I looked for a thread for this, but couldn't find anything all encompassing.

So, I was laid off on March 24th and have been filing for unemployment since I found out my work wasn't going to be helping me on March 27th.

I'm in MI and to say the Michigan UIA has been frustrating is an understatement. I've been trying for weeks to get someone on the phone which is virtually impossible. I haven't received a dollar yet and without anyone to talk to it's extremely frustrating.

I'm real lucky I have some money in the bank, so I'm at least able to buy necessities.

Anyone else having any issue with their state's unemployment? Or, maybe yours is a lot better than this horrendous system we're using.

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I'm in Australia and I'm certain the situation is a lot worse in America. Our unemployment doubled in a week, though, and people were lining up for ages to get similar unemployment benefits that ended up crashing the system (no surprise).

I'm quite lucky that I'm still working but I know people that have lost their jobs. It's tough out there at the moment. Keep fighting the good fight.

I'm glad to hear you were finally able to get a hold of someone. The way they have the automated system set up now, it takes every chance to direct you to going online and filing your claim. Once you work your way past that you reach a point where the system says "sorry" and just hangs up on you. There isn't even an option to hold for someone. A friend told me a work around "cheat code" to beat the phone system last week after I had been calling over a hundred times a day. Unfortunately, I didn't get it till late Friday. I did finally get someone on the phone, but they had to transfer me, because they couldn't help. After about an hour on hold it just hung up on me. The system seems a little different today and what I was doing to bypass the system doesn't seem to be working.

To be honest, I have it really good compared to a lot people, so I don't really like to talk about my job stuff, but fuck it, why not?

I'm 27. I just graduated last May from college with an undergraduate in bioengineering, which took a longass time to get. Like, if I got a chemistry/biology/business/some other degree that was a bit more "straightforward", I would've been out of school in 2016, would've been 23 instead of 26 graduating, and probably would've had a pretty good job now (like my friends). There was a path in my degree to make it out in a similar timeframe, but I knew I'd probably fail had I taken that path because the amount of shit that would've been stacked on top of one another would've been impossible to complete, for me at least.

Anyways, when I graduated, I was in the midst of the interviewing process for a job in a different state working basically in the same realm of expertise that my degree prepared me for. I went to the third interview, and while I did really well and got the job offer, I initially accepted it but then later declined it, because my gut was that it was not going to be a good decision. The boss gave me some really bad vibes, everything felt incredibly disorganized, and it was so far from where I live I would've had no support system there. Like, there was a dude in my major who also accepted a job way out of state and actually moved, but he was a newly wed and at least had some sort of emotional/social support. I would've been there completely alone, and while I know some people would probably have done it, the culmination of everything just made me really skeptical. In light of COVID 19, I'm really happy I made the decision I did. I'm living my parents now, and I would much rather live here during these times with no job and people I know than the other way around.

Between that job and now, I was working the restaurant job I had throughout college while applying/interviewing for jobs, but nothing hit. There was this one company where everything seemed to be lining up- had my first couple phone interviews, came in for the in person, met the CEO of the company, got asked when I could start- and then a week later was told that they couldn't hire me. Weirdest shit ever, really bummed me out.

So now, naturally, I'm not working the restaurant job, I have a pretty good nest egg that helps support everyone that's living here, and my dad is thankfully employed and works remotely. I've even had an interview over the last week. But it sucks, because I feel massively unproductive and stuck. And the further away I get from when I graduated, the less my major means anything. I'm just trying to keep my skills up to snuff, working on a DIY project right now that I started this last week.

I'm on unemployment right now, and have had relatively little problems with receiving it. In fact, I'm making as much money with unemployment as I was working at the restaurant. Pretty crazy, but it makes me realize how much I value working regardless of the money I make. There's just something about actually doing something for money that makes you feel like you're not just a sack of shit. idk.

For me, bioengineering would be more difficult than biology, in which I earned a BSc when I was 24, and MSc when I was 25. I was on a module focused on molecular biology and physiology, and, obviously, one year ''late''. I thought I would never be able to become a researcher, even before a lot of my peers continued their studies abroad. I have never applied because I thought my chances are non-existent - I didn't have almost any practical experience (Faculty of Biology doesn't even have its own building, let alone enough space and resources for students to be properly trained). Luckily, my professors here saw that I stand out and I got a job. My contract will expire by the end of this year and I can be easily kicked out if any problem arises.
What would you like to do at the level of your expertise if you could? I'm ok as long as I don't have to deal with pathological aspects. Fundamental science is what I deeply appreciate, which is bad given that majority of money is given to applicable projects.
Also, I've always thought ''straightforward'' degrees have smaller chances, especially historians or philosophers (outside of teaching).

