The coronavirus pandemic devastated our economy and caused tens of millions of Americans to become unemployed. A Financial Samurai reader shares what it was like being unemployed during the previous financial crisis.
This Is What It's Like Being Unemployed
My name is Rachel, and I was unemployed for just a bit more than 6 months starting at the end of 2008, just when the “Great Recession” was in full bloom. The company I worked for was forced to close its office in my state and lay off all of its workers. I didn't even qualify for severance since I'd started as a temp and was less than a month shy of the cut off date at the time of lay off.
The last thing I wanted was to be unemployed. The economy had already tanked, and now I would be forced to look for work along with 250+ of my coworkers with the exact same qualifications or better.
I would have rather not taken unemployment, but the alternatives of moving cross country to live with my parents in the even worse economy of California or starve in the streets were unappealing.
I made about $500/week gross in unemployment benefits, which was the max benefit in my state. Had I lived on the other side of the state line, my benefit would have been reduced by $100/week. This matched my net, so I didn't suffer any financial hardship being unemployed.
The first $3000 you get on unemployment is tax free. After that, it is taxed at your income bracket. However, there is only a one size fits all option for withholding. It is a flat 10%. I decided not to have the government withhold anything, and it worked out well since my unemployment was spread out over two tax years. I got to take advantage of that $3000 tax break twice.
The Transition From Employed To Unemployed
I didn't actually have to go through the hassle of applying for unemployment myself since my former employer had to set it up for us due to the number of people being laid off.
I just had to fill out a form saying I wanted it about a month or so before we were laid off and turn it in. Everything was ready to go the first week I called in to collect my benefits. I already had my card, and there was no break in pay or anything.
My understanding is that if you have to apply for it on your own it takes at least an extra week for your first check to come in, well balance transfer onto your card that is.
Collecting unemployment is a breeze. You have to be physically able and available to work for 4 days of the week and have applied for at least 3 jobs that week to be eligible.
Then you either call in on the unemployment line or log in to the internet and answer the quick little 11 question questionnaire, and they load up the money on your card. You can then have that transferred automatically into your bank account. It's the easiest money I've ever made.
When you first start collecting unemployment, they send you a statement saying what your max benefit is. This amount is based on how much you've paid into the system, but I believe it does have an upper maximum and possibly a minimum as well, although I'm not sure about that.
My last unemployment check was actually short because I had run out of that benefit. I had applied and been approved for the emergency extension of unemployment benefits which would have started the following week. Luckily enough for me, I had just started my new job and didn't need to use it.
Being Unemployed Changes You
Being involuntarily unemployed for extended periods of time did strange things to me. I don't think I've ever killed more pixel monsters in MMORPG gaming. I also reverted to my college habit of staying up all night and sleeping all morning. Not really a good habit for a job-seeker, but with nowhere to go, I lacked the motivation to wake up early.
I never have been a morning person. It was a virtual shut-in during one of the worst winters I've seen out here. I hate driving in snow. Facebook became an addition. It was terrible.
Unemployment does not resemble vacation. The first week or two, maybe even the first month, but after that it just sucks. My days were all the same. Daytime TV is terrible. They don't even show good movies on HBO or Netflix.
I had a good thing going for me at the place I worked for. Before the recession hit, business was booming. I was a top performer. Eventually, I would have gotten promoted. I had good benefits and bonuses. Then I had nothing. Now I've had to start all over again from the bottom. Such is life.
Try Not To Judge The Unemployed If You've Never Been
Had I realized how hard it would be on my career to be unemployed that long, I think I would have started looking for work before the actual layoff happened so I could have had something lined up to start the following Monday. By law, they were required to give us 60 days notice of the layoff. Looking back, that time could have been spent much more wisely.
Keep in mind that not everyone on unemployment is a slacker. When a large business closes in even a small metropolitan area, it gluts the workforce with a large number of people with similar skill sets. There aren't enough openings to take up all that slack. It's even worse in a smaller city or town.
The people on unemployment aren't all there because they didn't work hard or underachieved. Not all of us are gaming the system either. It would have been easy to lie and say I looked for work when I didn't. All I had to do was check the box yes even if the answer was no. I didn't do that. I still have the records I kept just in case I was ever audited.
Most of the people on unemployment would rather be working. (Sam's note:I don't understand why the employed are so smug about the unemployed.) The squeaky wheel gets the grease, or in this case, the media coverage, but I would guess that most of the people collecting the money would rather be working.
