I can has job?

[draggar]

So the axe has been swinging at work this week, funny how the organizational charts come out on Friday the 13th (my company loves to do this, BTW).

The IT department was looking at roughly 40% being laid off and my area was heavy with techs. My calls came out Wed and Thurs - my supervisor wanted to call each person individually and let them know their future.

Well, the good news is that I wasn't laid off. The bad news is that the other tech, that I work very closely with, and in my office, was laid off. This means two of us now cover everything from Miami all the way up to Vero Beach.

Also - the tech in Ft Meyers was let go and so was one of the two techs in Tampa. Due to this, as far as I know, I am picking up Naples FL since they wouldn't want the only tech in Tampa driving that far. I'm probabaly also going to pick up most of Broward county (I already have Palm Beach and Martin counties). The guy in Miami is probably going to get the rest of Miami-Dade county and some of Broward county.

The really sad part is that I'm losing some very good friends, people I always went to for help, people always there to help (one even helped me while he was on vacation (I didn't know he was on vacation)). We're losing a lot of good people (and not just in IT).

The axe is swinging all across the company. My HR manager has had her workload tripled now. Field operations (basically a not annoying version of the "can you hear me now" guy as well as the people who fix the towers) had over a 50% reduction in my area,

While I am very happy that I still have a job, it's depressing to think about all these people and the huge loss that my department and company are going to suffer because this loss.

Edit: I've also noticed that there is a TON of work-related contact activity on Facebook and LinkedIn (people adding people in large numbers).

[SG15Z]

All these layoffs and hour cuts we've been hearing about these last 6 months have been really depressing. If this keep happening the economy will just get worse. Because those people that got laid off have to spend less on "stuff" so the people who make that "stuff" start making less money as a result. When they make less money the lay people off. Those people laid off buy less "Stuff".....You see where I'm going. It really has me worried because it really is gonna get worse in the coming years.

[calulu]

The company I work for pulled out their Friday the 13th list today. They listed a bunch of us on the chopping block for 'retraining' next week, formally warned us. I am on the list because I had two weeks of low sales even if I was one of the top five sellers in the entire company for the first quarter of the year.

Dusting off the resume and shooting them off to friends at other companies. I think when the final cut comes I'll probably not be booted but it is never a bad idea to have backup plans.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Meanwhile, the higher ups can go about all the expensive garbage that they usually do, pay for it with company money secure in the knowledge that even if the whole thing falls under that they, 'the elite' are financially safe.

I've said it to everyone I hear who is worried about the economy and says 'why is this happening?' (more or less all of them):

If no one did anything to compensate for the decline, there wouldn't have been a decline.

The depressing thing for me is that most of the help at the vocational education school, that works closely with the local schools (High and Junior High) now has no money to pay any of the extra help, and has in a move of mind-bending wisdom spent a huge load of money on stuff so that they can accomodate more students... and thereby make more money...

Summary:
Less help
More Students
Less space per student
Huge cost of 'upgrading'

all of this somehow = sanity?

I'll stick to my internship at the company who has lost exactly 0 people!
Why?
The 'higher ups' are just upstairs, they know exactly what it's like to be where everyone else is (not me though) and they have an IQ somewhere above 3.

I hope your freinds can find new jobs quickly, and good luck to those whose jobs just got harder.

[draggar]

Its depressing in many ways, many people have referred to it as being "bitter sweet".

I agree SG - it is hurting the economy a lot. These companies are complaining about the economy but they're contributing (and I'll leave the political side out of it).

Here in south Florida they just announced one HUGE highway project - rebuilding route 595 (the highway that goes from Ft Lauderdale west to where the Sawgrass meets 75). That will bring hundreds (if not over a thousand) jobs to the area. I just hope they hire local people and not allow people to fly in and live off of their dime.

Spring break is also coming and we're seeing a smal boost from them (thank god) but ti's nothing like what Daytona beach is going to see.

Calulu - you're right, too. I had my resume out and was submitting for jobs the past month. Submitted for a few dozen jobs and not one call. I am very fortunate to keep my job so i can build up more experience in my position (and learn a lot more).