My wife and I are legit the only people we know that have not had some kind of ridiculous struggle getting unemployment right now. We applied, got approved within 30 minutes, and have gotten all our payments on time, every week, including retroactive federal unemployment. I even accidentally filled out my first unemployment claim incorrectly, then just filled it out a second time immediately after and the money came in as it was supposed to. Meanwhile, friends of ours have had their claims declined, held up, and/or not gotten the $600 federal unemployment. Some haven't even gotten their stimulus money yet. There seems to be no real methodology behind making sure anything goes right and fixing anything that goes wrong across the board, let alone just in my one state.

If I could have an ideal job it would probably working for a company like 10x genomics which builds gene sequencing tech. I really like coding and math, so finding that intersection between the three (programming, math, and biology) is where I would want to take things. The job I was explaining earlier was working for a really large consulting company that had a newly established scientific informatics section. Honestly the work seemed really fucking cool but again there was all the problems I explained earlier.

My biggest problem is that I'm only an undergraduate, and a lot of the jobs in what I want to get into require some sort of masters or doctorate, which imo is a bit ridiculous because you aren't working in a lab or anything. Some companies seem to understand that, but others don't. No way I'm going back to college at this point, if I have to change industries to have a realistic shot at getting a better job than I'm totally game, but it would be a bit unfortunate.

Good job getting into research too man, that's no walk in the park

So far so good. I was doing mostly Western blot before the pandemic, and, unfortunately, I won't be doing fancy high-tech stuff. My country is poor and it reflects badly on a science; we utilise the cheapest options, like making (bis)acrylamide solution by ourselves instead of buying it, which is dangerous because airborne dust from solid-powder substances is carcinogenic... I'm looking forward to cell culture system we are going to establish though.

It looks like you are smart for the things that make me feel stupid. I was introduced to MathLab in a Systems Biology course and it was weird. I met only two students who were interested in that stuff, everyone else hated it.

I advise you to apply even if masters is required. If you have the skills needed, you are in, at least I think that should be the case. Try to find some internship or a place where you can volunteer. You live in the US, right? There should be more opportunities.
You can get a masters degree in a poor country if you save some money, and then come back, if that's crucial. I think it costs (only) 2000 euros for foreign students at my university, for example. There's a professor who did a masters and PhD at Columbia University and postdoc at The Ohio State University, and came back to work with CRISPR-Cas. As a physicist, he does bioinformatics and all that complex stuff.

Thanks for the ideas . Yeah, I'm the states. Never thought about doing a masters in a different country except for maybe Canada, but that's more comparable to the USA unlike many other countries. I'll have to look into it, I know a lot of people will go to the carribean for medical school because they don't get accepted into a university here. And yeah, you're right- applying for jobs "requiring" masters is basically the name of the game. Fortunately I did get an internship that was doing a lot of big data stuff, it was really cool, but I might want to get another one.

I'm definitely the opposite skillset of you it sounds like hahaha. I hated doing lab work through and through, but I would zoom through anything MATLAB related. It my strong suite, for sure.

I was petrified of lab work because I didn't have much experience (and I still don't), but I realised doing some practical stuff is a good way to relax from reading articles. When it becomes mechanical, I leave my brain to rest, and I pick it up when I enter the train to read some fiction. XD Then there are killings and dissections of rodents which feel like listening to some boring death metal band with nasty album covers.

I GUESS people should have back-up option for work in case like this. Freelance at least

After 6 weeks of pure frustration I was finally paid all the weeks I certified for unemployment.

Everything worked out in the end, but what a horrible night to have a curse.

that is a grand statement, because currently the economic is coming at least in part to a stand still.

The ultimate prepper accessory - tucked away in the secret room with the mixed pallet of beans, boil-in-the-bag meals, and 7.62mm; a packet of readyJobs(tm), for when things get really tough

Freelancers got fucked as bad as anybody, if not worse depending on the job.