Having A Job Feels Wonderful
I was so happy when I got a job offer after six months of unemployment I almost jumped for joy. It felt like I was on cloud-nine for months. I was chomping at the bit to get back to work. I'm sure it's like that for the majority of people.
I'm so happy that coverage was there for me when I needed. I realize that I paid into the system and that it was partly my own money coming back to me, but that doesn't matter.
With the financial management skills I had demonstrated prior to that point, it was better off in the government's hands, and that's saying something.
That money kept me from moving back home with my parents, a fate worse than death for all involved. I would have done it, but we would all have hated every second of it. We love each other so much more with personal space.
A Few Other Things I Learned Being Unemployed:
* It's hard to find enough places to apply for whom you'd actually want to work and jobs for which you are qualified. After about 3-4 months, I had applied to just about every company that was hiring for jobs I was qualified to do and actually wanted to do.
* To keep collecting unemployment, I still had to apply for at least three jobs each week. Considering not a lot of places were hiring that winter, I had to get creative. I applied for jobs for which I wasn't qualified and jobs I wouldn't take just to meet this requirement. It was a huge waste of time for everyone involved.
* A single person collecting the max unemployment is not eligible to collect food stamps.
* It's not worth it to work part-time. Really, it wasn't. I could only gross $100 per week before my benefits were reduced. What job is going to hire someone to work only 12-15 hours a week? Is it really worth it to try to get such a job? Consider the time and effort used to apply for said job, as well as the crazy hassle of reporting that info to the unemployment office. Also consider, those earnings will be taxed, and money has to be spent commuting, etc. If you can make it on unemployment, it's not worth it to get a part-time job.
* I could make more on unemployment than I could at a lot of the available job opportunities.
* A person can only sleep so much. Filling my free time was hard. Looking for jobs, filling out applications and tweaking your resume only take up so much time in a day. My house has never been cleaner. I never played so many video games. There's not very many free outdoor activities available in the middle of winter, and it snowed a ton. Trying not to go stir crazy was a full-time occupation.
Related Reading
Here are some additional articles on unemployment for further reading.
- What To Say Or Do If You've Been Unemployed For A While
- How High Will Unemployment Go Due To The Coronavirus?
- Maximum Unemployment For Maximum Stock Market Returns
- Staying Unemployed: Why I'm Giving Up On Going Back To Work Before Even Trying
FYI: If you have investment income, you can still collect unemployment benefits. Unemployment benefits are tied to W-2 job income, and not to investment income.
Therefore, it behooves everyone to try and build as much passive investment income as possible for financial independence. It's not good enough to just contribute to your tax-advantage retirement accounts. You must focus on building up your taxable investment accounts and real estate portfolio.
Recommendations
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Start your own business: If you feel you're not getting paid what you're worth and want to boost your income, start your own business online on the side! It used to cost a fortune and a lot of employees to start your business. Now you can start it for next to nothing with a hosting company like Bluehost for under $4/month and they'll give you a free domain for a year to boot.
Brand yourself online, connect with like-minded people, find new consulting gigs, and potentially make a good amount of income online one day by selling your product or recommending other great products. Not a day goes by where I'm not thankful for starting Financial Samurai in 2009. Here's my step-by-step guide to for how to start your own website like mine in under 30 minutes.
Readers, how many people do you know who are unemployed? What have your experiences been like being unemployed? Why do you think some folks lack empathy for the unemployed?
This is a great article that shows how addicted we are to work. Being unemployed is scary. After all, you do not know what awaits you in the future and the prospects that exist – not the best. You can read a lot of interesting things about unemployment on my website because it is a big sociological problem that I try to spread to the masses so that people understand the scale of this problem and its impact on society. This is very important.
This is a great article that shows how addicted we are to work. Being unemployed is scary. After all, you do not know what awaits you in the future and the prospects that exist – not the best. You can read a lot of interesting things about unemployment on my website, because it is a big sociological problem that I try to spread to the masses so that people understand the scale of this problem and its impact on society. This is very important.
Thanks for sharing. So much of our lives are wraped up in our career/job that a loss of job is devastating psychologically as well as financially.
I’m so glad I found this post. I’ve been unemployed for about a month for the first time in 18 years. I would have never thought that I would ever be in this position. Thankfully others are sharing their experiences and I don’t feel alone.
