I live in Lansing, Michigan, which is the Capitol City of Michigan. I am 31-years old, and still not exactly certain which career path I want to follow. I have been unemployed now for nearly 2-months, and am eager to start working full-time. My resume and cover letter have been edited ad nauseam, tailoring it to various positions. I have shifted careers a few times, and certainly it would be fair to call me an eclectic person. I have worked in the health/fitness industry, the social services industry, and even did a stint as a private investigator. I also do have a graduate degree, and a year of law school under my belt, so I am definitely no stranger to learning.
I have applied to numerous Michigan State Government Jobs, ranging from social services jobs to investigative jobs, and even administrative jobs, because of their appealing salary and benefits. While this is all well and good, and the site is user-friendly, to my surprise, I have yet to receive a single response. The State of Michigan apparently doesn’t have that many jobs if the website is to be any indicator. The frustrating part of the job search has also been the disproportionately large amount of job listings in a few sectors; healthcare, IT, and manufacturing. I understand though that manufacturing jobs are the lifeblood of Michigan’s jobs, being that it is home to so many automakers, along with IT and engineering jobs that support these automakers.
I have been also seeking work in the private sector and have used some of the national job-search sites (such as Monster and CareerBuilder), along with local job-search sites (such as the Michigan Talent Bank). I have been appalled at how low the wages are for some of these positions. In fact, a few days ago, I came across a position that required working with people with disabilities in a capacity as a case manager, and the job was paying less than $11 per hour. Fortunately, there are sites that provide information detailing average earnings based on occupation and geographic location! Many of the jobs I have seen posted are only paying $10-$12 per hour, which is less than what they should be earning on average.
Another job I interviewed for, which involved the task of supervising a Respite Center, paid only $15 per hour with absolutely no benefits. Of course, this was a non-profit, but this is still a very insignificant rate of pay and the fact it provides no benefits just adds insult to injury. The requirement would have been that I work 32-hrs per week, which is substantial. However, under Michigan Law, employers can dictate who is a “full-time” employee and who is a “part-time” employee at their sole discretion.
This concerns me because I believe that this is a case of some business owners understanding the shortage of jobs, and exploiting the situation to make profits. A prime example seems to be many Sales jobs, which seem to be plentiful in Michigan right now. I have been called in for 2 interviews for Sales positions, and on both occasions, I felt very uncomfortable with the interviewer. I felt they were trying to sell me the job; they glanced over my resume, yet didn’t ask anything specific about my skills or past experience, but rather talked up the benefits of selling “X” and “Y”. While both claimed to pay base plus commission, the $300- $400 per week base is chump change because they expect you to work 50-60 hours per week. You can do the math on that one!
But in many circumstances it is also probably an issue of the owner lacking the ability to pay overhead. This would make logical sense here in Michigan, since so many businesses have gone under. When I went to a massage therapist a few months ago, she told me that she had to have a pretty booked schedule just to stay afloat. Her space was a relatively small, shared space in Grand Ledge.
Unemployment and the financial fallout from it has forced me to make adjustments, such as getting a roommate, terminating my home phone service, and utilizing coupons more often. Also, it is no longer feasible for me to dine out as often, and when I go shopping at the grocery store I often buy food in bulk. However, on a positive note, I have been able to utilize some of the extra time I now have to start a Graphics Design Course, a Writing Course, work-out more often, do photography, and even practice my culinary skills. I think that making use of my time in productive ways, while also seeking work, acts as a full-time job, keeping me busy and productive.
I believe that in light of the unemployment here in Michigan, which remains to hover just above 9%, the need to implement policies that grow and encourage small businesses to thrive is imperative. When I drive down the streets of Lansing, vacant office buildings are on almost every corner. I believe that cutting the red tape, and lowering the taxes on businesses, will be a great positive move to help more private sector job growth. I believe all the GOP candidates are in favor of this, and I think it is a positive step. I would also like the GOP candidates to try to pass legislation mandating employers give certain benefits to employees if they work 40-hours per week, and stripping away their ability to label you “part-time” even when working 40-hours per week.
While I don’t currently receive government assistance, I can see how this would be important to people who don’t have a college education, or may have a criminal record. While this unemployment figure has significantly improved in the past 4-years, it must be noted that there has been a 4.6% decline in the workforce since 2009. I disagree with any proposal that would terminate welfare after a certain period, such as Governor Snyder’s, that caps welfare assistance to 48-months. I believe that a better policy would involve withdrawing welfare benefits based on the recipients reluctance to take any initiative to enter a vocational program, obtain a GED, or otherwise seek some type of job.
I further believe that the problem of outsourcing work to Dubai and other regions of the world has resulted in many lost jobs, and that employers should be penalized for this either through fees or taxation. The Companies that do not outsource should receive major tax cuts for creating jobs here.
I also believe that the auto bailout proved to be the right course of action, having saved many essential manufacturing jobs here in Michigan. Mitt Romney turned out to be wrong for pushing a managed bankruptcy, as many here now in Michigan have been gainfully employed because of the bailout.
Finally, I think that wages are very low for Social Services position, such as those of counselors, and it is Medicare that needs to be reformed so that it pays more for these services. This, in turn, would allow providers to pay their counselors and therapists higher wages, and subsequently provide better treatment to our mentally ill population, many whom are veterans with PTSD.