So far 115,000 people have lost their job in Ireland this year. We are told half a million of us could be unemployed by Christmas. That’s over six Croke Park’s full of people, or more than three times the entire population of County Meath, looking for a job. That’s a massive amount of people. How come we never near from them?
I’m not being flippant; I just find it strange that so many people have lost their jobs without even a murmur of what’s happened to them all.
We’re told the 1980’s were bad. Indeed they were; our young people left in droves to find work in Britain, America, Canada and Australia. I remember the ‘send off’ parties which were a strange mixture of fund raising, bon voyage and tears. Well if things were bad then, they are far worse now.
1985 was the worst year for job losses in those bad old days; 24,000 people lost their job in the 12 months of that year. By contrast 36,500 people lost their job in the single month of January 2009 alone. I was one of them.
For those who lost your job in January, your ten month anniversary has just passed. Almost a year on the dole folks, hard to believe isn’t it? Should I be offering congratulations or commiserations?
Back to my question then, ‘What has happened to all those people?’ Have they found jobs? Have they gone to Australia or Canada, or some other place where things aren’t so bad? Have they just settled for unemployment, accepted their lot so to speak? Are they just marking time until their redundancy cheques run out? Is the dole enough to live on? Are they happily sunning themselves (between the showers) in their back gardens? Are they bored and depressed and devoid of hope? Or are they working away on the black market, pulling in nixers and living the life of Reilly? What about the migrant workers, have they gone back to Poland, Lithuania or Latvia? What has happened to everyone?
This recession and the consequent huge number of job losses is arguably the biggest social catastrophe to hit Ireland since the famine; yet we know almost nothing about what is happening to the people most affected by it. I think it’s amazing that hundreds of thousands of our population could be thrown out of their job and then just disappear. No-one seems to be protesting, there’s been no Jarrow style marches, no picketing of TDs’ offices; nothing seems to have happened.
I set up The Job Seekers Union to give a voice to unemployed people. I wanted to create local job clubs to help job seekers support each other, to come together to generate work perhaps on a co-operative basis. I expected to be flooded with applicants; it’s free to join after all. I have to say, I’ve been surprised at the lack of interest. It makes me wonder, have the unemployed found a contentment that the rest of the population doesn’t know about? They have after all, been christened the ‘Fun-employed.’ Could it really be true; is it fun to be unemployed? Somehow I don’t think so; certainly not if my experience is anything to go by.
Maybe we’ve all lost our tongues? Perhaps we’re ashamed or embarrassed to speak out? Maybe that stigma of being without a job still holds true? Whatever it is; it’s still amazing that such a huge percentage of our population could suffer something as profound as losing their job, yet we know so little about what has happened to them.
According to Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, “You take my life when you do take the means whereby I live.” Is that true? Is losing your job a disaster?
County Meath has been particularly badly hit by unemployment. The commuter belt has gone a bit quiet this year; you only have to drive to Dublin on the N2 or N3 in the rush hour to see the impact of the recession. More than 10,000 people are signing on in Meath. We’d like to hear their stories. Tell us what it’s been like for you.
Write to David Jones. You can email me at david@thejobseekersunion.com.
Copyright © David Jones 2009
Part five of a five part series. For previous installments check the archive pages on The Job Seekers Blog.
Hi there
ReplyDeleteI joined the job seekers union several months ago but I think I was still in denial and was convinced, as a skilled professional that I would find a job very quickly. Well reality has struck and I am still out of work 6 months later.
It stinks! Sure for a month or so it is nice to have some time especially when you have been working since you left school but the novelty is well and truly gone. I can just about manage on the dole if I cut out all extras and live basicall which I have been doing and which has done me no harm whatsoever. But now my mortgage moritorium has come to an end and the bank are making it as difficult as they can to extend it for another 3 months.
If they don't then I am screwed. If they do, I may just managed to get a job in the new year. At least I am remaining optimistic about it.
I wish I had a trade so that I could do nixers but unfortunately I don't so I rely on the job mnarket picking up sooon!!!!!!!.
Kind regards