So...as many of you know I have been "made available to the industry" as we used to call it when I was trying to get rid of an employee who was not pulling their weight...which is to say I am unemployed. I have a post that I was writting about getting laid off (or more properly "dismissed") and while probably finish it some day when I am sure that 1. It does not convey a bitter angry tone, and 2. Will not hurt my current prospects of being employed. Infact I have a whole series of posts plotted out in my head on the adventures of being unemployed...problem will be making them several post and not just one REALLY LONG post. But I digress, this post is about something that kept me up until 4 am last night that I thought would make for an interesting bit of humour (I am also planning a post on how my sleeping habits and quality of sleep have been getting worse and worse over the last few months...but that is for later). So here it goes.
When I was employed in the retail sector I was making a decent living... I brought home, after deductions (tax and benefits,etc.), between (Current SGH/Luxottica employees cover your eyes) $28,000 and $33,000 a year depending on how often I received bonus and commissions (I just realized that you lose a lot of money to taxes and deductions). It was not a great living, but it was a decent living. When I worked for a few weeks as a labourer I was paid 20 an hour plus time and half OT for anything over 40 hrs a week...we normally worked 60 hrs a week so, pretty good coin. Now that I am on EI I am getting about $400 every week (I think...not really sure because I just get money put in my account and still have yet to get a statement telling me what my benefits are), not the amount I was bringing in before but enough to cover most of my expenses as long as I am careful.
Now I have been applying for jobs and perusing through the want ad's something fierce (I can definitly say I have had too much time off), and there are a lot of jobs out there that start between minimum wage ($9.50/hour in Alberta now, I think) and $12/hour, there are several jobs that are between $13/hour and $16/hour, and there are a few jobs between $17/hr and $24/hr (I am talking "entry level" jobs, or jobs needing less the 2 years experience and no tech/college/university training). Now most the lower paying jobs are retail, janitorial, or (quite unfortunately) community service workers (helping people with disabilities, why we pay people that do this amazing work so little is beyond me...talk to your MP and MLA). The next level of jobs are usually farm labour, unskilled labour, or starting to get into you sales supervisor/management positions, as well as some office positions (saw an entry level secretary position start at $16 to answer the phone and make coffee, yet we pay someone to take care of a guy in a wheel chair $11.50?). The next level (now we are taking jobs that do not require a degree) is general construction labour (skilled and unskilled), office administration with several years experience, retail management, and most driving positions. Needless to say, many of the jobs I am most qualified to do due to my current work experience (retail, non-skilled labour) would get me less than $16/hour to start. As my goal is to pay off my debt and save up money so I can get on the mission field it would make sense to find as high of paying job as possible (disclaimer: I know I can go work on the rigs or some other "camp job" but I would rather stay close to my church family in Calgary, those are more or less an "if all else fails" option). I was pining to a friend about my observations and she had said, "Well just get a job, as then you at least have a job, even if it is a lower paying job." Now I have often felt this way about a job too, but now that I am unemployed I started to wonder about this position and I realized a couple of things: 1. My cost of living is lower now that I am unemployed. 2. Thusly, getting a new job adds extra expenses. 3. While on EI, it may actually be better for me to not take the first job offer, but wait until I find the job that fits. 4. Taking a lower paying full time job, just to have a job, can hinder your ability to find a higher paying full time job. To defend my points I will explain them:
1. Cost of living is lower. As a retail manager I had several expenses that I no longer have now: I was driving 20-40km a day, which increased my gas consumption, and wear and tear on my car. I wore suites which required dry cleaner at least once a month. I had to either bring a lunch or buy lunch at the mall. I had to buy new clothes for seasonal updates. I had to take time to go to meetings or learn about new products or recruit new staff. On days when I had work and a church function I either had to buy supper or bring supper, or add even more km onto my car. I could go on and on...needless to say there are many incidental expenses that arise from being employed. At the moment my living expenses average about $1600-$1700 month while being unemployed. EI gives me just under that, so I have to take a little out of my savings each month.
2. A job adds extra expenses. When I was working retail and having to drive across the city to get to work (extra car expenses), paying for dry-cleaning of my suits, buying new clothes and paying for extra food and eating out more often my living expenses were easily in the $1900-$2100 a month range, if not more. If my living expenses are $1600 a month (not counting taxes, etc.) my NET income has to be $10/hour. Calculate for taxes, deductions, etc, and that amount turns in to about $14/hr. As I already pointed out my living expenses go up...mainly gas and car expenses go up. Right now $100 of gas last me about a month, when I was working I was fuelling up once a week. at $60 a tank that means a month cost me $240 in gas which is an increase in living expenses. This increase alone increases my needed income to about $16/hour. The cost of food would go up by about $14 a week ($56 a month), and my wardrobe expenses would also increase by about $10 a week on average ($40 a month), my other car expenses would also increase by about $30 a month (not counting gas). We quickly see how my living expenses while working grow to $2000 a month, which would mean I would have to make $16.50 an hour to maintain my standard of living and cover the extra expenses with working. (Of course having said that I want to save money so I can go on the mission field I would very much like to find a job that would pay upwards of $18 an hour so that I can put money away into saving after paying off my bills)
3. Better to stay on EI until I find the right job. As my cost of living is much lower on EI than off it (not working so not spending extra cash to work), there is lest chance of me overspending. As such it is better for me to wait until I find the right job. EI will pay me until I find the job I need, or until September, which ever comes first.
4. Taking a job, just for having a job would not be prudent. As mentioned there are certain expenses to having a job, and if I take a job, even a lower paying one just so I can have a job will not help out in that situation. First as having an income would lower my EI payment I would have to be sure that the job I took did not take me over the limit. I understand (or have heard) that I could take part-time work and have it minimally affect my EI, but as I have already have had some issues I am not sure I would chance it. Secondly, if I do find a low paying full time job, it will hinder my ability to find a better paying job, as now I would have a schedule to work around and I would also have a commitment that I would have to break, and I believe in a mans word, for what more does a man have. Thus, I am better off to keep applying for jobs and going to interviews until I find the job that will suit me, I know God has a good one.
On a bit of a side note, there is one thing that popped into my mind: As a child of God I believe that he provides everything I need, that he will ensure that I am not of want. But he has also called me to be a good steward of my resource, which means finding the job that will pay what I am worth AND ensuring that I am not living beyond my needs. Yes God will provide for me, but he has provided me with a sharp mind, a healthy body and strong arms and legs, so rather than sit and wait for God to provide I should get out and put these to use.
Thanks for reading,
TT