Temporary unemployment

Often times we do not understand the impact of something till it affects us directly. In this case the impact of the United States economy on the everyday individual is slowly creeping into my financial reality. Now this does not mean I have been unaware of the troubles that exist and have been building. I watch the news, read the papers, scan the internet and have heard the stories of people I know having money issues or recently losing employment. Nevertheless there is still a personal layer of separation from what I have heard and what I experience.

Some of my income is provided from working the port environment of the Los Angeles Harbor. A huge import/export industry that seems not to be immune from the problems with our current economy. During this time after the holidays and the coming months it is a slow period of work for the longshoreman/woman. Not as abundant during the summer up until the holiday season but there is work. Now it seems to have come to a halt, I personally would go in to work my allowed 2 days of employment without a hiccup however no more. Our system of equal employment is divided into groups (different class levels based on seniority) which the lower groups have been troubled obtaining work, including myself. This has been the first weekend where I was not able to work one day due to the lack of jobs provided. So for this weekend I was temporarily unemployed. This is just a small example of what full time longshoreman/woman have been going through, some not getting work all week. This does not include the casual work force (part-time workers) which I hope many have a second job cause they have not received employment in some time.

To my personal experience, I can only hope that next weekend will not repeat the same pattern and I will return to my 2 day allowed work habit, yet I reflect on the economic situation, personal and larger. If a nation wide import/export industry is not safe during these times, an industry that always has things to move, who is?