What
Job Security?
As our economy
becomes more and more global, the employment
outlook grows more unstable for US workers.
Is there anything you can do about it?
Let's
face it, most of us need the assurance
of a steady paycheck to sleep at night.
Being able to rely on present and future
income means not only that the bills
are going to be paid, but that you can
make major purchases, like houses and
cars, without worrying that you'll lose
them along with your job.
Unfortunately,
job security, once taken for granted
by most working Americans, is quickly
being relegated to the memory boxes
of an older generation, along with 40-year
anniversary gold watches and other appreciation
gifts for longevity.
It used
to be that once you attained a fair
amount of seniority, you could rest
assured that if the company cut jobs,
yours wouldn't be one of them. Now long-term
workers get nervous when there are rumblings
of downsizing and outsourcing. They
are generally paid more than younger
workers, and instead of valuing them
for their experience, companies crunch
the numbers and figure out how much
they can save in salary, health insurance
costs, and pension funding if they follow
a "first in, first out" policy.
The most
fortunate workers are lured into early
retirement programs; the least fortunate
are simply given their notice. While
official unemployment figures don't
reflect it, countless people have been
forced out of decent-paying jobs into
low-paying ones. Sure, the government
counts them as "employed."
But most view their jobs as stop-gap
measures, a way to barely get by while
they remain hopeful that one day they'll
find another job as good as the one
they left.
Instead,
the chances are they'll move from one
low-pay job to another. The manufacturing
jobs that formed the basis of the Fabulous
50s economy have moved elsewhere. Former
areas of thriving steel plants and automobile
factories are now referred to as "the
rust belt." The auto industry alone
announced over 90,000 job cuts in 2006.
Most of these were "good union
jobs" with enviable pay and benefits.
But union jobs have been steadily declining.
In 1945, nearly a third of Americans
held union jobs. Today only 12% of workers
belong to unions. As their numbers have
shrunk, so has unions' ability to negotiate
favorable contracts for their members.
White
collar workers are hardly immune. In
2006, Ford announced it was offering
"voluntary buyouts" to 10,000
salaried workers, including high-level
executives. Those who took the buyouts
explained they thought it was better
than being laid off, which they assumed
would happen next. Workers were offered
the services of "outplacement agencies"-employment
agencies that try to find new jobs for
displaced workers. But in towns that
depend heavily on one industry that
is downsizing, it's more likely that
laid-off employees will have to sell
their houses (in a real estate market
that has also taken a price downturn)
and move to some other part of the country.
In 2002,
the technology sector dumped 150,000
software jobs. In 2006, computer chip
maker Intel announced job cuts of over
10,000. Students were told that their
best bet for the future was information
technology. They worked hard for technology
degrees, earned millions for their employers,
and then found themselves with nowhere
to go-because their jobs were moving
to India, China and Russia.
Another
relatively new obstacle to job security
is the practice of "offshore outsourcing."
We all know how it works: Someone in
India or Mexico does your job for 15%
of what you were paid. More and more,
outsourcing is affecting any job classification
that does not depend strictly on a US
or Canadian location. For example, if
you're a waitress, grocery clerk, or
store manager, you can't very well be
outsourced. US factory workers were
the first to be hit hard by the "giant
sucking sound" of their jobs moving
to other countries, but now software
developers, engineers, journalists,
and other professionals are facing the
same fate.
Of course,
the reason is the bottom line. Companies
are in business to make a profit. Creating
secure jobs for their employees is not
their concern. Scaling back on labor
costs is the number one way to increase
profit margins, whether through outsourcing,
not replacing employees who quit or
are fired, paying workers less, or using
non-union, lower paid, or part time
workers here. The country's major employers
are huge multi-national companies. Playing
musical chairs with jobs among different
countries is as simple for them as the
children's game.
It isn't
pleasant to think about. It's certainly
easier to just assume that your job
and your paycheck will always be there
for you. But denial of a problem will
not make it go away or solve it, and
some day you may wish you had thought
to create a backup plan for maintaining
your income without relying on your
current job.
At this
point, you are probably asking yourself,
"What can I do to be financially
secure?"
As
grim as the employment picture looks,
there is still a way to provide an income
for yourself that you control. Being
your own boss means no one can lay you
off or cut your hours and benefits.
It's up to you to take control of your
future income and your future security.
Fortunately,
there is an exciting home business opportunity
that offers you a way to create a safety
net of security and financial success
that no one can pull out from under
you.
It may
be tempting to believe that your good
job will last, or to believe that even
though you're not happy with your current
job, there's a good one waiting down
the road. Just remember that while the
unemployment figures look good, the
jobs America is losing are being replaced
by a whole new category known as "service
industry" jobs. These are low-paying
jobs in retail or customer service.
Hourly workers are almost never allowed
to work overtime, while those on salaries
fill in the gaps without any overtime
pay. The unfortunate truth is that you
have to look out for number one because
you cannot rely on any company to put
you or any other employee first.
Your
first step toward security should be
to obtain information about starting
your own home based business.
The beauty
of a home-based business is that you
need only Internet access and a telephone
to build a thriving business. Our team
of skilled professionals will train
you and show you the secrets of their
success. Incredibly, the capacity to
change your uncertain future lies in
your own hands.
Instead
of worrying about how you'll pay the
bills if you get the surprise pink slip,
take the first step today towards protecting
your financial future. If you are ready
to find out how you can begin to create
a considerable income right away -an
income that will continue to provide
for you and your family--then you have
arrived at the right place.
Simply fill out the form below
for additional information, and begin
looking forward to the security and
success you deserve.