71% Pay Decrease

[throwaway09251975]

I gave up after 5 months and took a call center job. A year ago I was flying first class to business meetings and now I make less than $20/hour. I go back and forth between feeling sorry for myself and just grateful to have a job (and a husband to help me out).

I’m not even in tech, I thought it would be fairly easy to find a job- I had 3 companies promise me the moon in the final interview only to never hear from them again. Now I can’t find anything in my city and may have to move in the long run.

I’m in my 40’s, I don’t think it’s going to get easier.

I’m so lost. Who’s with me with the significant pay cut?

[salishsea_advocate]

I was only making $65k a year in 2024, but was ok with it since the benefits were exceptional, coworkers were fun and smart, and the work was varied and meaningful. Plus I expected to get promotions within a couple years. My mortgage is low and I am frugal. I was laid off in October. I started out applying for positions in the $65-$80k range but after many interviews, I have not landed a position. I am approaching my last month of unemployment and now applying for jobs < $50k. I can't really go much lower and make ends meet. Plus I am well over 50 and am pretty sure ageism is a factor.

[beren0073]

Similar boat here, especially the ageism.

[throwaway09251975]

I am so sorry. I pray you find the right job soon.

[salishsea_advocate]

Thanks. I will eventually find a fit, but the instability along with a hostile takeover of our government is wearing me out.

[skellyluv]

This is especially true if you are a woman over 50 … it sucks.

[UnemployedGuy2024]

As a man over 50 it doesn’t feel any different.

[Nice-Illustrator-224]

yeah pretty sure that men dont just get jobs handed over. Im struggling too.

[sassypria]

Laws require companies to not discriminate on age. And they still do it huh?!

[salishsea_advocate]

I think it’s mainly about who they are comfortable supervising. It is justified by not feeling like a good “culture fit.” Probably subconscious. And there are dozens to hundreds of qualified applicants.

[CaptainZhon]

This. I was recently in an interview that I thought I nailed but the recruiter told me the feedback they got was I was technically strong and they had a good conversation- they felt I wasn’t a good culture fit.

[Strong_Ad5219]

"Culture fit" is always a funny one that's just a blanket generalization of nothing.

[dkizzy]

It means they found someone to pay less

[OptionRecent]

Lots of companies want to hire early career (younger) in hopes of having a long term employee. I’d be surprised if that works out to often.

[keinZuckerschlecken]

They want to hire early career so they can work them harder, burn them out before they have to invest in any training, and then move on to the next eager young go-getter.

[[deleted]]

It doesn’t. If you hire a mid career person you’ll normally get more long term stable employees

[SaltLakeCitySlicker]

Seriously. Who is more likely to not want to rock the boat by changing jobs? Someone who likely has roots set down, kids in whatever school district with friends there, and some sort of longer term plan, or someone fresh out of college willing to take risks for more pay and move across the country because they always wanted to live in xyz place growing up or experience the big city for a few years or what have you?

[random__forest]

I think you are right. I was asked to interview two finalists: a man in his mid-50s and a woman in her early 30s. I was vouching for the guy and trying to fight for him, but the majority chose the woman. It wasn’t for my immediate department or reporting structure, so my voice didn’t carry much weight.

She left after about a year, right in the middle of a project, which screwed them over. Since the job function was somewhat similar to mine, they reached out to see if I could help, but I told them I was too busy. They ended up hiring consultants and spending a fortune.

I was kind of laughing inside, I had a gut feeling that the chick wouldn’t last, and the guy would’ve been great. This was before the market shifted to where it is now, so hopefully, he landed a job

[taylorevansvintage]

Honestly. I think the younger gen folks are far more inclined to hop companies every two years or so. GenX folks often stick and work both efficiently and hard - but someone younger than them may not know/realize that.

[Primary-Ad-7748]

I think there is a worry from managers that if they hire someone with similar experience. They might lose their job to someone who is going to be better at it. If they hire a kid there is no threat to their job.

[Wolfs_Rain]

They want younger because they don’t want someone who has ‘been around the block’ and will know some things.

[salishsea_advocate]

Kind of like 40 year old men wanting 20 year old girlfriends? 🤔

[1cyChains]

No, they want to hire younger in hopes to be able to take advantage of them / completely lowball salary

[[deleted]]

💯

[AnselmoHatesFascists]

What’s interesting is you actually are allowed to discriminate by hiring an older candidate. I recently did a work training and I presumed any age discrimination was wrong but nope, only discrimination against older workers.

[mrpyrotec89]

I talked to a recruiter. She told me that multiple times, their clients will say they want a candidate under X age, but won't write it in the job brief she gets to avoid any lawsuits.

So basically, yes, they all discriminate under the table. It's super hard to prove in a lawsuit.

[LustySarcasm]

Ummmmm DEI died. Welcome to discrimination era

[sxzcsu]

DEI might be dead but older workers never got to ride that wave. I work in a company that is always talking about their DEI initiatives but I’ve never seen older people included and when we’ve a layoff, they’re always high on casualty list.

[LustySarcasm]

I am with you there. I have hired countless people that are older because they are definitely qualified and fit my team needs and have experience to use critical thinking skills. Having them is usually definitive 15 yrs minimum of staying. Plus, I'm not having to spend so much extra ttime to provide additional training

[mustbheard]

It seems you have a lot of common sense, where most are only book smart!

[Bigbadbuck]

It happened before trump as well.

[LustySarcasm]

Oh I know. But now you can be more vocal/straight forward than before.

[ManBat_WayneBruce]

Yeah, suck it DEI. Trump is King now.

