Dynamic Employment Resources for the Unemployed

 

It can be frustrating trying to find help and resources when you have lost your job. Your main goal is trying to figure out how you will pay your bills, explain the layoff to your family and friends and learn how to keep your sanity instead of being depressed.

The key to surviving unemployment is to set goals that can help you gain employment again.  Let everyone you met or know that you are looking for a job. Consider performing volunteer work in your field and add it to your resume. Take free or low cost courses at local community centers, organizations or colleges and add them to your resume. Be prepared to explain any gaps in work experience. Spend time keeping up-to-date with news in your field or industry. During phone screenings or interviews, discuss your and explain how it can benefit the company.

Eliminate the negative thoughts and negative people in your life.  Do not give up hope. Here are some free resources to help those who are currently unemployed or will become unemployed in the near future. Develop a plan of what you hope to accomplish each day towards regaining employment. Spend at least one hour a day on calling companies, submitting resumes, filling out job applications or following up on job leads. Here are some free resources to help you regain employment.

Career Services

1.      Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) – mental health services, home health & hospice care, career services, adoption services, call 301-816-2683 or visit www.jssa.org

2.      Career Service One Stop, www.servicelocator.org

Vocational Counseling & Job Placement

Contact your local YMCA for services for divorced, separated, widows and disabled including educational & vocational counseling, job aptitude testing, resume writing, job placement assistance, life skills, computer classes, additional programs for women and families. http://www.ymca.net/social-services

Women's Clothing for Interviews

Provides work clothing for women for interviews. https://www.dressforsuccess.org/

Men's Clothing for Interviews

Career Gear provides clothing, career counseling and workshops for men. http://careergear.org/about/

Job Training for the Elderly

1.      Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Office of Special Targeted Programs, Employment & Training Administration program provides training and employment assistance and transition support. Call 202-219-5500.

2.      The Department of Labor Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) provides counseling and training and places elderly workers in part-time and full-time positions call 877-872-5627 (877-US2-JOBS).  https://www.doleta.gov/disability/faq.cfm

Special Government Projects for Retirees, Senior Environment Program (SEE)

1.      American Association of Retired Persons, call 202-434-6153

2.      National Association for Hispanic Elderly, call 213-487-1922

3.      National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, call 202-637-8400

4.      National Council of Senior Citizens, call 202-347-8800

5.      National Council on Aging, call 202-479-1200

6.      National Pacific and Asian Resource Center on Aging, call 206-448-0313

7.      U.S. Forest Service, Dept. of Agriculture, Human Resource Programs (SCSEP program), call 703-235-8855

Apprenticeship Jobs

Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, Dept. of Labor provides apprenticeship opportunities https://www.dol.gov/featured/apprenticeship/find-opportunities

Free Money for Re-training for Dislocated Workers

Provides retraining and assistance for dislocated works including those who worked for the Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Energy and Defense call 202-693-3500. https://www.doleta.gov/layoff/workers.cfm

Veterans' Employment and Training Services

1. Veterans Employer Representative Program call 202-693-4701.
2. America Works www.americaworks.com call 855-840-5627.

16 Ways to Pay Your Taxes if You are Unemployed

There are over 10 million Americans are still unemployed. Many unemployed Americans end up owing taxes because they are not aware that unemployment compensation or unemployment benefits are taxable.  State unemployment insurance benefits up to 26 weeks and extended benefits, up to an additional 13 weeks are also taxable. Seven states fully exempt unemployment benefits: Montana, New Jersey, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, California, and Virginia.  Wisconsin and Indiana offer partially exempt unemployment benefits. All other states that offer unemployment benefits tax them in full.

When you apply for unemployment you have the option to have income tax withheld. If you do not choose this option you will be required to pay taxes on the money received when you file taxes for the current year and could end up owning thousands of dollars. You will receive a Form 1099-G of the following year which will show your total unemployment compensation and the amount of federal income tax and state taxes that were withheld if you choose those options.

Even if you stopped receiving unemployment compensation it is to your advantage to file a return. You may be entitled to a tax refund if you income is lower for the year.

If you took early withdrawals from a pension plan or retirement account such as a 401k, the withdrawals are taxable unless they are rolled over into another qualified retirement plan or IRA within 60 days. If the withdrawal is used to pay for living expenses while you are unemployed the withdrawals are taxable. In addition, if you are under age 59 ½ you may also be subject to an additional 10% tax on early withdrawals unless your money is stored in a 457 plan. 

