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What Job Security?
As our economy becomes more and more global,
the employment outlook grows more unstable for US workers. Is
there anything you can do about it?
Let's
face it, most of us need the assurance of a steady paycheck
to sleep at night. Being able to rely on present and future
income means not only that the bills are going to be paid, but
that you can make major purchases, like houses and cars, without
worrying that you'll lose them along with your job.
Unfortunately,
job security, once taken for granted by most working Americans,
is quickly being relegated to the memory boxes of an older generation,
along with 40-year anniversary gold watches and other appreciation
gifts for longevity.
It used
to be that once you attained a fair amount of seniority, you
could rest assured that if the company cut jobs, yours wouldn't
be one of them. Now long-term workers get nervous when there
are rumblings of downsizing and outsourcing. They are generally
paid more than younger workers, and instead of valuing them
for their experience, companies crunch the numbers and figure
out how much they can save in salary, health insurance costs,
and pension funding if they follow a "first in, first out"
policy.
The most
fortunate workers are lured into early retirement programs;
the least fortunate are simply given their notice. While official
unemployment figures don't reflect it, countless people have
been forced out of decent-paying jobs into low-paying ones.
Sure, the government counts them as "employed." But
most view their jobs as stop-gap measures, a way to barely get
by while they remain hopeful that one day they'll find another
job as good as the one they left.
Instead,
the chances are they'll move from one low-pay job to another.
The manufacturing jobs that formed the basis of the Fabulous
50s economy have moved elsewhere. Former areas of thriving steel
plants and automobile factories are now referred to as "the
rust belt." The auto industry alone announced over 90,000
job cuts in 2006. Most of these were "good union jobs"
with enviable pay and benefits. But union jobs have been steadily
declining. In 1945, nearly a third of Americans held union jobs.
Today only 12% of workers belong to unions. As their numbers
have shrunk, so has unions' ability to negotiate favorable contracts
for their members.
White collar
workers are hardly immune. In 2006, Ford announced it was offering
"voluntary buyouts" to 10,000 salaried workers, including
high-level executives. Those who took the buyouts explained
they thought it was better than being laid off, which they assumed
would happen next. Workers were offered the services of "outplacement
agencies"-employment agencies that try to find new jobs
for displaced workers. But in towns that depend heavily on one
industry that is downsizing, it's more likely that laid-off
employees will have to sell their houses (in a real estate market
that has also taken a price downturn) and move to some other
part of the country.
In 2002,
the technology sector dumped 150,000 software jobs. In 2006,
computer chip maker Intel announced job cuts of over 10,000.
Students were told that their best bet for the future was information
technology. They worked hard for technology degrees, earned
millions for their employers, and then found themselves with
nowhere to go-because their jobs were moving to India, China
and Russia.
Another
relatively new obstacle to job security is the practice of "offshore
outsourcing." We all know how it works: Someone in India
or Mexico does your job for 15% of what you were paid. More
and more, outsourcing is affecting any job classification that
does not depend strictly on a US or Canadian location. For example,
if you're a waitress, grocery clerk, or store manager, you can't
very well be outsourced. US factory workers were the first to
be hit hard by the "giant sucking sound" of their
jobs moving to other countries, but now software developers,
engineers, journalists, and other professionals are facing the
same fate.
Of course,
the reason is the bottom line. Companies are in business to
make a profit. Creating secure jobs for their employees is not
their concern. Scaling back on labor costs is the number one
way to increase profit margins, whether through outsourcing,
not replacing employees who quit or are fired, paying workers
less, or using non-union, lower paid, or part time workers here.
The country's major employers are huge multi-national companies.
Playing musical chairs with jobs among different countries is
as simple for them as the children's game.
It isn't
pleasant to think about. It's certainly easier to just assume
that your job and your paycheck will always be there for you.
But denial of a problem will not make it go away or solve it,
and some day you may wish you had thought to create a backup
plan for maintaining your income without relying on your current
job.
At this
point, you are probably asking yourself, "What can I
do to be financially secure?"
As
grim as the employment picture looks, there is still a way to
provide an income for yourself that you control. Being your
own boss means no one can lay you off or cut your hours and
benefits. It's up to you to take control of your future income
and your future security.
Fortunately,
there is an exciting home business opportunity that offers you
a way to create a safety net of security and financial success
that no one can pull out from under you.
It may
be tempting to believe that your good job will last, or to believe
that even though you're not happy with your current job, there's
a good one waiting down the road. Just remember that while the
unemployment figures look good, the jobs America is losing are
being replaced by a whole new category known as "service
industry" jobs. These are low-paying jobs in retail or
customer service. Hourly workers are almost never allowed to
work overtime, while those on salaries fill in the gaps without
any overtime pay. The unfortunate truth is that you have to
look out for number one because you cannot rely on any company
to put you or any other employee first.
Your
first step toward security should be to obtain information about
starting your own home based business.
The beauty
of a home-based business is that you need only Internet access
and a telephone to build a thriving business. Our team of skilled
professionals will train you and show you the secrets of their
success. Incredibly, the capacity to change your uncertain future
lies in your own hands.
Instead of worrying about
how you'll pay the bills if you get the surprise pink slip,
take the first step today towards protecting your financial
future. If you are ready to find out how you can begin to create
a considerable income right away -an income that will continue
to provide for you and your family--then you have arrived at
the right place.
Simply fill out the form below for additional information,
and begin looking forward to the security and success you deserve.
Sue DeBrule
1-800-606-0613
Email
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