Easing the shock of unemployment

Scott Seeley and the other 80 employees at American Home Shield in Santa Rosa were called into the conference room.

The president of the company had flown in that morning.

"They took us all into that room, and said 'We're going to close down your center effective today,' " Seeley recalls. "When we came out of that meeting all of our computers were frozen and locked. It was a shocker."

Seeley said goodbye to a job he'd held for 10 years, and co-workers he'd known since long before his daughter was born.

"You're in shock for a while. And then you start thinking about what you need to do. You think about money first," Seeley said.

Finding yourself suddenly unemployed can be like a punch in the gut -- or worse.

You've got the surreal experience of clearing off your desk, saying goodbye to coworkers you've seen more often than your family, and suddenly facing the shame and fear of unemployment.

How will you pay the bills, keep your health insurance, write a new resume, train for another career, or stop anxiety from consuming your every thought?

Unfortunately, more Sonoma County residents are facing these questions. Local unemployment rose to a 15-year high in September, reaching 5.8 percent. It left 15,800 people in Sonoma County without work, up from 11,700 a year ago. Some economists predict national unemployment could reach levels not seen since the 1980s as the economy continues to tank.

But even in these tough times, there are reasons to take heart.

Numerous programs exist to get the unemployed back on their feet. Some programs even help pay for re-training, and aim to land the unemployed worker at a higher-paying job in another industry.

The Press Democrat has compiled a how-to-guide for navigating unemployment on a range of topics: Unemployment benefits, re-training programs, cutting back expenses, and maintaining a healthy attitude.

While nothing is certain in this economy -- or even stable -- the best thing a person can do is be prepared, and arm themselves with the right information.

This federal program, which was created during the Great Depression, is designed to provide the recently unemployed with enough money to pay for the basic costs of living.

But by basic, they really mean basic. So bringing household budgets quickly into line is important.

Unemployment insurance payments range from $40 to $450 a week, depending on how much money a person made during the last 15 to 17 months.

For example, someone who earned $70 a week before taxes for three straight months will get a weekly benefit of about $40. A worker who pulled in $600 a week for three months will get a $300 weekly benefit. Anyone who earned $898 or above a week before being laid off will max out at $450 per week in benefits.

Those payments will be taxed by the federal government, but not by the state. The program generally runs out after six months, or when a recipient lands a full-time job.

This is perhaps the top resource for the recently unemployed. The Job Link office in Santa Rosa hosts a wealth of free information, and is staffed by knowledgable specialists whose sole aim is getting the unemployed back to work.

Job Link's staff can recommend a good book on how to write a resume or a legal guide for anyone laid-off or fired. They have a bookshelf full of useful materials.

They also offer career counseling.

For those in dire straights, they have information on local homeless shelters and food banks.

They can provide information for those who have retired, then seen their nest eggs shrink, and are now returning to work.

The office also has handy information on retraining programs, and how to extend unemployment benefits.

Job Link shares office space with other agencies, such as local Employment Development Department representatives.

Job Link provides Internet access, phones and copy and fax machines for people looking for a job.

Perhaps most importantly, the office keeps a catalog of available local jobs. And the staff tries to stay updated on new postings in order to steer job seekers in the right direction.

All that said, keep in mind that the staff at Job Link is dealing with a surge in visitors -- up 57 percent since last year. Meanwhile, its budget remains the same, said Kathy Young, a Job Link manager. So staff are increasingly spread thin, and visitors might find themselves waiting longer.

Perhaps the worst thing Kathy Young sees the recently unemployed do is loaf about, waiting for their unemployment benefits to run out.

She strongly encourages people to stay active, take advantage of retraining programs, assess their skills, and use their free time to network, which she says is still the best way to land a new job.

For people who have been out of the job market for awhile, Job Link offers several workshops on how to present yourself in the digital age -- everything from resume writing to posting a job online. People need to learn how to present themselves online, Young said.

It also offers a workshop to help people assess their skills. The Santa Rosa Junior College also offers a host of low-cost assessment tests, including the popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

People who are laid-off and suddenly find themselves with an open calendar should consider taking time to learn new skills, and pad their resume. Counselors at Job Link can provide helpful information about training opportunities. Funding exists for some programs, and unemployment benefits can be extended six months to cover an entire year if a person wants to enroll in classes to further their training.

If you find yourself unemployed, it's probably time to eliminate HBO, stop eating out and cut back on other luxuries. Budgets need to be set in line with hard times.

One good resource is the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, which has an office in Santa Rosa. It provides free budget counseling. People can sit down in a private, confident environment with a counselor and create a detailed plan for spending.

Counselors can address general money management such as spending and savings plans, credit and credit reports, debt management, buying a first home, mortgage delinquency and even how to prevent a home foreclosure.

When a person is laid off, federal and state laws guarantee certain rights -- from access to health care similar to what their company offered to compensation for unused vacation time. Laid-off workers should know their rights.

Recommended reading is the book "Fired, Laid-Off, or Forced Out," by Richard Busse. It is available at the Job Link office in Santa Rosa, as are many others.

Meeting with a financial planner about how to re-allocate any pension or other retirement funds accrued with the former employer is also advised.

Last but not least -- actually it might be the most important -- someone who loses their job needs to stay positive.

Job Link offers a workshop on maintaining self esteem and balance.

Losing a job can seem insurmountable. But it's not, says Susan Fee in her book "Bouncing back: The art of resiliency." She coaches people to have reasonable expectations, and avoid stressing over what is not in their control.

Instead, she suggests people focus their energy on growing new skills, taking advantage of new opportunities, and managing what is within their power.

You can reach Staff Writer Nathan Halverson at 521-5494 or nathan.halverson@

pressdemocrat.com.