If you sold assets or property that you own, such as investments you may be subject to income tax if you had a gain on the sale. If you start a business or have other income on which federal income tax is not withheld, you may need to make estimated tax payments during the year. You should expect to owe taxes of $1,000 or more when you file your annual income return.

Filing bankruptcy does not discharge federal taxes owed.  Here are 16 options if you owe taxes and are unemployed.

1. Apply for a loan from a bank or credit union. The interest rate is much cheaper than setting up a payment plan with the IRS or a state taxing authority.
2. Apply for a private loan from a friend or relative or from a peer-to-peer lending company such as Zopa or Prosper.
3. Apply for a home equity loan or sell some assets.
4. Apply for a hardship withdrawal from a retirement plan or pension plan to pay for expenses including medical insurance expenses, facing foreclosure or considering bankruptcy. 
5. Apply for an installment plan and setup an IRS payment schedule by filing IRS Form 1127. If you can pay the amount owed in 3 years.  The IRS will charge a one-time fee of $105. The fee will be added to the total amount of back taxes, penalties, and interest that you owe. You may be eligible for reduced penalties.
6. Extend. Request an extension and request the maximum extension time of 6 months.
7. Pay by credit card.  Pay by credit card if you don’t have the money when the bill is due.
8. Use savings.  Use money in savings or checking accounts, savings bonds, stocks, mutual funds, etc. to pay the taxes.
9. Life Insurance. Take out a loan from your life insurance policy.
10. Borrow. Borrow money from family or friends.
11. Earn extra money. Consider getting a part-time job or work overtime at your existing job to earn money to pay back your taxes.
12. Pay.  Even if you can’t pay the required payment, pay something and pay what you can afford. Interest is charged on unpaid taxes from Tax Day until the day you make the final payment.
13. Short-Term.  If you can pay the taxes owed within 120 days contact the IRS to see if you can qualify for a short-term extension.
14. Streamline agreement. If you own less than $25,000 and can pay the amount within six years, ask the IRS for a streamlined payment agreement using IRS Form 9465 for an application fee of $102.
15. Ask the IRS. Go to an IRS office to get advice on the best option to handle your tax situation.
16. Offer in Compromise.  Request an Offer in Compromise if you cannot pay the total amount owed. This allows you to settle your tax debt for a smaller amount than you owe if you will be unable to pay back the amount owed within 10 years. The application fee is $150. 

6 Tips to Help Ease a Layoff

Basic life necessities seem even more expensive when you are employed. The unemployment rate is 10.2% and will probably increase before it decreases. Some experts say the worst is yet to come. For those umemployed – that is not good news.

I have been unemployed twice and it was not a good feeling. The first time I got about a three week notice that my position was being eliminated and was totally unprepared, I was in debt up to my eyeballs and was renting a room from one of my friend's parent's home. I did not have a car and had no savings. I was completely lost, embarrassed, angry and felt dejected.

I did not tell anyone that I was unemployed and kept pretending to go to work. I would return phone calls in the evening around the same time I would normally return phone calls. Luckily I was single with no children. It got so bad that I did not have even one dollar to buy groceries or catch the bus to go to an interview. I finally broke down and told my godmother that I had no food and that same day she brought my some food. I thank God for her; I probably would have starved to death because of my pride.

My second unemployment we had heard rumors but weren't sure if the rumors were true. We were notified the night before that some of us would be let go. Luckily I learned from the first layoff and paid off all of my debt and the only bill I had was my mortgage. I also had an emergency fund to cover all of my bills for 4 months. I applied for unemployment which was only enough to cover my utilities but every little bit helped. I mention this because if you do not work enough years for an employer and are laid off you will not be eligible for unemployment benefits and laws vary state by state.

Here are 6 tips to ease the pain of a layoff:

1. Plan for the worst. Create "what if" scenarios and develop a plan for each, i.e. if you lose your job how will you pay your bills, if you get sick. etc.

2. Create an emergency fund. Save enough money to cover your bills for 9-12 months. Start small and work your way up if you have little or no savings.

3. Pay down debt. In the event that you are laid off and don't have any savings or have used all of your savings you can use your credit card in case of emergencies. If you credit cards are maxed you don't have this option.

4. Create a support network. Having support during a financial crisis is one of the best ways to get through it. Talk to friends, relatives, other laid off co-workers, your pastor, a counselor, social worker, or other person you trust to get advice and support.

