Of the 14.9 million unemployed, more than 2.2 million are 55 or older. Nearly half of them have been unemployed six months or longer, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate in the group — 7.3% — is at a record, more than double what it was at the beginning of the latest recession.
Former Gannettoids who bucked this trend, and found work in their 50s and older: How did you do it? What jobs did you get? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
I read this NYT article. I am living the nightmare since being laid off in 2008. Three decades of wide-ranging newspaper and wire service experience has not opened any doors for me. About 500 job applications, in and outside of the news business, have yielded nothing other than a profound sense of blatant age discrimination by employers. I project that I will be homeless within 3-5 years if something doesn't drastically change, sooner if I become ill. I have no safety net other than my own savings, which I can only stretch for so long. I have tried everything, from face-to-face networking to increasing my online presence. But it doesn't seem to matter. Prior to 2008, I was never unemployed. This is an incredibly difficult and new experience for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you're over 50 and get laid off, you better have friends in very high places who can hire you, have another desired skill beyond writing, editing, managing etc., or have a lot of luck, savings or a wealthy spouse.
I believe I was laid off by Gannett mostly for being over 50 and have discovered that GCI isn't alone in how it views older workers. If Congress wants to do something positive for the economy and individuals, I would suggest enforcing age discrimination laws.
I didn't sue because it's not my style. I figured with my skills and experience, I would be swooped up by another company within a few month, even in the middle of the recession. How wrong I was. Like millions of others, I am looking right down the barrel of catastrophe as I enter my mid 50s. Some will survive this fall. Some layoff victims with the resources will figure something out - maybe start a business or go back to school to get another degree. But as the article states, it may be another decade before jobs come back enough for employers to hire folks my age. At that point, I will be in my 60s.
There are already former white-collar people living in their cars. It might not be as obvious in areas that haven't been devastated by the recession, but it exists at levels never before seen in our lifetimes. Blue-collar folks who lost their jobs are worse off in many ways.
I find that the newspaper industry has been particularly ruthless in how it has let people go. Companies like Gannett don't seem to put much care in reorganizing personnel, despite having the advantage of being big enough to be able to transfer or retrain good people. Instead, they jettison folks based on some other criteria - my guess is age and personal reasons - thereby hurting those employees and the company as a whole. Remaining employees are hampered by the loss of competent, reliable colleagues.
This is a company bleeding badly because it is losing some very good employees. People with ideas, ethics and abilities. Some are wisely leaving on their own, but others, people who have done nothing wrong and are still contributing, are being cast out for reasons that just aren't right. CEO bonuses, stock prices, flavor-of-the-day trends, ridiculous debt somewhat created by the Crystal Palace are not just or honorable reasons for ruining careers and breaking the spirit of people like me.
I feel for small business owners who truly have to reduce their payrolls and don't have any other options. But Gannett does not fall into that category. Gannett created its own problems and continues to do so. Gannett does not right certain wrongs when presented the opportunity. As one of the biggest media companies in the country, it could be part of the solution. Instead, it chooses to remain a major contributor to the problem of unemployment, deteriorating journalism and dishonest/greedy management.
It's never a phone call, but it's ordinarily an e-mail, and it inevitably says that you are "over-qualified" for the job opening you have been seeking.
ReplyDeleteI have read that now several times, repeated after each job interview. The interviews are strange affairs, usually with an editor younger than yourself, who wants to know if you are famiiar with Twitter or do you have a Facebook page. Yes, I am familiar with Facebook and I know what Twitter is. But I have occasionally noted I know of absolutely no case where someone rushed out to buy a newspaper subscription after reading someone's Facebook page. But we have to be up-to-date with technology, the editor says.
If you are over 45 in this business, forget about finding another job in newspapers. You can get a job as a college journalism teacher paying $5,000 a quarter. Maybe public relations or as job as a press secretary for a local government agency, or you can become a Walmart employee at the minimum wage. But your reporting or editing days are over.
I really, Really, REALLY! feel for the above poster. I knew when Gannett bought the newspaper I work at ten years ago that things wouldn't last. Gannett's cost cutting ways would make it difficult (knowing from a previous experience with them) but this time around we have the recession and internet pressures fanning Gannett's wide knife. A grand restructuring is happening in America right now, if one wants to view it philosophically. However, to understand how we got to where we are today, everyone on this blog might want to read this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greedandgood.org/NewToRead.html
I stumbled across this .PDF book while searching the subject of corporate greed the other day (Thank you Phoenix Pressmen!) I started reading the second book, “The Cost of Greed” and began inserting “Gannett” wherever the author talked about a corporation. OMG! If you do a search of each title with “PDF” on the end, you’ll come up with the complete three book series. Interesting reading.
I first got hired at Gannett at age 52. I was an experienced journalist, and got sick of having eveything the newbies couldn't or wouldn't do dumped on me. Never have I worked in such an ageist culture. Diversity my ass. A truly diverse workforce includes, invites and welcomes people of all ages, not because age discrimination is illegal, but because it simply makes sense to do so.
ReplyDeleteHere's another article picked up over the weekend: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/09/workers_in_50s_face_steep_clim.html
ReplyDeleteI am convinced employers are looking for the inexperienced, no solid tenure, non-loyal, 20-somethings for cheap pay. Thank you, 10:32am - I agree with every comment you made.
Thanks for that, 2:10. I leafed through it, and it is good reading. If you want a shortcut, read the chapter The Ineffective Enterprise.
