines laying off people.

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Kimber L. Mar 13, 2009, 11:20am EDT

We are doing okay. We have budgeted our groceries a little smarter and cut back on our impulse buys

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c.l.m. 180˚ Mar 13, 2009, 11:21am EDT

... and the beat goes on & the beat goes on!

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Tammy N. Mar 13, 2009, 11:24am EDT

The state of Michigan has run retraining programs for laid off auto workers for a while. I'm surprised that folks opted to "wait it out" hoping to get re-hired in lieu of retraining in tech, etc. To each their own though.

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Vivian P. Mar 13, 2009, 11:36am EDT

we're retired here so we are just watching our money

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☀ Aunt Shanny Mar 13, 2009, 11:40am EDT

We are SO lucky we can make it on Matt's income alone.

He is in the busy season now at work which also helps.

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Marilyn M. Mar 13, 2009, 11:51am EDT

The last month that I could find nationwide statistics for said that January of this year the average unemployment rate was 7.6.

I know it seems scary, especially if the President is acting as if this has not happened since the 1940s. But it has and we have all survived before without the government becoming a socialist government. We survived without Big Brother taking over our lives before. We can again.

In 1975-77 the unemployment rates were 7.5 to 9%. Same thing in the years 1981-84, except in some months the nationwide average got as high as 10.8%. And in 1992, there were at least 6 months were we were over the 7.6% registered for January of this year.

We have seen worse times and we didn't need to panic then and don't need to panic now.

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Larry H. Mar 13, 2009, 12:02pm EDT

RETIRED, HOUSE IS PAID FOR, WE WILL BE OKAY...

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Tim Nelson Mar 13, 2009, 12:38pm EDT

I lived on half my income when I was working, which is what I get now on unemployment insurance. Not really my plan, but it worked out.

Some say to have 4-6 months of wages saved up, but if I lived paycheck to paycheck, with little excess room for emergencies, I would be way behind in debt by now. Dropping a few luxuries would not have cut it.

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Elaine B. Mar 13, 2009, 12:47pm EDT

The economy is bad across the country. So many people are out of work, and it's sad.

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Dena A. Mar 13, 2009, 12:52pm EDT

Yeah I am watching so many friends ... and customers lose their homes and everything they worked years and years for. So heartbreaking to see

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Janet H. Mar 13, 2009, 1:51pm EDT

The lack of jobs is scary, for sure.

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Marianne R. Mar 13, 2009, 1:58pm EDT

Yeah and SC is right behind it

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Bebe S. Mar 13, 2009, 3:12pm EDT

It is scary here in michigan I agree. We just ran into some friends today and he lost his job back in July and STILL can't find anything. It is so hard out there right now...

We are so thankful for the jobs we do have and hope to keep

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Brenda (square peg in a round hole) H. Mar 13, 2009, 4:59pm EDT

Things aren't that great here in NY either. My boyfriend got laid off 2 weeks before Christmas but was called back about a month ago. But the future does not look promising. I'm guessing he will be laid off in mid April. Right now we are just taking it one day at a time. Its all we can do.

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