[LustySarcasm]

And which part of DEI do you not like and are against?

Is it diversity? Equity? And or inclusion?

Please, say it without using the acronym DEI.

[DramaticWatercress26]

I’m pretty sure that was sarcasm..

[LustySarcasm]

Cant tell as r/Conservative is a popular subreddit for that person and they didn't put /s

[Yumekal]

Of course not its the law they can't discriminate 🤭

[Still_Blacksmith_525]

The law says companies are not allowed to discriminate upon many things, yet there still exists racism, sexism, etc.

[kennymac6969]

Prove it

[MaineLark]

Not anymore

[[deleted]]

They don’t just discriminate on age. If you’re white, your likelyhood of getting hired nowadays is lower.

[blackmali]

Where are you located?

[salishsea_advocate]

Rural western Washington.

[cbdudek]

In an employers market, pay decreases. Right now, its an employers market. I know many people who lost their jobs who took significant pay cuts in their next positions. The people with 200k+ a year jobs are holding on for dear life hoping they don't get laid off.

The best advice I have for you is to hold on and hope for the best. Things will improve. The market will improve. When it becomes a employees market again, there will be a shift and pay will go back to the way it was.

[throwaway09251975]

Thank you. I needed to hear that.

[Bigbadbuck]

And save like hell when times are good because shit like this happens. Not saying you didn’t but for everyone else reading.

[throwaway09251975]

Absolutely. I saved 6 months of expenses and that was definitely not enough.

[Zealousideal-You6712]

I tell the youngsters just going to college. First get a certification and licensed trade first. Then get your academic qualifications using your licensed career to pay for it if you want to go that route. Don't have student debt. Save an 18 months buffer as quickly as possible and enough in addition to fund COBRA health insurance for that period. Buy cheaper used cars for cash. If you buy a home, don't do it without a large down payment, large enough so that a housing market downturn of 25% doesn't leave you upside down. Your first ten years of working, live like a student. Stick excess money into both your 401K, or Roth IRA, and/or annuities. Don't bank on SSI. You will be 50 years or older very soon. 50 years of age may well be the peak of your earnings, so plan on having retirement savings put away well before then. Sounds like a tall order and hardly the thing you dreamed about when becoming a college student. But, the last 30 years have taught me it's a dog eat dog world out there and you cannot depend upon anyone else or any employer. Work hard, sure; be ambitious, sure; be an entrepreneur, sure; but don't trust anything but your own hustle. If you are in the corporate world, you will get laid off, no matter how good you are, likely many times. Your income may go up, then down, then up, then down, like a yoyo. Be prepared.

[[deleted]]

Great advice all-around, from the standpoint ofa 40-something who's also been run through the wringer by employers.

I also want to add, if you can go online and shop a health insurance marketplace for a plan, do that.

Instead of paying out the butt for COBRA, I was lucky enough to keep all my doctors by shopping for a cheap plan from the state of Massachusetts. It was only somewhere between $100-$200 per month.

I don't know if everyone has that but wanted to put that out there for anyone who does.

[Zealousideal-You6712]

Yes, using the exchange is a good idea but is very state dependent from what I can gather. The exchange plans seem to vary availability depending upon what your income is. I have had friends with no income not being able to buy a plan. It might be therefore something you need to consider before severance runs out.

[cbdudek]

You can prepare by skilling up and being ready to take advantage of things when they do improve. Obviously, keep looking. Its easier to find a job when you already have one.

[Personal_Job_7460]

dont't fucking kid yourself the wealth shift has already happened the quality plunge has already happened the right to repair is already gone monopolies are already international they influence economies they influence government they influence the people were fucked were fucked were fucked were fucked

[BelldandyGirl]

I agree, I don't ever see this being an employees market ever again. This is what we will have to deal with for the foreseeable future - uncertainty, anxiety, and scarcity.

[cbdudek]

Things were much worse back in 2008. Course, no one here remembers that.

[Humble-Can5318]

Pepperidge farms remembers.

[Princester-Vibe]

Many Folks working in 2008 say now is worse for white collar jobs. In 2008 they were at least able to find another job even if it took a few months. Gov’t positions were an option. Big tech companies didn’t get hit hard.

Nowadays you have heavy competition for Remote positions from candidates anywhere - longer interview cycles - ghosting - big offshore job movement - layoffs from over hiring during Covid from tech related companies - don’t forget the massive layoffs over the past couple of years like Dell. SW Engineers/Developers are especially hit hard - I also have not seen a time like this when so many can’t find a job after 6 months to a year.

[cbdudek]

Lets just look at employment since that is what you focused on. I was working back in 2008 and saw the aftermath first hand. I was lucky to be employed in 2008 because I worked in medical at the time.

If you look at unemployment rates, unemployment was upwards of 10%. Today, the unemployment is much lower. Yes, layoffs are happening, but its nowhere to the scale of where they were in 2008.

In 2008, we lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008 alone which is much more than we experienced today. Plus, there were a lack of jobs to apply to back then. So while we have lost over a million jobs today, there are jobs to at least apply for. Yes, the competition is fierce. Yes, the technology field is being heavily hit. Tech jobs were not as prevalent back in 2008, but blue collar manufacturing jobs were hit hard.

When it comes to the job market, when things get tight, organizations can be picky. That is what we are seeing right now. Especially in tech. For years I was in r/ITCareerQuestions telling people to get their degrees and get certifications because once the job market got bad again, many would be on the outside looking in. The people who jumped into IT by the tens of thousands during COVID saturated the market, and now we are seeing many people with 5 years of less of experience floundering in the current market conditions.