ReplyDelete10:32 AM- If you can't find a job and get hired and say you are going to be HOMELESS in 3-5 years why in the world are you paying for internet? Furthermore wasting time blogging and not looking for the next job fair in your area? You can tell your sad story to everyone but at the end of it all your bitc*ing is only hurting you. Advice to you: 1) stop blogging 2) stop paying for internet and I'm sure you still have cable, not paying for this can save you lot's of MONEY.
ReplyDeleteI saw the writing on the wall working at my old newspaper several years back, saw how crappy reporters and editors were treated by the establishment (compared to many of my friends who are teachers) and ... chose to become a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI went back to school during the day time while working at the paper at night, took the necessary credits, passed the necessary test, and found a job as an alternate route teacher.
I still freelance because the newspaper work is awesome. I like the people at my old paper a great deal and I love the work. It is truly a shame watching newspapers shrink both in content and staff.
10:32AM-- I don't wanna come off being rude but if you are going to be homeless in 3-5 years why are you wasting your time blogging your problems instead of searching for the next job opening or finding the next job fair in your state?? Also if you are hurting that much for money why are you still paying and have the Internet?? Cable and Internet could save you a lot of cash! Just saying!
ReplyDeleteYou can't job search without Internet access.
ReplyDeleteTo the know-it-all who blasted the first poster: How do you know he or she isn't using free Internet at the library or a coffee shop?
ReplyDeleteWho is paying for the Internet? If you live in an urban area, you can leech off neighbors or the Starbucks on the corner.
ReplyDeleteJee wiz 6:17. You must be out of touch not to realize you need to stay 'connected' in order to compete for jobs today, that includes utilizing every tool available including the internet. So to the first bogger 10:32, well said and thoughtful insight for all of us.
ReplyDeleteAlso,to 2:10... great link. I read the entire intro and found it very compelling. I most certainly will read the rest.
And Jim, so sad to see Meg in the side bar... she is just not right in the head. All we need is another CEO. Just sayin'.
6:17pm: Judging from your lack of spelling (lot's) and punctuation skills, you must be one of the drones still employed at GCI.
ReplyDelete6:17 and 10:19- just shows how out of touch you are with what is going on in this economic mess. So what, you want them to get a newspaper to find jobs? - hahahahahaha. Not only are you rude, but cold as well.
ReplyDeleteRead the article from the San jose Mercury News: "Workers in 50s face steep climb from layoff's depths"... Thank you to 6:11pm for posting that link, however depressing. Can't help but think that there is a theme here to this thread; Job loss... after Gannett, etc... A lot of my co-workers fear losing what they have accumulated over the years. They tell me they'll need a job that pays "X" amount. I shake my head and tell them those jobs are not there anymore. We all must realise that we can not maintain our current lifestyles in this new economy. What we own, what we've accumulated over the years, is so much dead weight around our necks now. Get "lighter." Sell or give to charity what you don't need or use now, before you lose your job. I know this is a tough proposition for most, but if you lose your job, chances are the "stuff" you own will wind up in a dumpster anyway. Just so you know, I am practicing what I am preaching here. It has taken me a while, it's not easy to get rid of "stuff" you've held on to (for what ever reason) over the years... most of which hadn't seen the light of day for a decade or more. Funny what we think is "necessary." Anyway, I'm not going to harp on this... but we will all have to make changes... soon.
ReplyDeleteSearch terms: Cutting clutter; Clutter busting; Minimulist living.
6:17 and 10:19 -- Are you for real? You are suggesting that someone seeking a job in the communications industry stop paying for Internet service?
ReplyDeleteThe job hunting environment is already difficult, but how do you think potential employers will view someone who doesn't have ready access to e-mail? Would you hire that person?
Remember that -- for better or worse -- this is the brave new world where you are expected to have a Facebook page, a presence on Linked In a Twitter account and more than a passing understanding of Skype. It also helps if you know how to work with Flash, produce your own blog, etc., etc. While I think some people have overblown the importance of these things, you look out of touch if you don't at least understand them.
What's more, unemployed journalists can often pick up extra money through freelance work, but they almost certainly need access to e-mail.
Beyond all this, other posters have pointed out that most cities have numerous locations where Internet access is free.
I wouldn't normally be this harsh in a response but it seems like your goal (even though you said you didn't want to be rude) was to kick this guy when he was down.
Cutting expenses is a good thing, but you have to be reasonable. Cutting cable may make sense, but asking a writer to give up his computer or a photographer to sell her camera is just plain stupid.
Here's a good "how to survive a layoff" story in response to that NYT story from the always delightful Megan McArdle: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/09/how-to-survive-a-layoff/63332/
ReplyDeleteThe comments are equally good. I especially appreciated the following one, because I also was wondering where in the hell do they find these people: "The NYT is an inexhaustible source of stories about people with startling and unrealistic views about how to navigate life's setbacks. The authors of these pieces never seem to realize what they're describing."
Anyway, it's good advice for all of us, young or old, and particularly timely for those of us waiting for the other shoe to drop at USA Today, probably next week. Or so rumor has it. Good luck to all of us.
6:17 and 10:19 - as you no doubt understand by now, your posts may be two of the dumbest we have ever seen on this blog.
ReplyDeleteNobody should be surprised that lay offs are occurring at Gannett's certain sites. Newspaper industry profits are down. If you dont like working for Gannett, then quit and find something else to do with your life. FTP, by the way insurance premiums are going up next year.
ReplyDelete