Baltimore Restaurant Owner Can't Get Employees to Return Because They Make More in Unemployment:
https://www.newsweek.com/baltimore-rest ... nt-1503808

yes, I checked reddit. it's a slow day :/

Yea, I remember hearing this was some politician's biggest fear when introducing the extra $600 to unemployment. Oh well. Guess you don't get to open yet.

The unemployment money will all be over soon.

Also related to your comment, I am weening myself away from Reddit. Or attempting to at least. What an absolute waste of time that place is.

We have that issue a lot in Germany and some libertarian types claim that makes a great case against unemployment benefits, when in reality it makes a great case against employers paying like shit.

That's exactly what I was going to say. It's just an awful way to run a society, basically.

I know people are frustrated and I definitely am and it seems to be getting worse or at least that is what the news is reporting and I have no reason to think differently. It will go away eventually I know it.

I filed for unemployment earlier this week. The contract I was hired for at my workplace just ended.

I've been waiting for my unemployment PIN since before the pandemic even started. You can probably guess via context clues that I still haven't received it.

...and there we go. Looks like my job is toast.

What a fucking year, huh? Lose my kid to hypoplastic left heart syndrome, then a pandemic, and now my job (but seriously, fuck the job).

It's weird, because you look at something like WWII, and think, 1939-1945, what, only six years! But these last few months seem like a lifetime...

Hey, I have an amazing idea, just hear me out on this, why don't we fucking pay people better?

I have a pretty nice job, solid work in my education field. I make decent wages, we get around 5ish weeks of paid time off, and the company is doing well. In order to maintain better overall "bottom line" (i.e. keep investors happy), we're all taking 2-week furloughs. I just finished mine and finally have my unemployment requested for the two weeks off. With the extra $600, I'm making more on unemployment as well. Not a lot, but better. On top of taking this time, our company is giving us 5 extra paid days off to use through June 2021.

But this is highlighting what a massive problem pay is in this country. Our CEO makes around 15 million a year. I don't even make 70k and I'm in a leadership position. And that's actually good around here.

Two years ago, I tried applying for a game producer position with Fantasy Flight Games. Figuring such a position pays well, I requested a 70-75k salary. It's for a producer after all. I didn't get an interview, and when I inquired as to why, it was because I asked for too much money. They wanted to pay 40k for a game producer position. Not artist, not designer, not writer, but the person in charge of all of them.

A guy I know makes more money doing freelance for Fantasy Flight than when he actually worked there.

You should change that to 'every country.'

As for Fantasy Flight games, ugh, they have some good game designers that keep repeating themselves (the Marvel Champions LCG is basically the LotR LCG, Arkham Horror LCG is mixing the Netrunner LCG with other old CCgs, etc etc - and their tabletop RPGs are crap. It's sad when West End Games' Stars Wars RPGs is MILES better than any of their shitty Star Wars RPGs, but hey, people like the newest and shiniest things).

At least other countries are trying to take care of their citizens, financially. We got the one "stimulus" and most people crammed it into savings, understandably. It was the only one, based on minimum wage, and not enough to help 80% of this country. I paid off my credit card.

But then the fucking Republicans are bitching that people saved that money, because they don't understand that people are fucking poor here and Moscow Mitch and his cronies keep working against giving money to the people who actually fucking need it. So with no solid plan for additional stimulus funds, people refused to spend that money and the Republicans starting fucking bitching and now want to force some of this stuff to be spend instead of saved.

This is the dumbest fucking dictatorship imaginable.

I agree with you, absolutely. However, you do not live under a dictatorship (although I suppose we all do, in some weird romantic way), and I fail to see how Republicans are different from Democrats in the US (granted, I try avoiding US politics, which is impossible these days, you guys are very either/or and yet your 'left' and your 'right' are very similar - I am surprised/not surprised you guys didn't vote for Bernie. Seriously, why didn't you? Mind-boggling).

Tough times for us all, and I wish you the best of luck.

In Australia I think those that had to file for unemployment get something up to $1,500 per fortnight. It's not going to make people live well but it's something to tide them over. I just hope that money isn't going to run out prematurely and leave people in the lurch. Other countries have similar ongoing payments. America is the only one to my knowledge thus far that has given their citizens a one-time payment only.

Our prime minister needed a win after his appalling handling of the bushfires. This isn't really a win but he's done better here.

That said, our state premier is cutting wages for nurses and police officers at the worst possible time, so they are still awful people.

