The Catch-22 that is artificially deflating the unemployment rate may be those underemployed and ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Eight years ago a Cobb County judge determined that I was underemployed and, given my education and experience, could certainly secure gainful full-time employment that would pay at least $35,000 a year and benefits, and allow me to provide for myself and my children.
It is ironic, almost a decade later, that it is that “underemployed” job that has served my family best over all this time.
And sad, considering I was forced to cancel my first week of work at that new job because it conflicted with the court’s scheduling of my divorce hearing. This disadvantage kept me from being considered for other programs for many of those years, and by proxy lost time, which also cost promotions.
But that is the least of it as I continue to apply for work, including entry-level positions offering little more than minimum wage, and follow up with letters and e-mails and inquiries requesting interviews, hopeful that the judge was correct.
Several of the many jobs I’ve applied for were with the county court system and one actually called me in for an interview. I thought it went well; I knew the difference between the state and superior courts and what type of proceedings each handled. The young woman interviewing me seemed pleasantly surprised, saying that most of the candidates she interviewed didn’t even know there were different court systems.
So I followed up with an e-mail and a brief letter thanking her for her time and consideration and respectfully requesting the job. But I never heard back. Perhaps I should have used the judge as a reference as he had, after all, thought highly of my abilities during the divorce hearings.
Now, in addition to that initial seasonal job, I have several other part-time jobs that I am forced to juggle as I continue to seek and apply for the elusive full-time job that will offer benefits and allow me to properly provide for my family.
Most weeks I work more than 40 hours and don’t have an honest day off, because when you work part time, the hours spread across every day.
But then there are the times that I have far fewer hours that I am scheduled or offered work.
This summer my less-than-double-digit hourly wage, for as few as five hours a week, did not come close to covering my family’s obligations. So, for the first time in my working life, I applied for partial unemployment benefits.
Although the Georgia Department of Labor allows that part-time and underemployed workers are eligible for unemployment benefits, they maintain that as long as I continue to work part-time hours, no matter how few, I am ineligible.
I am hopeful that the final appeal I have requested will grant me the benefits I have earned and deserve, because my mortgage didn’t decrease with my hours.
Vicki Griffin lives in Roswell. Reach her at vlg1230@hotmail.com
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