We have all heard of people who have been unemployed for years. This is amazing to me. (I’m referring to career professionals)

When does a person say enough, and grab a lawn mower or snow shovel and begin knocking on doors?

 

I dunno. I can tell you if I get furloughed the last thing in the world I am going to do is look for another substandard flying job.............

 

What would you do? What would you consider to be a non-substandard flying job?

Skyhigh

 

I find this question comical. Everyone is like "but its so hard to get a job", it's really not, at the regional level on an F/O payscale the job is a joke, I could work at the Mall and make just as much with a better QOL. As far as a major airline guy who loses his job................I agree it may be difficult to find a job that matches that inmcome, but think how long it will take you to make that money again WITHIN AVIATION........

Skyhigh had it right years ago, this profession is a joke and those who "made it" are in reality just lucky..............

 

I'm done with it.

I'll fly to my hearts content on the side, but even my one stay in the regionals set me back about 2 years of solid professional development as a CPA. I don't have any regrets for having done it because it was a path I needed to see for myself, but I'm stoked about rejoining my original career path and opening my own practice after several years.

I'm inside of 2 months from being a CPA now.

 

Its hard to take a job while unemployment is paying. Working just reduces what the Govmint will give you for free. Currently where I am unemployment pays $30,165/yr.

 

You have to factor in taxes and what you made during the previous year in all jobs. Unemployment pays 80% of what you made so it's never the same from person to person. I applied for unemployment for a week, due to being in between jobs, and although I made decent money in my last gig (not aviation related), the job before was a ****ty paying line service job, which reduced the amount I could recieve. In the end, I opted not to go through the hassle for basically nothing and to recieve a check 14 days too late.

I'm glad to see others are finding prosperity outside of aviation. I personally also wanted to try it out and see how far I could get. Sometimes it's tough to think how far I would have got if I had opted out of this path, but it is what it is. Due to timing, or whatever, I didn't manage to make it into even a regional. Got as far as CFI and 135, and with the way the future is shaping up, I am glad I got to have a second chance at my old career and only fly/instruct on the side.

 

While I understand your point, this is a very shallow viewpoint of the mechanics that make the economy work. Its takes a person with a great degree of responsibility for the world outside of his immediate self to choose to join the workforce for the sake of the greater good despite the ability to receive what appears to be "free" money, but actually isn't.

It has been said that production is the basis of morale. Perhaps working isn't something to be completely avoided for as long as possible at the expense of those working, but perhaps something to be viewed as bettering yourself, building your earning potential in the future and adding beans to the community pot instead of taking them out.

 

When I look at the amount that the government takes in taxes every month, I don't feel bad at all for the months that I was on unemployment. I was just getting my money back.

 

tlove482; The above quote is exactly why your taxes are so high. If he was to lose his unemployment today I'll bet that he would be seriously looking for a looking for a job tomorrow.

I have been fortunate to have only been on unemployment for a short period while working seasonally in construction. Back then (late 70's) it did not pay enough to make you want to stay on it. You got your butt back to work or started to get hungry.

Do you really believe that what the gov't gives you is free? I am sorry if this offends and I know times are tough but they won't get any better sitting on the couch until the gov't paycheck runs out.