Everybody has a different experience transitioning back to work, school, travel, shopping, entertaining, or whatever you have been avoiding since March 2020. Maybe all of the above! Here in Indiana one of the ongoing controversies at the Statehouse has been over whether the additional $300 unemployment assistance funded by the federal government should be ended before the federal deadline in September.
The governor says with a very low unemployment rate, the state needs people to fill jobs and this extra funding is keeping them at home instead of working. Other schools of thought say it’s not that simple. Some stay home to care for children, some because they still fear COVID infection, and perhaps other reasons—some as simple as people and their skills don’t match up with jobs and where they are located. I learned many years ago from one of the senior VPs in my corporate life that cash is fungible. Look it up if you don’t know what that means. It’s a fancy word for a simple concept. People and their skills in the job market, on the other hand, are not fungible.
Earlier this morning I heard another interesting twist on why some people may be staying home and continuing to take advantage of the increased unemployment pay. This from one of the talking heads on Bloomberg News. He said that some people were taking advantage of the time and funds to upskill and get ready for better paying jobs as things continue to open back up. We know that unemployment has been higher at the lower end of the pay scale, even before the pandemic. It stands to reason that improving one’s earning potential is a great way to spend time off and money coming in. This appeared to be anecdotal, however, and I didn’t hear any hard evidence of this view. Perhaps I tuned out too soon!
Contrary to this view that $300 and skilling up can make a difference, here in Indiana, our largest community college system put together a program to offer a $300 per student incentive payment for high school graduates to participate in a summer program to jump-start their higher ed careers. Dubbed “Bridging the Gap” and also funded by federal COVID relief money, it provided for up to 3500 students to participate. Only about 300 students took advantage, according to school officials, and no news yet on how many of them will complete the program and enroll in the fall—the true measure of success.
As for me, my new fiscal year budget started a few days ago. I was advised by my business office before the end of the prior fiscal year that the pandemic reduction from last year was to be recovered, but nothing in writing yet. Tomorrow I have a (virtual) meeting with my boss, so hope to get some confirmation on that recovery. I have some commitments to make that require a bit of financial outlay to get back to doing my job the way I did it pre-pandemic. Can’t wait!
I would love to hear about your experiences as you continue your transition. What is happening with your work, school, children, home life? Comment or be in touch in whatever way works for you. This has been such an experience and we are all learning from each other.
IN CLOSING
Thanks for reading. Looking forward to your comments and connections, both virtual and in person as my world continues to open up. Until next time . . . . stay safe and healthy!
Barb's Boomer Blog 