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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think it's hard to get a job these days

47 replies

Todaysrollercoaster · 12/09/2015 13:57

Or is it still easy?

I was a student in the mid-00s. Could always find casual work easily enough. Relative is now looking and can't find anything.

AIBU to think it's a lot harder to get a job now?

OP posts:

Coolforthesummer · 12/09/2015 19:21

There are some retail jobs going near me eg Next, M&S and BHS but they are minimum wage and shifts including evenings and weekends.

As a single parent, where will I find childcare for two dc all day Sunday? I wouldn't make much if anything after childcare costs anyway.

It must be easier if you are young with no dependants.

hattyhatter · 12/09/2015 19:26

I've disappeared off down a sad line of thought about employment for Ibexes now. I did have a point.....

Rufusgy · 12/09/2015 19:27

Depends on the industry.

I've never had a problem. Never had a day out of work not through choice.

We struggle to employ good people at work, many people don't even bother to reasearch the company.

KitKatCustard · 12/09/2015 19:31

pizza eating I agree. I'm the same age as you, was made redundant in May and can't get a job. A lifetime in a fairly specialist role means my experience is not viewed as relevant.

HelenaDove · 12/09/2015 19:31

Cool Someone i know works for a supermarket....... they gave her 28 and a half hours a week. She needs 30 to get tax credits. (no DC) and has been asking for the last few years for them to increase her hours by an hour and a half a week. Shes said she would do more than that. They said no to her. Shes also applied and looked for other jobs. The only time that they dont say no to her is..........yep you have guessed it the few weeks before Christmas. Not to mention the fact that they took a load of ppl on one October swearing blind the jobs were permanent then one of these new staffers found out they were being got rid of on Christmas Eve. 3 of these six newbies then walked out saying they wernt going to give up their Xmas Eve with their families after being told a pack of lies.

Blackcloudsbrightsky · 12/09/2015 19:31

I think there's a lot of competition for jobs now.

NewBallsPlease00 · 12/09/2015 19:32

Round here loads of warehouse jobs paying more than nmw however you have to accept shift patterns won't be ideal, loads of people consider the work beneath them and as a result Eastern European agencies bring people over specifically

NewBallsPlease00 · 12/09/2015 19:32

Mids btw

peacoat · 12/09/2015 19:32

I agree. I'm currently recruiting for a Learning Support Assistant and two of the applicants have PhDs, and several have Master's degrees. This is for a job that brings home less than £1000 per month, in London.

EponasWildDaughter · 12/09/2015 19:33

cool - my DDs have found that a lot of larger chain businesses round here (supermarkets, clothes retailers, etc) are keen to employ youngsters, pay them the minimum wage, etc.

They then throw in that they expect applicants to be happy to do at least one late night a week, or a regular Sunday, ignoring the fact that the majority of these kids cant do either as there's no public transport after about 6pm and none on a Sunday at all.

Parents are expected to step up and fill in the transport gaps. Although they are learning to drive,my DDs stick with small independent businesses who only want to trade during normal shop hours.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 12/09/2015 19:36

I find that here (Midlands), jobs such as warehouse work, care work and sales are still very easy to come by. There are lots of huge distribution centres locally which require thousands of staff - and it's physical work for minimum wage so lots of people won't lower themselves to it (but then complain there are no jobs anywhere).

"Better" jobs, professional posts and office jobs with decent pay are few and far between however. And the places that used to employ teenagers back in my day seem not to now. Both of my sisters worked at Tesco on weekends - you don't see anyone under about 25 there now. My first job was as an Office Junior at a legal firm. They no longer employ juniors as such - they have a few Facilities staff who tend to be semi-retired gents now instead.

HedgieRobin · 12/09/2015 19:39

I think it's easy for young people, and unfortunately harder for older people.

Agree, it depends how picky you are. I earn £40k which is a lot for my age and experience, but my god do I work for it! I work 55 hours per week in a fairly full on job.

HelenaDove · 12/09/2015 19:41

Our local Tesco is full of under 25s.

In one of my retail jobs many years ago it was expected that staff would go in on a Sunday to sort out/move around stock so heavy lifting for NO WAGE.

Looking back now we were also not likely to be covered by Employers Liability Insurance as the shop wasnt trading on a Sunday.

ImMarriedtoMyHusbandsBalls · 12/09/2015 19:41

I absolutely agree. I'm a 46 year old working mum with 2 kids and an unemployed husband. I've just tried to go for promotion but I've been beaten to it by some old bloke from Islington. I might have to resign or at least take a lowly admin job. My career is buggered now.

MrsJorahMormont · 12/09/2015 19:45

:o Husbands

Very hard to get jobs round here too but I'd be amazed if anyone struggled to get one in the SE. BUT in the SE there are jobs but many won't pay a living wage, especially if you have to pay for childcare.

HelenaDove · 12/09/2015 19:49

Oh and the Sunday no wage working was only expected of the childless staff.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 12/09/2015 19:50

Our local Tesco is full of under 25s.

In that case I shall assume that the recruitment bod at our Tesco just doesn't like young people!

sproketmx · 12/09/2015 19:53

What do you mean the asda one is Rediculous? My sister had to do this at her asda 'group selection' interview. They were given cards and put into groups of 4 or 5 people and asked to work in teams to follow instructions on a bit paper to build a house. No word of a lie. Who'd have thunk building card houses is a skill relevant to ringing up shopping and cash handling?

PastaLaFeasta · 12/09/2015 19:55

I was told that if you want a job you will get a job where I live. I bloody hope so as I want to get back to work after a five year break to look after the kids. I'm hoping to break into a new career and retrain so it's unknown territory. I'm a bigger not a chooser, despite a good degree and past career I am back to square one and applying for school leaver roles. The wages are also very low. I see hundreds of applicants for the roles I would apply for, many who want young or recent graduates. I imagine a parent with an employment gap is going to find it tough to get jobs when young and unattached people are the competition.

CassieBearRawr · 12/09/2015 20:20

It's one of those things which is industry specific I think. I know friends in certain industries who job hop constantly, never anywhere longer than two years and constantly move up the payscale the whole way. I know other struggling terribly in different industries to even get something resembling decent basic hours, let alone get promotions or new jobs.

couchparsnip · 12/09/2015 20:39

I work in government and we are recruiting entry level jobs all over the place. The annoying thing is that HR only advertise on the civil service jobs site (google it if you are interested), They always used to put an advert in the local press but that doesn't happen any more. They get enough applicants from those that come looking so don't have to cast the net very wide any more. I wonder if that's a common thing.

pizzaeatingmonkey · 13/09/2015 19:09

KitKat sorry to hear you're in the same boat. I have catering qualifications and masses of management experience but all I want is a job where I can work less than 30 hours. I've been doing between 40 and 60 hours for 30 odd years and will admit that I can't hack it any more.
I don't expect anything more than minimum wage! Even my 'coach' at the jobcentre is flummoxed as I've been out of work since March.
( and I live in the South East)

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