I filed for unemployment this week and I felt so demoralized. I was one of those who looked down on others that complained about losing their jobs and blah, blah,blah…
I wish I had done more for others that I knew needed help. Never again will I let a friend or loved one go through this if they don’t have to.
I totally agree with a psychological impact of being unemployed and the burden of places on you. I doubt that I sleep through the night without waking up and hitting job sites on the Internet until I fall asleep.
Like others, I have had the runaround on job opportunities that people swore up and down that I was the only candidate for the most qualified candidate for the position. Of course they lied about it. Of course the job went to someone else.
right now I’m looking into federal assistance for furthering my education. I’ve got some guilt about it, but I need to fill some holes in my skill set. About half the jobs I’ve gone for, I have been told that I have 90 percent of the qualifications but the remaining amount is what keeps me out of it.
Anyway, I’m sick of this. I’m glad I found this site. I hope everyone keeps her spirits up.
Hey Mike,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I wish you the best of luck in your job hunt. I’m glad you’ve garnered more empathy for the unemployed too.
You and your employer contributed to unemployment insurance, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t fully receive the benefits.
Hope to see you around. You can subscribe to my site here (<- link)
I’ve never understood the idea that unemployment benefits are some kind of hand-out. We all pay into a system to provide assistance in a time of need, sort of like a universal emergency fund shared by all. How is taking a benefit you paid for welfare? By that definition, Social Security is welfare too. Maybe if folks saw an explicit UI deduction on their paycheck they would be less inclined to view it as a gift.
Hi Rachel… this is funny, I am Rachel too, and I literally just got a new job after 6 months of unemployment! I realize your post is from last year, but the information inside is still dead-on true. I had to take a little bit of a salary cut for this new position I am starting this week, but I think my new job will be a step up in terms of title and responsibility, and it’s with a great and stable company. After 6 months with no other offers after 300+ apps, networking, etc, I couldn’t be too picky. I see this job more as a stepping stone, and will swallow my pride and enjoy the “ride” back to work. I am grateful, ever so grateful, that I am no longer unemployed. Now, I have my identity back! I can start to feel like me again!
One thing I would recommend to those who have lost their jobs is to try to find small moments of joy in their life. Embrace friends and family, learn a new hobby, read, volunteer, etc. Being unemployed, long or short term, is gut-wrenching, boring, tedious, stressful, blissful, and so many more conflicting emotions. You have to keep at the applying- sooner or later, a job will come! Have faith. Good luck to all
Great post about unemployment. I’m sort of in the same boat though my unemployment was of my own doing. I was discharged from my last position and unfortunately was not granted UB from the government.
It’s been about 3 months since being discharged and I’ve been busy with projects but nothing close to sustaining my previous salary. I totally agree with your post, there’s only so much a person can do in a given day before they go stir crazy. I wasn’t giving much effort to looking for a job until about a week ago.
I get up at my normal hours (before 7am) and go to bed around 10pm so keeping my routine hasn’t been hard, it’s just filling my days with things to do. Sure I have a lot of time and could be working on some stuff but at this point I’d rather be back working and making a real paycheck.
Great post about unemployment!
My hubby was unemployed for 9 months. But 6 months out of the 9 he wasn’t actively looking for a job. The three months that he was busy I was pretty much involved in it too. I felt all his frustrations and his excitement. And we both jumped ecstatically when he finally got the job. Being unemployed is terribly frustrating that’s why we should seek out other sources of income.
I enjoyed the first few months of my unemployment. Because my loans were in deferment and my credit card limits were high and I lived in New York City… Definitely not the smartest move, financially, but I did a lot of living in those months.
Sounds like priceless moments that were worthwhile! What’s your situation now?
I know what it means to lose a job. I worst scenario is when you lose a job and you are in a debt. That’s the most important thing I have learnt.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for the thoughts that are in my mind also. Sure being unemployed is okay for the first couple of weeks, after that you wonder. About a year of my time went to my parents, my father was sick and eventually passed on, that was terrible. Before that my mother-in-law passed. I worked for a large company also, I was lucky to get a severance, now almost gone. I coupon, shop at Aldi’s and Target. We don’t eat out at all. I do my garden, watch every penny I have. My children pitch in to paying their car insurance. My mom buys me yarn to crochet baby afghans I crochet. I volunteer at a Nursing Home and even went back to school, luckily I received a grant, even for gas to get me to school. I feel depressed a lot, sad, angry, upset you name it. Hope something happens soon…
Rachael,
Were you working on your blog when you were unemployed? Were you able to bring in even a slight income?
