For the last two months, unemployment levels have rivaled those of the Great Depression. As of June 5, 2020 the U.S. unemployment rate was 13.3% (which is approximately 44 million people) according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor and Statistics. While those numbers are not reflective of only job loss due to the pandemic, they are staggering.
Today, Reuters posted research that shows a third of U.S. women want to postpone pregnancy or have fewer children because of the coronavirus. They attribute this hesitation to things like sweeping unemployment, loss of health insurance and and the unsteady pace of economic recovery.
Whether you've experienced economic setback resulting from COVID-19 or the extra time at home has caused you to reconsider your career path, you're not alone. While so many struggle with being laid off and furloughed, ScaryMommy shared an IG post from @moderncalimom that put me on my heels. I recommend reading her story, but my takeaway was she was treated unfairly and unjustifiably fired. While I have not heard her company's side of the story, I'm not sure I need to. She was doing her job, from home and without childcare for her very young children—during a pandemic. Like so many things in the last few months, this is infuriating.
We should be supporting each other now more than ever.
I don't have a perfect recession-proof solution, but I wish I did. However, I can offer you an ebook I recently created to help you start a freelance writing business. It's filled with great information and tips I wish I'd known when I was getting started. If you enjoy writing and you've ever considered working for yourself, now is the perfect time to give it a try.
Download this FREE eBook How to Start a Freelance Writing Business