Lawrence and the economy
- Local business climate growing colder: Experts offer tips to survive recession
- Second Chance closes its doors
- Auto repair industry thrives
- Coping with recession
- Real estate market looking up
- Government hit with budget cuts
- More people buying cheaper food basics at grocery stores
- Slow sales hurt artists, but work still on display
- Home-building enters another year on decline
- Army interest
Unemployment
The December unemployment rate for Douglas County stood at 4 percent, according to the Kansas Department of Labor.
That’s slightly lower than November, when it was 4.1 percent. It’s also lower than the state unemployment rate of 4.9 percent.
State officials say the slowdown in the housing and financial sectors has caused a “ripple effect” of job losses across the state.
The year 2008 was not a good one for Tim Franklin.
At the beginning of the year, the 38-year-old Lawrence man filed for bankruptcy. In October, he was laid off from his job as a residential loan officer at Bank of America.
“It’s pretty emotional,” Franklin said about the layoff. “It’s like, what do I do now?”
Franklin holds no grudges against the bank, where he worked for three years. “It did what it had to do,” he said. Although the home loan business started off well in 2007, it then dropped off and led to his bankruptcy and eventual layoff.
“You count on your income being there when you need it, and then it goes down to nothing,” he said.
Franklin is married and has three children. His wife, Amy, works as a dental hygienist and her job was not included in the bankruptcy filing.
“Everything is on her shoulders now, and it takes a toll,” he said.
Franklin stays home and takes care of the children while job-hunting.
He is studying to become an insurance salesman after networking and finding out about an opening with a local company. He must pass a licensing test.
Franklin has had sales jobs most of his life. Sales jobs are not too secure in bad economic times, and he knows that.
“If you don’t make sales, you don’t make any money,” he said. “There’s just not a lot of jobs here in Lawrence that are available.”
Franklin passed on a truck-driving job opportunity. It would have taken him away from his family one or two nights a week, and he didn’t want that. He thinks the insurance job is the best fit for him now.
“It’s still sales, but everything is starting to fall into place. I can’t complain,” he said.
Comments
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justforfun (anonymous) says…
Ok. I get what happened to this family. But tell me how/why this is news???
hawkergrl (anonymous) says…
Good Luck to you in passing the state licensing test. I too, am in insurance sales. Even with tough economic times, everyone is still required to have insurance, therefore a bit of job security.
smitty (anonymous) says…
Franklin passed on a truck-driving job opportunity. It would have taken him away from his family one or two nights a week, and he didn’t want that. He thinks the insurance job is the best fit for him now.Things aren't bad when you can choose your source of income. Move on JW!!!!
Thinking_Out_Loud (anonymous) says…
justforfun, it's called "a human interest story." It's widely regarded as legitimate journalism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_in... course, only people who are interested in other humans seem to appreciate these stories. People who are totally self-absorbed and lacking a sense that anyone other than themselves hold any value at all don't regard this sort of story as worthwhile. Unless they are, themselves, the subject.
harper5231 (anonymous) says…
i know of this "man" (if that's what you want to call him) and he deserves every bit of this....
he's a crook. this was probably all part of some big old scheme he worked up to get rid of his bills....where is his integrity?
oh and by the way HE has one child, his wife is the one with 3 children and her ex is still in her children's lives and provides child support. I completely agree with Smitty...you must not be that bad off if you're passing up work....he's not getting any sympathy from me.....this man is one who knows how to work the system and i guarantee he's got more $$ coming in than the rest of us....except he's not working for his. he's morally and ethically bankrupt.