I was laid off from my job 6 months ago and haven't found another one.

[moniss]

28. I remember 1985 and applying for almost anything

was a hopeless endeavor. I went on for months and months with tons of resumes going out every week and going all over to put in applications. Finally after many months I found, thankfully, a local job hall where I could go and sit in the morning and when 8:00 a.m. came the phone might ring and somebody might need me for minimum wage work. I used to get assigned a lot of times because I had a car, such as it was, and could take guys with me and bring them back. The job hall would kick me an extra $5.00 for gas for hauling them around. Got a check at the end of each day. At least I could eat something hot that night. Still couldn't keep up with my $145.00 per month rent but I could cover the electric bill, phone, postage for resumes etc. and gas for my Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon that a guy sold me cheap just so I could have wheels. Big 455 motor sucked gas terribly.

That scenario lasted a long time for me and unfortunately we could be sliding back more and more to that reality for many people.