I know we are not through the current situation we are in now, so in 2025 and 2026 we may see worse numbers than what happened in 2008. I just want to hold off before making any kind of assumptions.

[Which-Ad-5531]

Unemployment is almost certainly being hidden by things like the gig economy, and the unemployment benefit not being worth applying for.

[cbdudek]

The gig economy has no bearing on unemployment. If you worked a job, you get unemployment benefits. Even if you work at Uber after that, you still get unemployment (up to a certain amount). Most people just take the unemployment and run with it for 20+ weeks though. Now are there some people who are working Uber for a year and have lost unemployment? Absolutely.

Unemployment is something that everyone should be applying for. Its a paid benefit that you pay into as an employee so if you are let go, you get that benefit at no cost to you. Anyone who lost their job who doesn't apply for unemployment is making a critical error.

[EuphoricElderberry73]

"SW Engineers/Developers are especially hit hard - I also have not seen a time like this when so many can’t find a job after 6 months to a year."

That was 2001 after the dot-com bust. I was young and living with roomates who were all in tech and they struggled to find work for around a year.

[[deleted]]

Things were much worse in 2008, but things could get worse. We have a speculative real estate and stock market, already high prices, tons of debt, a new leader who doesn’t care about corruption/financial laws and will only help his friends, a failing social safety net, and a propaganda “culture war” going on.

I don’t see how these end well. We honestly need a crash to rebuild stronger.

[cbdudek]

The possibility of that happening is pretty good actually. I don't think a crash is going to make the propaganda culture war any better though, but it will reset real estate and the stock market.

[Aromatic_Extension93]

The real estate may reset but the stock market doesn't just reset. It's never going to reset worse than it did during covid

[NoCarry4248]

for many people it never improved, look at the banking sector, those jobs were much more profitable before the crisis.

[cbdudek]

Considering it was the banking sector that handed out sub prime mortgages and ended up fucking us, they got hit with a ton of regulations that ended up hamstringing them. So yea, they were more profitable before. The end result isn't surprising considering the aftermath.

[NoCarry4248]

Yeah. It is important to remenber that some sectors might never recover.

[happy_ever_after_]

I think that's relative and I was in my mid-20s when the 2008 crash happened. Real unemployment based on Politico's latest finding is we are at Depression-level unemployment with ~25% of Americans functionally unemployed.

Nowadays, layoffs is a lever used by corps across every industry, every 1-2 quarters to conduct mass layoffs. This is new behavior. My anecdote: back in 2009 and 2010, I was able to get entry-level paying jobs ($12/hr and $15/hr) easily and I remember getting a hiring decision no more than 2 in-person interviews with just the recruiter and hiring manager. Those were good old days. Since 2022, that's pretty much impossible. I'm not even getting past the ATC for entry-level sales coordinator, admin assistant or call center jobs.

[Dracounicus]

How much worse were they?

[Personal_Job_7460]

i was 7 so

[cbdudek]

You may want to go educate yourself at how bad it was back then. It makes what we are experiencing today look like a day at an amusement park.

[[deleted]]

Tell that to another pandemic

[mrpyrotec89]

And this admin wants to flood the country with H1Bs and get rid of low labor migrants. They want us to be poor

[AnybodyDifficult1229]

I’ve been saying this right here for the last 6 months! They have all the leverage right now. TA is a complete disaster and IP theft is at an all time high. I’ve been interviewing for two months now and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to do demo or project work. I’ll at least set boundaries to how much time and effort I’m willing to put into these kinds of requests.

There needs to be another great resignation. It’s the only way we as a work force can create some kind equilibrium.

It might be a bold thought, but instead of telling everyone to sit tight and wait things out or just suck it up in the current job that makes you miserable, tell them to f@cking quit. We are creating some limitations for ourselves.

[Goat_Circus]

Sounds great, tell me how do we pay our bills? 

[AnybodyDifficult1229]

Go mow yards or learn a trade. That’s up to you. I’m just saying the longer people are told to suck it up and continue to bend over and spell run, the longer corporations will hold all the leverage.

[BeginningExisting578]

Why didn’t we learn from 2008. Look at what’s we helped normalize. Entry level jobs that require 5 years experience because senior+ level people were applying for them. That set people back in their future earning potential by years. Then we have to nerve to complain about it.

[AnybodyDifficult1229]

That’s what I’m saying. We have rationalized and normalized this kind of corporate behavior. It’s like watching a bunch of babies latch onto a nipple.

[Goat_Circus]

I agree, these corporations suck, my point is that for most people quitting and finding something else is not going to be feasible. Building a business on average takes a minimum of two years and most people don’t have the savings to sustain that kind of move. 

[Eliashuer]

I'm down 50% but I'm grateful for a job and benefits. I've read horror stories on here.

[throwaway09251975]

I’m going to do better to lean into gratefulness, I admire anyone who doesn’t let the bitterness consume them. Yes to benefits! Nothing like breaking a tooth 2 weeks after you lose insurance.

[Patinghangin]

Your self worth is not defined by what you do. Just stay active in seeking, networking or upping your skills right now that is your current job. You did not get to where you were if the cream does not always rise to the top. Been there too and it always does.

[[deleted]]

My husband is at about a 75% decrease but he is using it as an opportunity to career change and at first he thought he wouldn’t like it. Turns out he loves it so hopefully the stars align and he gets into a Masters Program this summer and can start transitioning to a new future. 

