I touched a nerve with last week’s column on the large number of people who aren’t on the unemployment rolls anymore and are getting increasingly frustrated in trying to look for a job.
There are all sorts of facets to the unemployment story, and I heard several of them.
One reader mentioned that the shortage of jobs is particularly tough for young adults. She said her 19-year-old son must compete with people who are much older and much more experienced for jobs that older folks never used to want.
Mark Runnels of Texas e-mailed me after reading the column on the Web.
Runnels — who said he had a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in business administration, was a certified commercial pilot and a former Naval officer — said he has sent out 1,530 resumes and hasn’t heard back from a company in more than two years.
"Hopefully, you can now better understand why so many are angry and frustrated," he said, noting that he had been living on savings that won’t last much longer.
Laura Fletcher of Marysville also e-mailed to note I didn’t mention the many people who have lost jobs and then worked hard to start their own businesses.
"One critical factor in the equation that you overlooked are the people who have become self-employed," she said. "Many people have started home-based businesses that do not show up in the economic statistics. …. Many are investing in income real estate, or taking their own great idea and turning it into a cash flow for their families."
That would be a good topic for another column.
If anybody has some ideas for a good business that doesn’t require a large investment for someone who is unemployed, let me know. It could be a part-time business to help tide someone over until they get a full-time job, or it could be full-time self-employment.
George Richardson, a long-time friend, said he’s tided himself over by tackling a series of temporary jobs. He said his lengthy job search has been tough and that he’s been fortunate that his wife has a good benefits program.
And that brings us to another topic for today’s column: worker benefits.
A new report by the Washington State Employment Security Department says more than three of every four employers offer health care insurance to full-time workers.
But only one of four offers it to part-timers.
Most companies who didn’t offer health care said it was too expensive.
The most common benefit was a paid vacation, with 82 percent of state companies offering it to full-time workers and 36 percent to part-time employees.
Only 57 percent offered paid sick leave to full-time workers and just 52 percent offered a retirement plan to full-timers.
Large companies, as you might expect, had better benefits, with 97 percent offering health insurance compared to 72 percent of very small firms with four to 19 workers.
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.