Job security

In case you've missed the memo, the economy is terrible. Supposedly, recovery is on the horizon. We're hearing less about home foreclosures (if only because all of the homes have already been foreclosed on). New unemployment claims are supposedly on the decline (again, perhaps because there are less people left with jobs to lose?). Stimulus packages are coming down left and right (though, don't get me started on those). But this past week, it seemed like Denver was just plain falling apart.

On Monday evening, there was a story on the news about the closing of the busy ESPN Zone store and restaurant downtown. They interviewed one of the former employees. She said that there'd been rumors about six months ago, but that they had been reassured that the site would not be closing, and their jobs were safe. On the day she was being interviewed, she had showed up for work, only to find the doors locked.

(Interestingly, the news story also included information on a new business that would be opening in part of the former restaurant location this fall. Somebody clearly new in advance that the restaurant would be closing.)

On Tuesday evening, I went to pick up my CSA share at a local restaurant in the popular Larimer Square shopping and restaurant district. When I opened the door, I saw that all the barstools were up on the tables. The manager told me that the CSA boxes were out back by the delivery door. The employee I found there informed me that the restaurant was closing its doors, and they had already arranged a new pick-up location for the CSA shares. I asked if the closing was sudden. She seemed a tad shell-shocked.

On Wednesday evening, I was heading home from running errands when I passed by the delightful gourmet pizza joint just around the corner from me, that opened just last summer. Or should I say, the former delightful gourmet pizza joint. The building is now for sale.

On Thursday evening, I went to my church potluck group. Others spoke of layoffs at their companies with the uneasy security of those whose jobs have been spared, but knowing that theirs could be the next positions to be eliminated. In my job, too, the future is ever tenuous. I work for a non-profit, which means every position relies on donations and, mine especially, grants. We just ended a program year and are awaiting news on our renewal.

But more notably, the thought that has crossed my mind with each of these quietly disappearing businesses is, this is the economy in which I am an employment counselor. People who already have jobs-- and degrees, experience, and professional connections-- cannot know their own job future. Yet I am charged with helping homeless and at-risk youth, who face so many additional barriers-- from not having a roof over their head, to lacking the needed documents to get a state ID, to struggling to find childcare that doesn't cost more than they make in their own job, to being completely inexperienced-- carve out a career for themselves.

And this in a state with relatively low unemployment-- particularly compared to my home state of Michigan, which has the unwanted distinction of leading the country in that measure.

Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

But how are we to take all of this in an atmosphere of such rampant insecurity? Do we scorn our savings accounts, figuring that tomorrow will worry about itself? Fail to keep our resumes up-to-date? How are we to not worry about tomorrow, when at any time we might show up to work to find the doors locked, or be told that our position is being eliminated, effective immediately? And what of those who have already lost their jobs, and are now desperately job-seeking, unable to keep up in the meantime with mortages, car payments, and rising utility and food bills?



(Oh... what... you thought I was about to provide the answer? Oh, sorry. Nope. You're on your own there. But if you do find the answer, let me know. I'm sure I can find some folks who would love to hear it, as well.)