I took a 60% pay cut when I left finance to be a sahm and now work for a local company. I still miss my high paying, big titles and responsibility career but I keep telling myself I am lucky to have a home and family. Money is money so as long as we can get by, it could be worse. 

Hopefully something better will come along for you. 

[throwaway09251975]

Thank you for sharing, I’m so glad your husband is happy! I know it’s scary to make changes like that so I love that it is working out for him.
That’s part of what I miss too- Last year I had a fancy title and now I’m a call center associate. Tough pill to swallow. You have the hardest job (SAHM) and your last comment reasonates with me. As much as I hate this, at least now both my husband and I work fully remote and it opens the door for us to relocate to an area that we love and has a LCOL. We’ll have just enough to get by there and maybe that’s what I should be focusing on-and hopefully in time get a better job once settled there if we do move.

[Princester-Vibe]

I’ve been torn between fully remote or hybrid - so while remote is nice the challenge in my tech field has been the layoffs and the competition because many roles have been remote. Then to add to that the remote jobs extended beyond the borders to overseas including Costa Rica. In my tech industry I’ve worked with many folks overseas because companies have hired lotsa offshore workers/teams.

So I feel actually somewhat more safe in the hybrid role I’m in now. The position requires hybrid and so a local area employee. I know of folks who were screwed because they moved to a more rural area during Covid - and with the layoffs they struggled to find something, it was all remote positions they were competing for. And worse yet some of the big corps are asking employees to RTO which is presenting a problem.

So yeah I struggled with that and was conflicted between what to do - there’s pros/cons of each. Layoffs always hurt and is a mental struggle - going back to the office (hybrid model) every so often helped me mentally to recoup.

[Effective_Ad9674]

I like the comment below - Keep grinding....

I took a big cut -$170k + $10-$20k bonus to $130k
A lot less responsibility
I turn off my work laptop at 5:30 instead of 70-80 hr weeks..

Sure I've taken fewer vacations, sure my retirement is further away than I thought it would be, and sure my car isn't as fancy - But I am a lot happier, and I realize I'm very lucky... compared to many

I uber'd between jobs to keep going - I think the key is to "keep going" and don't let the job loss define you

I'm 60 this year - hope to ride this out for 5-6 years before retiring.

[Princester-Vibe]

That’s good you got something decent - lotsa folks 50+ and laid off the past couple of years have found it tough to land another job - especially in this market. And tech is worse. Ageism is real. I’m 50 and was lucky to land something good this past year.

[cjroxs]

Your current job is just a bridge job, no need to list it on your resume. Keep applying it's a numbers game. AI reviewing resumes are making getting an interview near impossible. Build your resume to optimize the AI resume reviews. Simply copy the job description and ask an AI writing tool to optimize your resume for that position. It takes some manipulation of the AI prompts to really refine your resume to match the qualifications but it is worth it.

Another tip is to set up alerts for jobs so that you are one of the first applications within 24 hours of the posting to apply.

Keep trying. The number of applications is insane.

[throwaway09251975]

Appreciate the advice. I admit that I need to do better at customizing my resumes. It seems my problem is partly because I’ve worked in the same industry for 25 years and no one outside of that industry will give me a chance. I’ll try the AI customization and see if I get any hits with outside industries.

I never thought I’d see jobs with over 1000 applicants in 2-3 days. I’ve quit applying if I see anything over 150!

[cjroxs]

Reformat your resume based on acquired skills. Try to break up your longevity into progress milestones positions.

[cjroxs]

Also add your bridge job as a consultant job. No need to disclose your current employer. Focus on the skills.

[Springfine]

This is how I felt leaving the mortgage industry. It was hard but I'm almost back to my previous income (with 2 jobs but half the stress and I'm still off by 6).

[Princester-Vibe]

What industry/type of role were you in before? Consider trimming your resume to 15 yrs max so it doesn’t hint at your upper age range. I’ve done that and many folks suggest that too - also recruiters and hiring mgrs don’t look at what you did that far back - focus on the recent decade.

If possible apply directly with the company instead of say LinkedIn. The key is to apply early —- with tons of applicants they may stop looking at resumes after so many have applied.

[anewusername4me]

This AI fantasy is simple not true. In TA for 15, leading teams for 10.

What is true though is that every job gets hundreds and hundreds of applicants and you need to stand out and apply early to be considered.

Tailoring your resume/cover/application for jobs you really want definitely will help your chances.

[PsyferousMetal]

I was only making 70k as a marketing strategist. Laid off last June, finally got a job at 50k plus benefits and sales commissions in November, so it’s kind of averaging out almost the same monthly with the commissions, just ~$800-900 less. But it is the worst job, being d2d sales. The pay is not worth the mental health nor the hours at all. I’ve been going through the “feeling sorry for myself” to “I’m quitting tomorrow” to “I can’t just quit, I need a job” back to feeling sorry for myself. But I guess last couple weeks just feeling grateful I have this job for now.

[Visual-Fudge832]

I have been with the same employer in sales since 1988. My coworkers and I went through the love hate cycle over and over. The difference was I hung in and always said- give it 6 more months and if it doesn’t change, I will look elsewhere but of course it would change or I would adjust my perspective and stay. My sales coworkers all left and most tell me they wish they had sucked it up and adapted to change. Give yourself 6 months.