5. Further your education. If you do not have a college degree, one option is to go back to school and obtain your degree. If you already have your degree you may consider going back to get your masters degree. If you experience a financial crisis in the future you can always go to your local college and teach a few courses as an adjunct professor.

6. Contact social agencies. Contact your county, local or state government social agencies to obtain free help for those unemployed, dol.gov

President Obama Gives Hope for Homebuyers and Unemployed

On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill which will provide additional unemployment benefits and give tax credits to prospective homebuyers. The bill also includes tax cuts for struggling businesses. The bill was implemented because of the 10.2% unemployment rate which is the highest since 1983. This results in the 4th unemployment benefit extension in the past 18 months.

According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, approximately one third of the 15 million people unemployment have been out of work for at least six months.

The bill will provide another 14 weeks of benefits to those unemployed who have exhausted their benefits or will exhaust them by the end of the year. Unemployed residents who live in states where the jobless rate is 8.5% or higher will get an additional six weeks including Idaho, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Arizona, Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, Nevada, Rhode Island, California, Florida, and Georgia.

Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs stated "But I believe -- I think most would tell you -- that the (unemployment) rate is more likely than not to get a little worse before it gets better".

The additional 20 weeks (14 plus six for high states) could provide a maximum of 99 weeks to those residents who live in high unemployment rate states.

The bill will extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit which was going to expire at the end of November 2009 but has been extended to June 2010 provided a homebuyer signs a contract by the end of April 2010. The program will also provide a $6,500 tax credit for existing homeowners who buy a new home after living in their current residence for at least five years.

Fighting Teens for A Job

According to USA Today, there will be fewer jobs than last summer which was recorded as the worst teen unemployment market in six decades, in a report from the Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies.

June-August 2008, 32.7% of teens worked which is a decrease from 45% in 2000, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment for 16-to-19-year-olds was 21.5% in April.

Teen workers are disadvantaged because most employers will hire adults because they feel they require less training. Laid off adults are getting jobs such as: cashiers, babysitter, valet car parker, and amusement park workers.

U.S. theme parks will hire about 500,000 seasonal employees, about the same as last year, according to an estimate from The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

According to a report by Junior Achievement, 18% of 12-to-17-year-olds are working alongside more adults and former retirees. They are also looking for work in low paying industries such as hospitality and retail. Many overqualified laid off adults are looking for jobs that pay minimum wage, above or below minimum wage such as Summer Lifeguard positions.

Another group affected by the economy are adults in their 20s work are unable to find jobs in the career fields and are forced to work jobs that they did as teenagers. Many teens are looking for summer employment to pay for college or other expenses.

Employers are seeing record numbers of applicants. Workers from previous seasons are coming back to get their old jobs back because there are not as many options available this summer. Many employees are documenting record setting turnouts at job fairs with an increase in applicants and an increase in hopefully job seekers.

Here are 5 tips for teens looking for work:
1. Contact youth organizations
2. Use the internet to search for jobs
3. Go to youth job training center to gain skills that are in demand
4. Talk to your school counselor or former counselor to learn about any possible job opportunities or job leads
5. Do volunteer work which can sometimes lead to a paid job
6. Join organizations like Junior Achievement, Americorps or Peacecorps

Here are 5 tips for adults looking for work:
1. Get up at the same time you did when you were working, no later than 8am, get dressed and be ready in case a prospective employer calls for an interview
2. Attend free networking functions
3. Tell everyone you know or come in contact with that you are looking for a job
4. Lower your standards for employment such as salary, job title, etc. You may have to take a pay cut to get a job but it is better than not having a job. Your ultimate goal is to get a job in your same field making approximately the same amount of money you did when you were unemployed but don't limit yourself
5. Visit job training center to learn new skills, you should have at least 2 skills that are in demand
6. Contact staffing firms or apply for temp-to-perm work

Help for the Unemployed

Due to current recession and the closing of many companies, the number of people unemployed has reached new highs. The unemployment rate is 6.5% meaning over 10.1 million Americans are out of work. Generally the November and December holidays are a time to spend with family and have fun but this year the holidays won't be like past years.

Many Americans are feeling the burden of the bailout plan. However, there is some relief. On November 21, 2008, President Bush signed the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 which extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation to 20 weeks which will help some Americans through the holiday season. For states with high unemployment rates such as Georgia it creates a second tier of 13 weeks of compensation for individuals.