This is the story of my professional life, ten years out of college, trying to make it through these lean years like everyone else. People my age have the dubious distinction of starting their careers and families in the midst of one major terrorist act, two recessions, three wars, and endless rancor over how our future as a nation will take shape.
I’m 33 years old. That means I was 23 in 2001, the year I graduated college and entered the job market. My very first job interview as at a temp agency about four blocks from the White House. That was on the morning of Tuesday, September 11. I didn’t work until November.
I’m 33 years old. That means I was 23 in 2001, the year I graduated college and entered the job market. My very first job interview as at a temp agency about four blocks from the White House. That was on the morning of Tuesday, September 11. I didn’t work until November.
For my first job, I was employed on a weekly basis with no guarantee of being hired with benefits. I stayed on my dad's coverage for the time being. Employers strung me along, talking of hiring freezes even as they brought other people on full-time.
In late 2002, I got a better job. In fact, it paid a little above average and had great benefits. Then the economy tightened up again, and they used attrition to reduce their workforce, leaving me and my cohort with some pretty hefty responsibilities for that paygrade. Our health insurance premiums went up, and they told us that we’d have some of that increase come out of our paychecks. Every job I’ve had since has taken a growing chunk of my flat paychecks for spiraling premium increases.
In 2004, I took out a modest set of student loans and went to graduate school in Atlanta. I had some family support and a stipend from a fellowship, so things were going pretty well for us. With the cost of living so low where we were, and the housing market so affordable in comparison to DC, it made a lot of sense to buy a house. So we did in 2005, right before we were married.
In 2007, I finished school and got a job in Atlanta working at a state university. When the economy tightened up again, the university issued a salary freeze, turned down the heat in the building, and limited services around campus. Health insurance premiums continued to increase every year. I switched to a plan with less coverage and more cost sharing.
In 2010, after two years of looking, I got a federal job back in DC. The stability of it seemed like a good idea. We put our house in Atlanta on the market, just as local demand and prices collapsed. In December, moved back to an empty rented house in the DC area, staying with in-laws or on an air mattress. With family help, we moved our belongings north and settled in our new, though temporary home. Our house in Atlanta is still on the market.
On Friday, April 8, 2011, I thought I'd be out of a job until the government could pass a budget. Even then, there would have been little chance of receiving my back pay. Regardless of shutdowns, my salary is frozen indefinitely.
The work I do is important, even if it doesn't make someone a sizeable profit. The people I know at my job work hard and care about what they do. We just want an honest debate about what's really important to Americans. Like everyone else, we just want to work.
Looking at how things are across the country, I'm grateful that we're doing all right, thanks in large part to family help. It wouldn't be possible otherwise. We’re paying a mortgage on a house with no equity, a rent payment, bills, student loans, groceries, gas and everything else. Most jobs seem to pay the same that they did ten years ago. I don't know what else I can do.
The work I do is important, even if it doesn't make someone a sizeable profit. The people I know at my job work hard and care about what they do. We just want an honest debate about what's really important to Americans. Like everyone else, we just want to work.
Looking at how things are across the country, I'm grateful that we're doing all right, thanks in large part to family help. It wouldn't be possible otherwise. We’re paying a mortgage on a house with no equity, a rent payment, bills, student loans, groceries, gas and everything else. Most jobs seem to pay the same that they did ten years ago. I don't know what else I can do.
When will we catch a break?
I’m 33. My wife is 31. We want to start a family soon. I imagine supporting a household in a few years, and I wonder how we’ll make ends meet. I wonder how we’ll afford health care, school for our kids, car purchases, and everything else that's expected. I wonder how we’ll ever be able to retire, even as we contribute the maximum to our plans. I wonder if it's always been like this.
We’ve tried to do everything the right way. We made the investments that everyone told us would pay off. We improved our skills and knowledge to make us more marketable employees. We save money. We’ve avoided serious personal debt. We’ve simplified our lifestyle. We vote and pay taxes.
Our families love and support us every step of the way. With our backgrounds, work ethics, and a little luck, we have more things going for us than 90 percent of people our age. My story is a relatively good one these days. Life's been fun despite it all. We're still all right.
But when will it be our generation's turn?
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