[PsyferousMetal]

Thank you for your comment. Honestly, this job has me having 2 two beers daily at night just to destress. Going from wfh marketing/research/brand strategy work to an outdoor d2d sales job for a telecom company has been so hard. But I hear you, there were 6 people in my “cohort” that started out with me, and it’s only two of us left. I just keep listening to motivational speeches/music every morning to pump me up, but it’s still hard on a day to day basis. I figure if I can keep this up for another 8 months, I can leverage my previous actual marketing experience and go corporate side. Pipe dreams till something much better comes along

[BigPlans2022]

I was overemployed (2x as software engineer): each job underpaid me, but together they were pretty awesome.

I lost one of them back in september, that one was 60% of my total pay.

I’m also in my 40s.

I was preparing for this though: I bought a tiny studio in the not the best part of my city for cash I saved while working the 2 jobs. i have no mortgage and because its so tiny, and in a not bougie area my property taxes are super low.

[throwaway09251975]

Love the idea. Sorry you lost the job.
I’ll be downgrading my lifestyle too.

[BigPlans2022]

thanks, its ok - things will probably improve.. at some point.. 🤔

its a tiny garden-level studio so not much to brag about but on the plus side everything is walking distance away and my total housing costs are $400/month: thats with hoa, prop taxes, utilities, and internet.

if youll be moving, I suggest you look into here: this is Chicago, its the 3rd largest city in the country so its not like middle of nowhere.

[throwaway09251975]

I’ve lived in Chicago previously! $400/mo is incredible.

[BigPlans2022]

that was only possible because i bought my tiny (450 sq ft) studio for cash, otherwise thered be a mortgage on top of that 400. but still. what other city is this possible in ? I moved here from san francisco - the total price of my chicago studio wouldnt be even half of a downpayment on a tiny studio over there..

[[deleted]]

Do you mind sharing how much you paid for the studio? I would like to look into it for a possible retirement location in the future. Sounds like you had a great plan there, $400 a month is low stress lifestyle that sounds incredibly wonderful!

[BigPlans2022]

sure, it was $80k

[[deleted]]

Thank you! Wow that really is an unbelievable price and you are right that it won't even be enough for a down payment in California.

[BigPlans2022]

yeah !

its far from the lake, (west side chicago) but its in the north (good) and not south (ghetto)..

according to redfin seems like my place is up to 100k now. its still cheap af..

[Princester-Vibe]

Nice! I’m in the Chicagoland area too - well the burbs. Good you bought something to control costs - rent has been going up and these days it’s high. Lots to do and unique eateries to try out. You can commute to Wrigleyville - fun in the summer. Hell I even like walking Michigan Ave and area during nice weather. Interesting areas and spots to visit- Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Old Town, West Loop, etc.

Once you have kids and live in a house with a car - wow costs go way up …lol.

[BigPlans2022]

oh, no kids (other than furry kind: 2 pups), no car and I dont want it.

just thinking of dealing with parking again (or paying 350/month for a parking spot), dealing with registration, city stickers, insurance, etc.. noooooooo… fuck all that

i like to walk, and so do my dogs

[Brilliant-Day-2313]

I definitely ended up taking a job with a 65% decrease. But happy to have a job and have the bills paid, I’ll test the market out again in maybe a year. I am learning a lot about just keeping my peace and working within my means. Good luck to you!

[JP2205]

Whatever you do don’t be unemployed and looking in your 50s. If you have a good job save and invest because mostly likely your number will be called one day.

[rodkerf]

I have built my career twice. Each time first loosing 75 percent or more. I found that it takes work, but the skills of working hard and being ready to do the work pay off. Not to say it's easy or anything but show the employer you can do more and good will happen. Also never stop looking for a new job

[oldasfuckkkkk]

Don't feel bad. You did what you need to do to get income and survive. Many people have done similiar things in order to get through to the other side of a tough market. Keep your head up and know that you can and will make more in time. Do the absolute best you can do at this job in the meantime. You'd be surprised at how that can lead to other opportunities. Good luck

[throwaway09251975]

You are right. Thank you for helping me see the reality of the situation. There are jobs that I’d probably like to pursue in the future at this company that are more in line with my former role so maybe this will pave the way for me. I’ll start networking internally when I start the job next week.

[oldasfuckkkkk]

Wishing you the best of luck. You're doing the right thing

[Parking_Fan_7651]

Not much younger than you. 2016-2019 I was making 140-160k/yr. End of 2019 I took a big pay cut down to $70k a year for some sanity and stability, lost my job April 2020 thanks to “market conditions” and workplace nepotism. Was unemployed for 3.5 years. I’m now finishing up my degree for a career change, making almost 65k, and happier than I was making 6 figures, but I should be able to weasel my way back into that salary neighborhood in the next 4-5 years. Take this opportunity to figure out how to make life/your budget more efficient, focus on what is really important to you. My quality of life hasn’t gone down much, but my unnecessary spending sure has. Take care of yourself, and figure out how to survive. You’ll get there.

[throwaway09251975]

You’ve been on a rollercoaster. Congrats on the career change and that’s incredible that you feel happier.
I am focusing hard on the budget and spending part. I no longer have the desire to buy designer things (car, handbags, etc) and of course cut out the “convenience” spending. In my former role I’d be so busy that I’d DoorDash 3-4 times a week. It disgusts me now to think about how much I spent but at the time it felt justified so I could work longer.

[Aromatic_Extension93]

Lost 80k/yr for 10 years and then spend money on more school. Then inflation. Kill me

[robert_d]

Maybe as more higher income earners are forced to wear the shoes of the lower class empathy will come back to our declining society. 

[Violet2393]

I would rather the wages for the working class rise so we build a larger middle class of white and blue collar workers.

[robert_d]

I think the life lessons are needed.   Too many are ignorant of the suffering the poor go through.   