I actually just started my blog about a month ago. I didn’t know anything about blogging at the time. It would have been great if I’d had this to do. Of course, that also assumes that I bring in income with my blog. So far not the case, but I’m doing it for other reasons, mostly my insane love of books.
Hi Rachel,
Your perspective of being unemployed is dead on! I was unemployed (laid off) late last year and it was shocking to me when it happened. I cried from the moment I walked out the door, on the way home, and most of the evening. It was devastating. And yes, I started staying up way to late, and then sleeping my mornings away. Depression maybe??
I applied to a multitude of jobs and ….. nothing.
As it turns out, my unemployment may have been a blessing in disguise. It was a time for me to rest and recover. In early December my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I became a caregiver for both her and my dad for the next three months. She is better now. And so am I.
I have started my eBay business again, this provides me the flexibility I need if and when my mom needs help/supervision again.
Thanks for sharing all of those insights Rachel! I’m glad you were able to find work. That must have felt awesome. I can see how you would get cabin fever in the middle of winter like you did!
It really didn’t help that it snowed like crazy that winter. I was crawling the walls and my Wii got a workout because I just couldn’t sit still any longer.
I could relate to a lot of Rachel’s feelings and experiences. I spent over a year collecting unemployment from Jan 2009 to April 2010.
I would like to point out a couple of things…
The first 3-Grand of unemployment is no longer tax free. I’m 99.9% sure that changed in 2010 and all UI benefits are now taxable.
Also – I disagree with the concept of part-time work not being worth it. At first I had that mentality too. But remember, those benefits are there to supplement your household income and help you get by – it’s not a paycheck.
If you can find part-time work you should take it. There’s a specific formula for partial UI benefits. While my benefits were reduced, I think I was actually making more money overall when combine with the income from a part time job.
I understand the idea that looking for a job is a full-time job. However, many part-time jobs can be turned into full-time. That’s what happened to me. Plus, it looks much better to be working and many studies show long-term unemployment makes you less employable.
So should you take a part-time job at McDonald’s? Probably not. But if you can find one in your desired industry…why not do it?
The problem with that was that I was trying to change industries, and there weren’t a lot of part time jobs available. I could have earned about $400 more gross/mo, but that would have added tax and gas expenses, etc that I wasn’t paying before. Although it would have been more money overall, in the long run it didn’t feel like a net gain.
Very powerful post. Appreciate the candor and the willingness to share. I have unfortunately been on the other side of the equation and I’ll tell you while it is cleary horrible to be laid off, there’s a lot of sleepless nights that for employers that must lay off good people. I’ve personally never ever been able to get used to that discussion.
I can see how it would be terrible to be the one doing the layoffs. In this case, they closed the whole building at one time. It was a huge meeting. They handed out packets and sent us home so we would be gone before the night shift came in, and they could do it all over again. That was just a bad day for everyone.
On the “positive” side of things, at least you weren’t singled out, and everybody was let go. Allows people to grieve together, and get better together.
Being unemployed is good and bad. You have more ‘free’ time but you have no income and no insurance! But, it can lead you to think outside the box and land something completely different that changes your life. That’s what happened to me!
Thanks so much for sharing your story – it is very interesting to hear the perspective of someone who has been through this. I find it so frustrating that a dis-incentive to work part time is built into the system. It would help the unemployed individuals feel productive, get out of the house, and could possibly lead to a full time position, and it would help the companies find high quality workers for part time positions.
I was talking to a friend recently who said he has a really hard time finding part time help and a lot of people he talks to say they’d love to work for him if it didn’t mean they’d be bringing home less each month than if they just stay on unemployment.
I can certainly relate to the unemployment woes. I actually went through the unemployment transition twice. Once back in 2000 when I was laid off and again last year when I voluntarily left my job. As Rachel said, after the first month or so it isn’t like a vacation anymore and you can become somewhat aimless.
The first time I was fortunate that my company was part of an anti-dumping law suit and all of those laid off were offered 2 full years of unemployment provided we were attending school. Of course I immediate enrolled. In addition to the continuing benefits being back in school gave me something useful to do, but I also played a LOT of video games and go back into the college mode of staying up all night and sleeping until noon.
