Over 50 And Out Of Work

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Currently unemployed: a steelworker in Weirton, West Virginia, a bank manager in North Fort Myers, Florida, a paper mill worker in Little Chute, Wisconsin, an auto parts factory worker in Otter Lake, Michigan, a senior information technology executive in Wayne, New Jersey…

We are using video to document the stories of Americans who are Over 50 and Out of Work. To read more about the project, click here.

The stories they tell are not only about the hardships they have faced due to joblessness during the Great Recession, but also about their hopes and fears, their expectations and disappointments, their setbacks and their dreams. The Boomers, generally regarded as self-centered and indulgent, have left their distinct impact, magnified by the size of their demographic bulge, on the United States as they have navigated their way through the turbulent social and economic history of the country’s past half century.

Unexpected depths of courage, faith, perseverance and resilience emerge out of the lives of the Boomer generation.

Click on the images below to watch their videos.

http://www.overfiftyandoutofwork.com/100-stories/

This has got to be the most depressing site on the internet.

 

[JS80]

Cry me a fucking river for making poor life choices. Fucking entitled assholes.

 

[Hacp]

And your solution is to tax companies and make it unaffordable to hire these people.

 

[fskimospy]

And your solution is to tax companies and make it unaffordable to hire these people.

Hey guys! IF WE JUST LOWER TAXES TO ZERO EVERYONE WILL BE EMPLOYED.

WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THIS SOONER.

Stop making stupid posts.

 

[JS80]

Hey guys! IF WE JUST LOWER TAXES TO ZERO EVERYONE WILL BE EMPLOYED.

WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THIS SOONER.

Stop making stupid posts.

Hey guys! IF WE JUST TAX EVERYTHING AT 100% WE CAN DIVIDE IT UP EQUALLY AND NO ONE WOULD BE POOR!

 

[polarmystery]

Cry me a fucking river for making poor life choices. Fucking entitled assholes.

While I feel for their loss, the entitlement attitude is what is dragging us down as a nation. As technology changes, and their skills don't match with the times, it's hard to put the blame on anyone but themselves if they aren't willing to adapt.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Yeah, these videos are just full of entitlement attitude. My hope in posting this was to sprinkle a little reality into the world a lot of you folks are living in. I should have known better.

 

[spidey07]

Yeah, these videos are just full of entitlement attitude. My hope in posting this was to sprinkle a little reality into the world a lot of you folks are living in. I should have known better.

2 years of unemployment, all kinds of money and incentives for training/education = extremely easy to do something about being unemployed. I don't know, like LEARNING A NEW TRADE!

 

[Jaskalas]

Over 50 And Out Of Work

Is there something you want to do about that?

 

[JTsyo]

Hey GUYs Let's just take things TO the EXTREME so that we can't have a meaningful discussion BUT at least it'll GET our POST COUNTS high AND we can TYPE IN CAPS.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Hey GUYs Let's just take things TO the EXTREME so that we can't have a meaningful discussion BUT at least it'll GET our POST COUNTS high AND we can TYPE IN CAPS.

This is anandtech, where have you been?

 

[Zen0]

While I feel for their loss, the entitlement attitude is what is dragging us down as a nation. As technology changes, and their skills don't match with the times, it's hard to put the blame on anyone but themselves if they aren't willing to adapt.

Older people have difficulty adapting.

A government's purpose is not just there to waste your money, it represents you, which includes being a worker.

At some point, people will realize that the Government is 50% in the pocket of 5% of the rich, while the middle class continues to deteriorate.

 

[Zen0]

Cry me a fucking river for making poor life choices. Fucking entitled assholes.

What do you do and how can we help to outsource your job to India?

I'm sure you'd be thrilled to be back on student loans trying to adapt and make a living in a new line of work.

 

[alkemyst]

Cry me a fucking river for making poor life choices. Fucking entitled assholes.

Well the problem was our baby boomers grew up with parents having pensions and no 401k/day trading/IRA...

Many had started with a pension to look forward too only to be told they were 'cashing' it out...usually it was no where close to being equal.

My parents both were in the mortgage industry and during the boom the company they worked for (one of the oldest non-chain lenders in the state) were bought out to be shut down.

Them and about 1000 others were thrown on the job market in their 60's or late 50's. Despite experience, no one wants to hire someone 4-6 years away from retiring.

Fortunately my parents were prepared, they havent worked in 6 years and are doing fine....others are working in fast food places and grocery stores 8-16 hours here and there. Some are able to substitute teach a few days a month...some are out doing labor.

The sad part is these people count as employed. My parents don't count on any 'unemployment' census since they are outside the benefit window and off the tracking criteria.

What's funny is almost anyone today is capable of being laid off, most will never recover from that yet act like they have months of reserves somehow since they could sell off their pokemon and magic card collection.

 

[JS80]

What do you do and how can we help to outsource your job to India?

I'm sure you'd be thrilled to be back on student loans trying to adapt and make a living in a new line of work.

Go ahead I'll go be an executive at the outsourcing company.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

2 years of unemployment, all kinds of money and incentives for training/education = extremely easy to do something about being unemployed. I don't know, like LEARNING A NEW TRADE!

I agree, but when you're over 50 and lose your job, it is going to be tough regardless of what opportunities you take advantage of during your time unemployed.

 

[polarmystery]

Older people have difficulty adapting.

A government's purpose is not just there to waste your money, it represents you, which includes being a worker.

At some point, people will realize that the Government is 50% in the pocket of 5% of the rich, while the middle class continues to deteriorate.

I agree with you, but I still believe they are at fault for not developing a plan B at least...

 

[theeedude]

Soon to be out of SS and Medicare in the future, if Republicans get their way.

 

[Zen0]

I agree with you, but I still believe they are at fault for not developing a plan B at least...

Well, not everyone goes to College or has the ability to succeed there.

Also, part of the problem is education, especially financial education. We simply get none of it in High School. In fact, do we even know simple stuff like paying taxes when we're 18? That sort of education is vital to successful financial stability in life and should be integrated into an earlier education rather than being thrown into the thick of it in adulthood, where failure can be catastrophic.

 

[highland145]

I agree, but when you're over 50 and lose your job, it is going to be tough regardless of what opportunities you take advantage of during your time unemployed.

Friend hires EEs for a contractor. Asked him if I went back to school would he consider me. Nope. I'm older and have been self employed. Unwritten policy, of course.

 

[Engineer]

I agree, but when you're over 50 and lose your job, it is going to be tough regardless of what opportunities you take advantage of during your time unemployed.

Ding...ding...ding...winner.

 

[Zen0]

Friend hires EEs for a contractor. Asked him if I went back to school would he consider me. Nope. I'm older and have been self employed. Unwritten policy, of course.

This, as well. Older people tend to be greater liabilities, slower learners, less willing to be walked all over, and have greater responsibilities in life that is more important to them that precludes being able to stay after work to finish a project at the whim of your boss.

 

[Jadow]

i hope to be out of work at 50 too, because I'll have saved up enough!

 

[piasabird]

Just tax all imports. Make it more economical to buy domestic.

I plan on working till I am dead.

Age 53 and working like a slave.

 

[JS80]

Soon to be out of SS and Medicare in the future, if Republicans get their way.

And that's a bad thing?