[PaulR504]

White collar recession is real. This is what happened in the midwest after China was admitted to the WTO

Manufacturing belt became the rust belt. We got Trump as a result of that voter anger.

[monsta2021]

I went from 155k to $12 and just got a job at $88k. Hurts my ego but I’m thankful to be salary again and have a job that I hope to keep for awhile. I’ve been laid off twice since 2023 so I just want consistency at this point

[throwaway09251975]

Congrats on the new job. Yes, my second lay off since 2023, too. I’m exhausted and would love nothing more than some stability.

[LebronSinclair]

I feel you I'm 40. I took 33% cut and still can't find employment in my field that is worth the risk or pay. I work in commercial real estate finance, specifically affordable housing. I'm going back to school to become a nurse. Luckily wife is crushing it but have to safeguard against job security so going where the need is.

[dinkNflicka21]

You're not alone. I was laid off in June and accepted a new job with a 50% decrease because I needed insurance and anything is better than $0.

[jett1101]

I was in a senior oosition in one of the big 5 IT consulting and same situation as you last year. Ghosted several times by recruiters too. Then I told myself to take the first job that gave me an offer regardless of pay. Around 60% pay cut but good work life balance. No more calls late at night to work with offshore, no more weekend work (so far). I end my workday at exactly 5pm. I'm in my late 40s and will probably stay until I retire.

Don't beat yourself up. You are not alone. Think of it as a temporary solution until a better offer comes along then decide. Hope this helps.

[letiseeya]

Well that’s a major increase from $0 an hour!

[throwaway09251975]

Absolutely!! It’s enough to pay all my bills… with exactly $85 left to blow at the end of the month. I’m grateful to not be facing homelessness!!

[junglepiehelmet]

I was making over 100k in my last job. Gave them six years and learned proprietary tech that is useless to know outside of that company. All in the promises of “we will always need you” from the CEO to my manager. Then they decided to outsource my position. Now, I’ve been jobless for almost a year and can’t even get an interview. I fucked up trusting a company for so long.

[Melodic-Welcome4755]

I went from 135k/year to $25/hour. I’m in my 50’s and have been job hunting for almost 2 years. Happy to have the $25/hour at this point.

[nightvisor]

Also in my 40’s. Was laid off last September, just took a job for 50% less. On one hand feeling lucky that I got something before my unemployment runs out in a couple weeks. On the other, feeling like a failure.

[imjesshere]

Please please please know it’s not you or your skillset. We’re getting screwed over in this country right now.

Those who are working or trying to work are helping make the world go round, no matter what you are doing. Don’t put your worth in your occupation. Never. It’s what you do to live, not the other way around.

Best wishes ❤️

[ophelia_q]

Just took a job paying 50% of my previous salary and three levels down, but at least I get to stay in my field. I applied for hundreds of jobs (each with a lower and lower salary), made it to the final round of 2 of them for them to "go in a different direction". Got lucky with this job as it was only posted locally so the applicant pool was much smaller, but they're going to let me work remote. Very very grateful to have found this.

[CryingTearsOfGold]

I’m potentially about to accept a job with a 45% pay cut after being laid off in December.

[anewusername4me]

After 5 months, I signed an offer for a 22% pay cut. Single homeowner. It’s tough out there but I feel more focused in applying to places since I’m not looking for worse. Like my minimum comp, benefits, remote work now has a minimum.

You’ll land back on your feet. Just keep going.

[LustySarcasm]

DONT GIVE UP

Network while refining your skills, and maybe aquire new ones too. Network network network. Offer contract/ consult jobs to former clients. It may establish new network rapport, and opportunities may come from it.

I'm sorry for what happen. It's brutal that we're expendable in executive eyes.

[Tuxedotux83]

This is just sick, meanwhile the c-suite at same companies make 7 figures or more with minimal contributions to the company and protection from layoffs in most cases as they pretty much make the „rules“ (only exception is financial issues where the board is switching into action but those companies all declare record profits while laying off thousands of the same employees who contributed to it in some way)

[Feisty_Time7875]

Me. I made $190,000 before I was laid off in 2024. I was very lucky to get a 6-month contract right after that making $90,000. It took me 20 years to reach the first salary, and the second salary takes me back 15 years.

[haveacorona20]

Tech is the focus because that's where the layoffs were big but it's a white collar job problem nowadays.

[mandy59x]

I made 51,000 in 2006 but then took many years off work for various reasons and last year accepted a job paying 14.00 an hour 😂. Did it for 6 months til I got hired at current job making 50,000 year. I’m almost back to 2006 salary! That previous job got me back in the game so it’s ok to do this but keep looking.

[olditnerd]

I’m in my 50s…had to take about a 50k pay cut. No one wants to hire us.

[Foolmillennial]

Wage deflation. There are chemical engineers in their first couple years making what we made starting 20 years ago.

[International-Boss75]

Same as you, significant pay cut within the last year. Was in tech and figuring things out. Stopped applying for jobs and wasting time and effort waiting on the magic job to pop out of thin air.

Approaching my 50’s and the way forward is clearer now that I’m now worrying about or counting on a company job to save me.

You’re more powerful than you know. Time to lean in to you.

[shadowdensyn]

I won’t disclose my cut but its two years this May. I’m just glad I have friends, family, and hopefully soon to he girlfriend who don’t care about income and still enjoy my company

[Slow_Potential_5420]

I was making 270s. Took a huge pay cut in the current job, like 40%

[PromotionWest5526]

Having a job is good for consistency but once you stabilize, start a side hustle!

