Thursday, December 10, 2009

Out of Balance

In case anyone was wondering, first day on the job was great. Waiting tables has not changed much since 2005. Short walk from my loft. Everyone was really friendly. Pretty laid back owner. I received the honor of being the oldest server at 28 years old. That would have really annoyed the old Grace. Now, older = smarter so they better watch out as I fly right past them.

I keep on thinking about my descent that has lead me to wait tables. Sure, I should have finished my degree already. Just two classes to go. But even if I had done that, my job prospects wouldn't be that much different. What does this mean when college educated people can't get jobs? I would conjecture that it is because this recession has greatly weakened the middle class. I'm not middle class anymore. I am a college educated waitress.

I don't think people are giving this recession enough thought. This economic state that we are in is going to affect is greatly in the long run. This morning in Paul Krugman's NYT column he said we'd lost 8 million jobs since the recession began and at the rate we are adding new jobs it would take us 5 years for employment to get back to pre-recession rates. Wow. I really hope that doesn't mean I'll be waiting tables for five years.

It just seems like the world has turned on it's head. Having an education was supposed to mean you could get a good job. I can't. I've been trying since last February. I can't make more than $12 an hour. It's really frustrating! If it really takes the job market five years to get back in order, will there be any middle class left?

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