[FauxCaster]

excerpt: Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, is averaging 50,000 resumes a month, up from 30,000 a month story

That's a mighty increase in the number of resumes considering the paltry jump in unemployment percentages given out by the government. I wish we could see a graph of MS's resumes/wk vs. the US unemployment numbers.

[threadbare]

Faux, Many high-tech workers firing off resumes are private contractors, or self employed, therefore ineligable for unemployment insurance. The unemployment stats are completely meaningless. They don't account for the unemployed self-employed, nor for obvious reasons, can they estimate who is working under the table for cash. It's best to completely ignore them, and instead just talk to as many people as you can to gauge what's actually happening.

Classified ads supply a fair amount of anecdotal info too. If domestics are readily available and willing to work for less than X amount of bucks in any given market, it's a good indicator of a soft or vibrant empoyment picture. (this applies to Canada more than the states which has different immigration law, and many illegals )

[fumets]

I have my own index. It is called the "Running on 4 months unemployment and still haven't got a job index. And not for lack of trying."

My network is working overtime, I have an incredible resume, and my contacts are working for me but that job is not dropping. I know exactly what I think the employment market is like, regardless of government understatement of statistics. Glacial. I have a lot of foreign experience as well, and was getting some real interest in Asia when SARS hit. That shut down everything fast. One blow after another to this world economy.

I am afraid gold and silver investing are beyond me at this time. My saving graces are that I have no debt and that I never ever let it get me down.

[Grand Poopercycle]

Hang in there Fumets, and try to enjoy this weekend-watch NBA, hockey, Annika, Indy 5-naught-naught, etc. and come back to it next week. was there once myself.And, given the theme of our 3-day burnt meat 'n booze fest, I'd note how patriotic our corporate whores are-still movin' work to various 'Slavelabor-stans' when we're allegedly 'at war'. Hey, maybe you can crash at Johnny Chambers' or Craig Barretts'
pads if worse gets to worse.

[threadbare]

Fumets, I have a good friend who was a patent attorney specializing in high tech. He decided after about a year of unemployment to cut bait and just completely change his life, his career, everything. He's going down to California to get his captain's license and then plans to start a a very small charter operation in Bermuda or the Bahamas.

Is there any chance you could just say to hell with it and develop a completely different plan, if nothing comes along in the next few months? I seem to remember you have a wife and perhaps a child, so that would make it much more difficult. But still, maybe a complete switch might be in order.

Anyway sorry to hear about this rough patch, and as Grand Poopercycle says --make sure you just relax and have a good time this weekend!

You must be so relieved you're not in debt!

[getsoutalive]

Been just over 2 months for me, but I can second Fumets observations. Sent resumes to hundreds of online postings, several headhunters and every friend with just a single interview thus far. Classified ads, even in the Sunday NYTimes are almost non-existant. Most discouraging.

[fumets]

Thanks all for the support. I and my brood will make it through, but it is never fun. And yes Thread bare I am looking at alternative lifestyles. W'ell see what pops up. I am still at the point where I am trying to balance the practical with the esoteric but the practical isn't going anywhere right now so the balance may shift. I have a funny suspicion that my idea of accepatable risks are way over the top for most people so there has to be something out there that will say "fumets this is for you!"

Hang in there Gets Out Alive - everything is transitory although it doesn't always seem so at the time.