Downsizing, restructuring, reducing activity – these words now provoke fear among millions of Americans. From the perspective of a regular worker, they mean primarily one thing – lay offs.
Last year almost three million jobs vanished, pushing unemployment to its highest since 1945, when the economy, which was boosted by the military industry, declined following the Second World War’s victorious end. Many predict that 2009 will be similar to or worse than 2008.In the last 12 months, 48 percent of all employers made cuts in their companies. This year, 60 percent of companies are reaching for such measures. Small businesses are especially at risk of disappearing from the market. By the end of the year unemployment may reach even 10 percent – some are warning.
It is no wonder then that the issue of job security and surviving in the times of deteriorating economy have become a major issue for the average American family. Some hope is being laid in the new stimulus packet promised by president-elect Barack Obama, but many economists are warning that its impact on the economy might be scant. The wave of layoffs means an increase in poverty and also crime, which will be felt primarily in big metro areas, such as New York. Xenophobia may also be on the rise, fueled by frustration on the side of those who lost jobs and who may look at undocumented immigrants as taking jobs away from Americans.
In order to survive these hard times, we need optimism and human solidarity. Our community cannot just pack and go back to Poland. The economic slowdown will shortly reach our old country too. When it comes to the economic crisis mutual support among our community is a priority.
In difficult times networking, that is using one’s connections and connections of friends, is one of the best ways to find a job.
Support for Polish financial institutions, businesses, organizations, parishes and media should become our priority, as well as mutual help granted especially to those who lost their source of income due to the economic downturn.
The crisis will end sooner or later, but we should do our utmost to make sure that the Polish ethnic group survives it without major losses.