The second time should have been easier since it was a voluntary termination, but I still took some time to get adjusted to being unemployed. Granted we also moved from the US to Thailand so I had the cultural adjustments to make at the same time. Blogging has played a HUGE role in keeping me motivated and connected to others. And considering that when I was in college the first time I had dreams of being a writer blogging has finally allowed me to realize that dream, even if somewhat amateurishly.
@Andrew
I would have been stupid and irresponsible to just take any job, especially one that would not allow me to meet my fiscal obligations. What kind of idiot decides to give up money that they’ve paid into the system to get so they can default on debt and not be able to afford food? For the record, I didn’t turn any job offers down. I just didn’t apply for jobs that wouldn’t let me meet my obligations.
Actually, you didn’t pay a dime into the system. It’s the employer that pays into the system. You mentioned that you didn’t apply for jobs you wouldn’t take. This shows that you were unemployed and you were highly selective in what jobs to work in. That’s the flaw with the UI system. Perhaps, not necessarily a fault of yours. We’re human and we’re all bound to do what’s right for me. The system wasn’t designed to accommodate such large numbers of applicants for such long periods of time. Once the economy tanked, people started to take advantage of the system. In that sense, the system is in need of a major overhaul.
Here, take a look.
Although it says employers pay into the system, the employer pays the employee, and all cots that are associated with the employee is baked into the employee’s salary.
Can you provide us some of your background? eg have you been unemployed before?
I’ve worked for companies that hire subcontractors and employees for similar projects and generally the subcontractors are paid 10-15% an hour more because they don’t cost the company things like unemployment insurance, paid time off, etc. By taking a W-2 position you are accepting that UI will be part of your compensation.
Right, but subcontractors are generally not qualified to receive unemployment insurance. Just letting you know. Taxes are also not factored into subcontractor pay. The subcontractor is responsible for taking care of his own taxes. “Less money” for regular employees or “more money” for subcontractors. It all comes out in the wash.
@Rachel
Exactly – I was using the subcontractor example to show that like Rachel said, the employee is “paying into the system”, though indirectly. Because she took a W-2 position she was eligible for unemployment benefits but she paid for them with reduced take home pay.
@David M
So far so good on staying employed. Just hit 2 years at my current employer. I don’t like to bounce around a lot.
Thanks for sharing. So much of our lives are wraped up in our career/job that a loss of job is devastating psychologically as well as financially.
I agree. The day they told us about the layoff most of my coworkers went across the street and started drinking. It wasn’t even 11 am yet. I was so stunned I couldn’t even think straight.
Rachel, The unemloyment now rivals that in the early 1970’s and is so debilitating. I’ve been unemployed and I remember looking at the grocery store clerk with envy and replying to myself, even she has a job. It is really hard, and I totally empathize with you. Thanks for the story.
No wonder people who are unemployed and currently receiving unemployment compensation get such a bad rap. There shouldn’t be “jobs you wouldn’t take” when you’re unemployed. Even jobs that are beneath you should be gladly accepted until something better comes along. Receiving $500/week free money prevented you from accepting any job or applying for any job. Unemployment compensation should not be straight cash. Instead, the program should provide job training assistance, education financial assistance, and food vouchers. There’s a huge disincentive to work anywhere and everywhere when you’re getting free money.
I agree, the system is flawed but it’s hardly the unemployed’s fault. I wouldn’t take a job that would pay me less then what I would earn from unemployment and likely significantly less than what I was earning a few short months ago.
I think we all talk a big game, and for the most of us we will never have to prove it, but many wouldn’t accept jobs below them until the situation turned dire.
I agree. It’s irrational to work part-time and cut into your unemployment benefits. It would be rational to work part-time without getting one’s UB slashed.
One more flaw of the system is that those who earn higher incomes receive higher payouts than those who earn lower incomes. It’s usually the ones at the lower end who need the assistance the most. They have nothing else to fall back on. Perhaps unemployment compensation should factor in assets, income, and education level. One could argue that they’ve “paid into” the program, however the employers are the ones who actually paid into the system. It’s really supposed to be a “safety net” for those who really need the assistance. It isn’t “fair”, but this world never was “fair” to begin with, I suppose.
Wow. This is an excellent post and beautifully written. So many people have stereotypes about unemployment, but you were spot-on in depicting the reality of the situation.
I can certainly relate to Rachel. It’s not easy being on unemployment. I was there about 10 years ago for a lengthy period of time and had applied everywhere I could think of too. It can be a very discouraging place to be.