Was it Toxic or Do I Suck?

[fireheart]

And when (not if, statistically it's a when) you're on sickness benefit, or (god forbid) disability, please, PLEASE do not be ashamed to ask for the benefit, or to take it. Our society has decided - and imo, rightly - that providing the basics for the sick and disabled is better than leaving us on the street, or taking us out the back and shooting us. :P

Unless my mental illness plays up significantly or is exacerbated by my teaching career, I don't qualify for disability based on the fact that I can work around 15-20 hours a week and I'm also studying.

As for the arts and crafts teaching? GO FOR IT! Try looking for a specialist shop for the type of arts/crafts you enjoy, and asking if they hold classes and need teachers. Or go to a community house or a TAFE and talk to them.
I know that TAFE runs courses on how to teach; and that Centrelink will fund you to take those courses - perhaps you could do one of those courses, and the TAFE will then have you on their list of people who are qualified to teach short courses on your craft-skill topics.

This was from my uni sueprvisor on my teaching placement with the idea that I do it as a specialist subject, since as well, the time I spend with the classes is diminished a little. While I doubt I'll have much luck, I'm definitely looking into the idea when I graduate and start teaching full time. Just means another loop on the belt so to speak. (K-7 Mainstream, K-7 Special Needs, K-7 French (I need to double check this) and possibly K-7 Arts/Crafts. Although they're calling it "Foundation Years" now instead of Reception/Kindy/Pre-Prep/Prep)

In terms of course training I'm already doing a swimming teacher certificate and I'm getting funding from my provider to do a First Aid course.

[dalesys]

.. Although they're calling it "Foundation Years" now...

So in Oz kids are now just another brick...

[Geek King]

Economists consider a 'healthy' economy one which has a small percentage of unemployed people - a pool of potential workers.
Which sounds fine in the abstract, but not if you're one of the unemployed.

Just an addendum, but in a healthy economy that small pool of unemployed is a rotating group mostly shifting positions for one reason or another. Not a static group of folks who can't find a job. That number is misleading in the current economy because it also doesn't count the workers that have given up and gone on full-time social assistence programs.

[wolfie]

Just an addendum, but in a healthy economy that small pool of unemployed is a rotating group mostly shifting positions for one reason or another. Not a static group of folks who can't find a job. That number is misleading in the current economy because it also doesn't count the workers that have given up and gone on full-time social assistence programs.

If I recall Economics 101 correctly, that's what's called "Frictional unemployment". In times of (supposed) full employment (wartime is a typical example - "Rosie the Riveter" had a non-traditional job because there weren't enough men to both fight and make the equipment needed by the military), you'd get a situation where a machinist got fed up with his foreman at one war plant and quit. In the time it took to find another war plant that was hiring, and get signed on (probably a matter of days), he'd be considered unemployed.

As for today's unemployment numbers, you're right about people who've given up on being able to find a job not being considered unemployed (since they've removed themselves from the labour pool). Also, as of a few years ago, in Canada, "employed" meant you'd done at least one hour of paid work in the last month.

[Cooper]

There's four types of unemployment. Frictional, (explained above), seasonal (most commonly referenced in casual conversation. For example, reason I'm not at the marina right now--which 95% of the time I love with all my heart, is that they only need extra cashiers during the summer), and structural (large changes within the industry, most usually the technology you specializing in getting replaced with something you have no hope of operating, and thus, your job gets cut. Or even YOU getting replaced by tech.) Finally there's cyclical unemployment, which is unemployment that happens because nobody has any money. There's a natural rate of unemployment, which is the ideal level (I think it's at 8% for the U.S.) That's the first three types, only.

There's also underemployment--someone with a doctorate working at the Golden Arches. I believe there's one other term used... but I don't recall.

I took economics, micro and macro, last year. For the most part, I can handle pretty stressful situations. Customers are usually no problem for me. The sucky ones usually give me a good story for you guys (this is super-therapeutic) and the good ones are always great.

Now, back to topic.

First, I am currently in therapy. Sorta. My therapist is a bit flaky, but she has actually helped, so I haven't made too many complaints. The only thing is she's a bit more emotive than I think I'd like a therapist to be--I don't know how many times I've wanted to tell her that I can see she's pitying me and I want her to stop it--but she IS free, and pretty much all I've got for options. She's basically trying to get in experience hours for her degree, I believe.

I'm working on moving out, but I need about 1,500 dollars before that'll happen. I looked into 23 jobs, and most of the ones I've applied to so far have been medium sized stores. Not big enough to have reputations everywhere, but big enough to have online applications. Of course, this confused my father, who hasn't had to do a normal job-search in decades. (He bounced back between a company that he got hired at when he was my age, to companies that would offer him better deals (when he got bored) until he started his own business. It's clearly been a long time since he's had to look for a job.)

If I can't find anything I can go farther, but my anxiety will crop up, because highways freak me out big time. I'm about smack-dab in the middle of two major cities in the area, thirty minutes away from each one ,and fifteen minutes away from two smaller cities. I'm gonna go for applying to the smaller stores soon. I've also mostly applied for over-night shift stuff, hoping to stick to the jobs that are literally: 'move x to y until the apocalypse.'

In the meantime, I got a petsitting job that paid me pretty well--I did the math, and it was about ten bucks an hour. The dogs were great, and the owners were pretty nice. So at least I can pay for medicine this month without dipping into the moving out funds.

I'd really like to not have to rely on my problems to get a job. I've functioned very well as a cashier before. I guess it's something I should bring up with the interviewer, but it's something where I don't want to be too big of an initial issue, and not get hired at all.

The ideal job (theoretically) would likely be this store down the road from me. The owner's nice--if a bit of a stepford smiler, he gives me the creeps sometimes--all the employees are nice (genuinely so here) and it isn't far from home. But I'd only be able to work the bakery, as they have an 18+ requirement for applying there, because you either have to be able to work the machines in the bakery, or sell alcohol and cigarettes, which is a moral problem for me. (I'm Buddhist. It's helped a lot with my issues, as I used to be so freaking angry at everything and everyone, but this part of it always throws people for a loop. They tell me not to do drugs, smoke, or drive drunk, and I'm just kinda: "They're all against my religion." Then I usually get blank stares, whistles, and quick changes of the subject XD.)

I could have gotten a job at a small store a bit further away, the owner told me to apply and I'd get one. But then he sold the business. I was out of luck there, too.

[wolfie]

Finally there's cyclical unemployment, which is unemployment that happens because nobody has any money. There's a natural rate of unemployment, which is the ideal level (I think it's at 8% for the U.S.)

Again from Econ 101, IIRC the "natural rate of unemployment" is the rate at which inflation is zero. Government policies that try to push the unemployment rate below that will generate inflation.

[Chromatix]

Nope. Although opinions doubtless differ depending on which school of economics you follow, not every tenet of every school is correct.

Inflation is caused by the money supply growing faster than the population (or, alternatively, faster than real GDP) - in fact, that is it's definition, it only being measured imperfectly by the Retail Price Index and suchlike. With a fiat currency (ie. one that is not tied to a precious-metal standard or some equivalent hard limiter), usually the money supply is controlled to generate a consistent, relatively low rate of inflation. With a hard currency, quite often mild deflation occurs, which probably gets a worse reputation than it deserves.

Therefore, if you limit GDP by enforcing a high level of employment, but continue to print money, you will get lots of inflation.