Stories from our Unemployed & Underemployed Support Group

A young worker, laid off and newly diagnosed with a serious health condition, finds herself unemployed after surgery. Now that she’s healthy again, potential employers say either ‘not enough experience’ or ‘you’re over-qualified.’ In the meantime, student loans in forebearance…

Educated and experienced laid off teacher is torn between a series of fruitless interviews and caregiving for a profoundly ill relative. How to juggle all the responsibilities?

A career government employee, a victim of downsizing, is shut out of government jobs because seniority from the past job means a benefits package (including pension) that is more than those hiring will spring for. In the meantime, children to raise. Age discrimination? How can that be proven?

A successful, decades-long position in production management sent away to foreign shores. An industry jump is absolutely necessary for the unemployed manager left in this country. But will no one hire someone who has worked for 35+ years overseeing employees — and has no pertinent office experience?

A parent of teens finally hired after a long period of lay-offs…but hired at a cost: the job pays much less than all the previous jobs held. How to pay the mortgage, the taxes, the medical bills, the groceries? Another family holding on by their fingertips.

This is just a tiny glimpse of some of the stories of our unemployed and underemployed neighbors in Tompkins County. This is why we need benefits for the unemployed extended. Make that call today, please. The toll-free number for Senators is 1-866-606-1189.

Here is the direct contact information for our Senators:

Chuck Schumer, 212-486-4430 in NYC, 315-423-5471 Syracuse

Kirstin Gillibrand, 212-688-6262 NYC, 315-448-0470 Syracuse