The Unemployment Blues

Have you been pink slipped? Now that you're unemployed it can be an overwhelming feeling. You're not a failure and you're not alone. You're the victim of the nasty economy which will take some time to turn around before more jobs are created and employers begin to hire again. There are at least 10 million unemployed workers out there, and a lot more you don't hear about. The government statistics don't include a great deal of others, like those who've exhausted their unemployment benefits, those who never applied for benefits, those who don't qualify, etc. Since there are no jobs to be had, what does one do? The first thing is to file for unemployment benefits. Don't wait, go directly to your state unemployment website and apply, but beware! From the moment you fill out the application, everything you write and say to someone can be used as evidence at a future unemployment hearing. Although it may seem simple enough to do, and you know the reasons for your separation better than anyone, you are still in a court of law. No matter how informal this all seems to be, it would be wise to seek help in the process from the get-go.