Even though its old news, I have to blah, blah, blah about the economy. Last Friday, while I was away from the office, we laid off a few people. I found out when I called in, and the receptionist was crying; she had just been given the bad news. When I came into the office on Monday, I was told that I should cut my hours. (If you’ll remember, I work part-time, hourly.) I also found out who else was let go. One of the girls is someone that is in the U.S. on a work visa. If she can’t maintain employment, it’s possible that she would have to move back to her birth country. This girl’s a friend of mine; she’s bubbly, cute, and bright. I think Monday was the first time that I didn’t see a smile on her face.
Throughout Monday and yesterday, I kept thinking about her, trying to think of ways I could help her out. I was able to get the name of an immigration lawyer, but my friend is a junior-level employee. She can’t afford a high-priced lawyer. Then I gave her the name of a head-hunter, the only one I knew, but the market in Dallas is WAY down. All I’m hearing from friends in the profession is, “Yeah, we let some people go.”
At her request, I called a past employer, a three-man operation seemingly immune to past economic downturns, to see if they had any need for a drafter. The three-man operation had become a two-man operation, in part because of the slow-down.
My hope is that in two years, I’ll be able to look back at this period and say, “Aw, what was I worried about?” But goddamn. It’s pretty fucking scary. Immediately after 9/11, when I was witness to layoffs, I always had the sense that there were still jobs out there. In other words, I wasn’t too worried about getting the shaft; I always felt that I’d be able to find a job. This time, it doesn’t feel that way. Now I see my bright, bubbly friend, a person that NEEDS to work at the risk of deportation, a person that is a good, hard worker, and I see that the future ain’t so bright.
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