What's really going on.

Here is what has happened since 2001 in Sangamon County, regarding the workforce:

Applying for work online can be troublesome

I went to Lowe's for some replacement parts. While I was checking out I casually mentioned I previously worked there and was wondering if there was a position open in the Building Materials department.

One of the Customer Service Associates said that someone had transferred from there to the flooring department so a position might be available.

I came home to go online and fill out an application for that position, but it wasn't posted on Lowe's website. I figured 'well it won't hurt to just submit an application' but they make it impossible because they would be flooded with and endless stream of online applications.

I walked into the Capital City Center on Mason Street with my CMS-100 form filled out, just to submit my information, but you can't proactively submit any information without a specific position. There was a time when you could submit your CMS-100 online, but they've since turned that off.

Illinois State Common Sense

I just successfully renewed my Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC) with the state of Illinois. I have no disciplinary issues that get in the way.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation requires that anyone with a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC) be honest and truthful about their professional practices. One should answer truthfully that one is not delinquent on child support payments or defaulted on state education loans. Does this mean that one's license gets renewed if one truthfully says they are delinquent on child support or defaulted on state education loans. One might think so.

It makes common sense that if someone with a PERC was dishonest and stated on their application that they did not default on a state school loan or were not delinquent on their child support payments, they would be disciplined for dishonesty in some other way besides refusing to renew their PERC so they could go back to work earning the money necessary to continue paying off their school loan or catching up on delinquent child support payments, right?

Apparently not. Not only does the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation refuse renewal on PERCs for being dishonest, but the department refuses applicants the cards necessary to actually earn the money to make right that which was wrong, and on top of that, the refusal of PERCs cuts revenue to the state of Illinois by $45 per applicant. This compounds the economic loss in terms of tax revenues generated down the line.

While I was at the website I browsed around at some of the articles and found an interesting report on recent disciplinary actions against card carrying members.

http://www.idfpr.com/Forms/DISCPLN/1202_dis.pdf

New unemployment numbers

Original Story:
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x826024400/State-reports-jobless-rate-nears-8-percent

Chart designed by Fred Slocombe using Microsoft Excel and Adobe Illustrator.

Rejection letter from K-Mart

I got a rejection letter from K-Mart.

I'm 45 years old. I guess they aren't interested in hiring me. The letter said they decided to "pursue other candidates." I can only assume they mean younger candidates.

I was figuring on supplementing my meager farm income with some part-time work. At least I would be able to get a house. I guess not.

On the upside - I passed the civil service exam for a position at the University of Illinois, however, I'm 3 points from the range of qualifying candidates.

I'm not perfect and I'm not so undereducated that I can be exploited either. I guess in Springfield, Illinois you have to be one or the other to get a job.