Recession - Personal experiences

[0iD]

How has the recession in the UK affected you personally?

For me, the demise of the engineering industry has meant unemployment and the incumbent financial woes. Jobs in the field around here (east) are scarce and it's meant I've had to re-think my career path as an option, but having a large-ish young family the options are a trifle limited.

[Behemoth]

For me working in retail it's hit our store pretty hard, as a result extra pressure to sell what makes more profit for the company.

[PeterStoba]

I'm completely unnafected really, but I am only 15 so it wouldn't really affect me directly.

[TAKTAK]

Luckily, i'm in an industry that is comparativly stable (fixings and fastenings)

No end of customers struggling though. We've mainly been kept going by alot of the petrochem/powerstation sites going on shutdown.

The company close to us has just gained a big job somehow...
They were asking ~£20,000 more than other companies to do the work, because they anticipated having lots of problems with parts of the job, but, the others, either wanted some money upfront, or had questionable financial stability, so the council gave them the job.

Still alot of grief around at the moment though, another local has most of it's workforce on a rolling 8week notice period.

With others just having to sell out to larger firms who are able to buy at this point in time.

[scaryjim]

Very little effect on me and the wife. I kinda got lucky in that our union apparently negotiated a fantastic pay deal so last October we got a pay rise equal to the September RPI - if anyone can remember back that far it was immediately prior to the recession hitting and came out at 5%! Otherwise, we rent, generally buy organic/ free range / other ethical type-food, and have public sector jobs (therefore more job security than more capitalist / consumer-led industries). In fact, the only real effect the recession has had is that now houses are back to a reasonable price we're half considering buying one. Otherwise it's kinda passed us by...

[alsenior]

lost my job at the end of july. had to beg steal and borrow until my loan drops either tomorrow or tues

[malfunction]

My company has had a lot less work through the doors for various reasons this year (including stategies and practices that have made it harder for customers to engage us) which has resulted in me being a lot less busy towards the latter half of this year. No real change as yet but everyone in my team has been expecting at least some level of redundancies for months now. I'm so sick of feeling in limbo that I want to jump ship but I've also convinced myself that moving on will involve a large paycut so I've resisted so far.

[Gerrard]

Luckily, I'm quite recession proof being in a vastly undermanned and necessary trade in the military. It isn't the recession that's affecting the military budget at the moment, it's the royal up the MOD has done in balancing the books, and suddenly finding itself £2 billion down. So no pay rise for me in April (but do get a yearly increment next month).

However, the recession does mean that getting a job outside the military will be tough, especially as airlines across the world suffer. I was aware the BA had problems, but since being here in Japan, it seems their national airline (JAL) is also in a bad way as well. But at least I can afford to ride it out until it picks up again (hopefully).

[Terbinator]

Everything seems to of gotten dearer IMO.

[Dingo]

Had to sell home due to lack of available work locally......so homeless and jobless......but will happily kill for 10K......Mrs Browne and David Cameron seem equally enthusiastic.......I can see a bright future!!

[AndyRoa]

It's been crap for me too, I've had three jobs in the last 18months and have been made redundant from them all!

The last time I was made redundant on my wedding anniversary which was just a week before our first child was born, that was a real mixed couple of weeks!

Still currently with out work althougth things are starting to look up so should be back in work this side of xmas thus avoiding a "tiny tim" moment round the dinner table!

[GoNz0]

I am keeping my fingers crossed as the company sent a letter stating "we are restructuring" and are now clamping down on everything.

[abaxas]

Who cares. Life goes on with good times and bad times.

Lets not dwell on the bad, lets work on it to make it better.

[Phage]

There is a bright side.
In the three rounds of lay-offs, I survived. My boss didn't.

[tiggerai]

There is a bright side.
In the three rounds of lay-offs, I survived. My boss didn't.

I survived last years cull but have had to jump ship this year as I can't see payrises happening.

I've really struggled to keep my head above water this year, but do feel lucky having found a new and better position in these very challenging times.

I didn't get a pay "adjustment" in line with a mini-promotion this time last year and it's screwed me over financially... 6-7k under market rate in london - I'm £120 a month down on an already slim salary... I couldn't wait to see if something came along this year... I can't find another £120 out of thin air and still pay for my house. Al my luxuries have gone... I've learnt to live on not a lot... which is good anyway.

I really don't know how you unemployed guys do it - i would have had a nervous breakdown by now...

[Blitzen]

Unaffected luckily.
Bonuses and pay rises still happened and we are still busy.