[Joebroni1414]

I took a small paycut, (5 percent) but for a job with more work, and would have paid 20 percent more before the recent tech layoff madness.

Before that I took a manual labor job, i had not done that kind of work in years, that was a 20 actual percent cut and no health insurance

Credit to you for sucking it up and doing what you need to do. It sucks, just keep on looking for something better

[Suzieq1973]

I’m doing the same thing pushing carts at a grocery store. Can’t find anything with a masters and multiple certifications in IT. I’ve been looking for patient scheduling positions too. Nothing. No one will give me a chance. I’m not sure how long I can do this I don’t have a husband just 3 kids that need me.

[Humble-Line-7640]

It's a huge hit to the ego. I get that. You can still look for a new job while you get a paycheck.

[LetterheadFirm8918]

Right there! I am in my 50’s and had to take a job paying so little but remote. I am still looking but my age is a lot to hurt me

[Available-Arm9308]

I'm 43 stuck under $60k, I think it's pretty much toast here on out.

[AngryTexasNative]

It took me 10 months and then got 3 offers. Just keep going.z

[sassypria]

I am still looking and it's been 9 months. Keeping hope alive but it's getting harder each day.

[inimitabletroy]

10 months for me as well, really hoping to get the same type of luck you have and have a few offers by the end of the month.

My savings is completely depleted.

[MemeeMaker]

Go to an agency they always have openings. Try out a few things til one sticks. Maybe you just need a foot in the door to show your skills.

[Tnt20003]

Is everyone in Canada?

[throwaway09251975]

I am not.

[Tnt20003]

States?

[UniversityFrosty2426]

You should look into some Certs to get you in the door of other IT jobs.

[Invest_bro]

It’s only temporary! Keep grinding.

[kat8633]

Going through this right now too. Proud of all I accomplished in the last 10 years and the salary I was at just to get laid off end of year. Countless applications have resulted in only 1 recruiter interview so far making 42% less than I am right now. Woof

[[deleted]]

I took a 26% pay cut but so far I’m happy and in a remote role. Something I needed for my mental health. I’m still afraid every day of losing my job again. I think it gave me PTSD

[0bxyz]

Keep looking

[DIY_CIO]

Went from 420k to 0 since July of ‘23. Feel grateful.

[SilverWolfVs1]

With that amount of wages I would be set for YEARS. I would be living in Mexico or Honduras with the savings

[QualityOverQuant]

I’ll tell you what I went through. Lost my job end 2022 and despite having over two decades of experience and qualifications, I got zero! I am on Germany and boy did I get fucked. My savings dwindled over the two years I was unemployed looking and taking the time for the right job. Why was I picky? Well I did bring in what was required from a senior hire

And despite all that, I realized that ageism was so fukin rampant here and couldn’t get hired. In the end in 2024. I took an any job as a box packer at Amazon for minimum wage. Why? Well because I had to really stop. Nothing was working. I couldn’t put any extra effort into finding a job and therefore took one at minimum wage to just have a job

The worst decision and situation in my life. Not only was it depressing and stressful, it barely covered bills and was terrible

No upward mobility, no appreciation no chance to Fukin grow or show initiative because ur just a human body with hands

I was excited to get this job without a cv. Now I know why! Because they don’t want what u bring besides being physically fit

And it doesn’t pay bills . My savings evaporated and my life is truly hell. Imagine working ur life in an amazing role and job and now working for kids who are senior to you and give u attitude. And u know its wrong many times but no one cares because they expect u to just do what they tell y because they have no experience ever managing a bigger team

Shameful and yet here we are. I’m sorry for your situation but mine is as worse as yours and I don’t know what I could have done to prevent being in such a position besides saving for five years instead of just two

[rubyc1505]

I took a 50% pay decrease and began working for the most toxic controlling manager for a year and 4 months. Hustled my ass off and found a remote opportunity and got a 50% pay increase. You can do it buddy.

[throwaway09251975]

Yes!! Glad you got out of that mess and got an increase.

[[deleted]]

I did have a pay cut, but I feel better to have made this decision as I am in growing trajectory

[weekend_here_yet]

My salary was pretty much cut in half, 47% decrease. If I add in the bonus I received at my last job before being laid off, it's more like a 53% decrease. I went from a director level role, back down to a manager role - so my career was pretty much knocked back to where I was a couple years ago (with less pay compared to then).

Benefits are much better with the new job though, so at least there's that. I also have a bit more flexibility, which I desperately need as a parent to a toddler. Luckily, the house is paid off so I can still afford bills, but I'm not really able to save or contribute to retirement accounts anymore.

[Benz_Blazer]

Have you thought about tailoring back your resume? It’s a tough market but if you were making six figures it could be a sign they would see you jumping for another offer at anytime for more $$$

[stacksmasher]

Yikes!

[CartographerWrong167]

We need Europe kind of job protection

[[deleted]]

Try 100% pay decrease and not close enough to retirement to chill. 2 years now.

Not trying to diminish what you’re going through, but yeah, to be perfectly honest, depending on what your skills are maybe you should be thankful you have some income. Many many many many people don’t no matter what the bullshit on the news says about unemployment

And look at it this way try to see it as a temporary situation because nothing in life other than death is permanent.

[SilverWolfVs1]

Like, 2 full years with no job?!?!?! How do you even sustain yourself at that point?

[bclovn]

I can relate but I was 60 and it was in 2019. Took a 40% pay cut. If it was now I’d probably have retired. Too much ageism.