Democrats and Republicans are both right wing parties in the United States. The difference is that the Democrats are neoliberals and the Republicans are fascists. There is no real left wing party here in the US, and the Democratic establishment punches left at every possible opportunity in an attempt to maintain their control over the party's power structure. They care infinitely more about keeping their own power than they do about defeating Trump. That's a major reason why Bernie's campaign failed. The establishment put every roadblock possible up in front of him, from having the moderators at primary debates lob softballs at all the centrists while asking Bernie questions that were very clearly biased against him, to having the anchors on CNN and MSNBC compare Bernie and his campaign to invading Nazi brownshirts when he would win primary races, to various establishment newspapers like the New York Times and Washington Post running op-eds that were clearly written and designed to make Bernie and his campaign look foolish. The finishing blow came when Barack Obama, the most recent Democrat president, stepped in and corralled all the centrist candidates in the primary race to drop out the weekend before Super Tuesday, the biggest primary voting day of the election season, so that all their supporters would solidify behind Joe Biden, Obama's former Vice President. It worked, and between that and Elizabeth Warren splitting the progressive vote by not dropping out until after Super Tuesday, Bernie's campaign was dead in the water. He officially suspended his campaign just over a month after Super Tuesday.

The worst thing about all this is the DNC deliberately doing whatever they could to fuck Bernie out of the nomination was not a surprise move. It had been widely telegraphed and expected considering they did the exact same thing in 2016 and only got found out by way of a leak of emails between DNC staffers and members of leadership who were actively discussing ways to diminish Bernie's campaign in favor of Hillary Clinton's. They just openly did it in 2020 as opposed to (mostly) clandestinely doing it in 2016. The DNC killed the one progressive campaign that actually had momentum and a legitimate base of support for two election cycles in a row. Their decision to run Hillary in 2016, combined with campaigning Hillary on a platform of "I'm not Trump, so you MUST vote for me!" got us Trump as president. Doing the same thing again with an even less qualified candidate in Biden will get us another Trump term, and honestly the DNC deserves it for being complete fucking selfish idiots.

Also, I'd highly suggest reading into the actions of Trump's Justice Department over the last year or so, especially since the appointment of William Barr as Attorney General. That'll open your eyes to the fact that the US has, while not becoming a full dictatorship yet (that won't happen until the conservative majority Supreme Court rules that Trump has full freedom to ignore congressional subpoenas for his various legal and tax documents without punishment), is most definitely sliding into authoritarian rule. All the fascist elements of Trump's personality and leadership style have been exemplified and amplified during the pandemic, and he still somehow has a large, rabid enough cult of personality surrounding him that he can very easily take total control at some point, the GOP Senate will let him, and most of this country will be totally fine with it. In fact, they'll welcome it.

In US, do you need a permit to sell things on the street?

Indeed you do.

Yeah. You need a permit to busk ffs.

I'll look into it. May as well kill two birds with many stones as they say and let you know that I am glad you and your wife recovered from the virus, and sad to hear your mother-in-law has it (saves me from posting on multiple threads). I'd pray for you guys but, well, that doesn't usually work.

If someone nicknamed "The Brazilian Trump" is greeted by soldiers with Hitler salutes, you know from where the wind is blowing.

I managed to get my job back, or rather, was offered a year contract at the place doing the same thing (teaching university students), but with a whole bunch of extra things (being responsible for the hospital library, teaching all the nursing students, and being part of a project working on open-source software that we'll start using), however with no pay raise. I was told at the next salary discussion with the boss there will be a raise, but what? 50 bucks a month? 200? 300? Amazing how they put you in these positions of vulnerability/desperation in a sense and then immediately pounce and take advantage of you.

Still, I should be grateful for the exploitation. No need to bother with pesky unemployment benefit forms, whew.

I've returned to my job, also and it fucking blows.

I need to get out, but this seems like the worst possible time to find a new job. I've been looking online, but I'm not optimistic.

I've been at my job for over a year now, so I should've had an evaluation and a raise at this point, but I fully expect that to be avoided for as long as possible. I guess I'll need to go bang a door down for this. I'm not looking forward to it as I hate the job and the management.

Anyway, even though I was having trouble getting my unemployment pay while I was off, when I look back on that time I definitely didn't feel as stuck as I do now.

I hope next month things will recover