Like you read my thoughts. And how far off could such actions be? I see signs that a rebellion from pissed off workers is closer to reality. They were protesting at the Capital today.
I would be looking for a job. But, what do the 50 plus crowd do? Retire early? Start over again and at what a grocery store clerk? I would just start volunteering somewhere. I could not and would not presume to believe that someone my age could just start over. I'm sure that there are people in their 50's wondering what to do. It's sad.
I would be signing up for my unemployment if I had to. But I would prefer to try to stick it out so I got a big lump sum payment like a big tax refund.
Sadly, a larger than usual payday will result in a larger tax bite. You get less in sum than if you’d received regular paychecks.
But then, what to do about our obligations in the meantime? Food, fuel, medicines, mortgages, electric, etc... Then how to weigh a future in that job...
They're not "unemployed," so they don't get unemployment. Some banks/ credit unions are offering low-interest loans and waiving NSF fees, but you still have to have good credit to get an unsecured loan in the first place. The minimum is about 660, but that's only if you look like a good borrower in terms of debt-to-income ratio, no previous delinquencies, good job history, and so forth. Statistically, more than half those who apply either don't get loans at all or don't get the amount they need.
They can, perhaps use collateral, like put their home on the line or something, but not everyone has assets they can leverage and those are not the types of loans with low interest.
That is interesting and strange the news has not reported it. It was on Headline news (part of CNN) that reported all workers would be eligible for unemployment but would have to pay it back when they received their back pay. I think that is a law/regulation that needs to be changed. I also think it should be law that during a shut down if there are any workers not getting paid, All members of Congress do not get paid and have no travel privileges.
I did find it interesting that the CA paper did not report that the law is from 2013 from the 16-day shutdown under Obama only that it was a memo from the Trump administration. But ultimately it is the individual state's Dept of Labor to determine eligibility.
If things got bad enough, I would look for a temp job to help out. I'm sure a lot of employers wouldn't be interested in hiring these displaced workers for permanent jobs because if and when they get recalled, they'd probably quit and go back to their fed jobs.
Such a shame that these people's lives are so disrupted worrying about how to stay afloat while all this mess is figured out. The people deciding all of this should be furloughed too! I'm sure things would get fixed much faster.
Jack of all trades, master of none..lol. There is always something I could earn money doing. Retail clerking, medical secretary, patient care or baby sitter, driver, selling online, or even fortune teller. I won't starve!
So yes, you would seek out other employment, be it out of financial necessity (or straight-up boredom) to avoid impoverishment and hunger. I think, pressed into such a crisis most would do the same. Can‘t put hope on a plate and call it food.
Would likely depend on how long I'd been employed and what pay grade I'd attained. If I were relatively young and hadn't been working a GS job for too many years, I'd certainly think seriously about a change.