More than 22,700 jobs have been lost since September 2007 in the Tampa
Bay area, the hardest-hit area in the state. On Thursday, Congress
extended employment benefits for the toughest job markets by an
additional 13 weeks. Today's St. Petersburg Times story tells the tale of Annie Lesso, a widow who lost her job Oct. 1 due to Frontier Airlines' budget cuts.
How has this mother of 2 gotten by? She only buys necessities now. No more Starbucks, cable TV or health insurance. Friends have helped her with finances, she's applied for food stamps, turned to her church for help and even asked her hairdresser for a reduced price (he agreed).
Tampabay.com readers have empathized with Lesso:
"My
story is like Annie's. It took me 8 months, multiple interviews, 100's
of resumes, searching for a new sales career this year. I never had
this problem before getting a new job." said Diane of Tampa Bay.
Melissa of Clearwater says: "
I've
been out of work for 6 months, and I've applied for jobs I wouldn't
normally ever consider doing. If this keeps up, I'll have to move back
into my parent's home."
How are you handling being out of work? Who are you turning to for help?
[Photo by Cherie Diez | Times: Annie Lesso fills out an application
at the Hilton Hotel in St. Petersburg with her daughter, Madi.]