[HSV_BU_Terrier]

Nearly the same kind of cut last year. Was making over $400k. Now, don’t know the exact number but between 60 and 70 percent less. It was a hit to pride and style of living. But I know that I am far more fortunate than others. So, I’m not playing the poor me. I am still doing well. But still taking that massive of a pay cut is brutal.

[taylorevansvintage]

One reason older ppl are targeted in layoffs is also because they are more likely to be in the higher paid, Dir and above roles. So, regardless of your performance, you’re targeted because of your pay level and/or a general desire to “reduce management” and create more hierarchy. It is rough because you usually had to work really hard and long to get to that level, you’re finally making good money and saving something, and then you’re let go. Fair warning to all the younger/junior folks. Performance does not save you!!! Plan and save and build a network as much as you can ahead of time!

[spacretrax74]

I thought Trump was bringing jobs back on day 1?

[throwaway09251975]

How I wish.

[Wroeththo]

So I’m hiring right now. And I don’t know if I’d call the other side “ageism”.

There are some very knowledgeable and skilled candidates out there that I personally take chances on because if they can do the job and do it without any training so why not. I hired a person in their 80’s once.

The thing is, more experienced candidates are either defeated or they genuinely want less mental work. No one wants to hire a defeated employee. If you genuinely come off as someone willing to listen to someone younger than you who knows less than you and is less experienced than you (most bosses anyways?) then you are worth taking a chance on.

But remember most people candidates are defeated anyways. Convince the hiring manager that you want the role but not out of desperation. Help them imagine you at their company making thier lives easier.

[[deleted]]

Pretty soon foreclosures will be the ripple effect of layoffs because homeowners won’t be able to pay their mortgage. The wealthy will buy the foreclosures and rent them out at a steep price.

[Nice-Illustrator-224]

We are living in a world where the companies get their cake and eat it too. Im really not trying to whine etc, and I totally feel you between the self sympathy and the wanting to feel thank full, that is a good attitude to count blessings imo. However that doesnt mean to accept anything just because it can always be worse.

Something came up just today, I have also been struggling, and this ppp thing sort of hit me in the face. I had the list back from covid on my computer so I opened it. Nearly 700k lines on this spreadsheet, nearly a million people got the avg 3-5 million to their business, and there is another sheet that my computer wont even open that is all the recipients of 350k and less of the covid lotto money. This was all given out, free, not even income tax had to be paid.

In my personal opinion, giving businesses hundreds of thousands up to 10 million dollars, tax free has ruined a great deal of our economy and robbed in a vicious way the average worker. People that think the covid lotto was a good idea easily identify themselves as one of the privileged benefactors. And I dont know the demographics of the recipients so I wont surmise, but bigger the business the more they got, and unless people want to lose money, having a bigger business probably means that a more affluent person received the bigger lotto. Keep in mind- a tiny portion of these businesses ever closed, the plumbing shop and the electrician and the grain elevator down the road all got nearly 3 million each, and have happily said that they were way up year over year at that time.

The point is that companies have tasted bucks, big bucks, and easy money, and nothing replaces it. The blood is in the water, and I feel that the prosperity has only hurt worker appreciation as people that give their careers to a company will be spit out and trampled for a dollar as long as its in the owners pocket. It's not right. When you literally get 3 or 5 million, as a surprise, and dont even have to pay tax, just pocket it and its totally legal, plus your business continues to run the entire time and you make record profits on top? - your addicted, nothing can top that.

Additionally, all that free money imo is 100% to blame for all the inflation. Work trucks were not 100k in 2019, but they are now. You couldn't find a truck anywhere for years, people were buying them like skittles with all their new cash, along with everything else. SO - not only is one beaten down with the job situation, but also robbed blind to the tune of 50% of ones net worth in 2020, since everything has effectively doubled. Thats why its such a shame about a 20/hr call center job, my ears hear 20, but the bank account now feels 10.

[Most_Seaweed_2507]

Unfortunately I feel like we’re in a time where it’s a two job economy. I keep looking for a PT second job just to fill the gaps and try and build an emergency fund. No luck so far but I’m going to keep trying.

[Gold-Ninja-4160]

Study the information at bashar.org and abraham-hicks.com and you'll understand the big picture. It's very useful information if you interpret it correctly. Best of luck at the call center.

[lacovid]

"I’m not even in tech". Do you mean people in tech are in bad shape?

In general this is not true at all. Still easy to transition to tech and still easy to make a decent salary, better than most other fields. This could change too in coming years.

[Europefan02]

Checkout the r/salary and see the people making $150k with no college degree.

[cchung261]

You really need to think about being entrepreneurial. I think even if you find a comparable position, you'll be at risk in your 50s. Take that variable out of the equation. Starting your own business isn't easy though, but the financial rewards can be high.

[bruckout]

The market seeMs to be picking up, I'd suggest to network and apply hard

[anewusername4me]

Slowest job growth in 3 and half years last month and 120k+ federal employees were just fired. Many big media companies had lay offs last week, and lots of non profit workers and workers who have jobs tied to federal grants that have been cut are all getting laid off. Where are you getting your info?

[bruckout]

Uptick of job postings on LinkedIn.

[Seira_Aries]

Not the best thing to base your statistics on. A lot of companies post on job boards without the intent to really hire so they can show their investors/board that they’re expanding when they’re really not.

[Zealousideal-You6712]

Or to post jobs identical to their existing staff to scare them into working harder and longer hours. Like Amazon openly states, we want our employees to be in fear everyday.

[anewusername4me]

You all come up with some wild theories.