In todays economic crisis there are many that would say we are in a depression. The government has finally admitted that the United States is in a "recession". However, I would be one of the many to call this a Depression. Look at the significance of the word. Today our economy is in such turmoil that depression in our populace is becoming a real threat. Not only are we faced with the uncertainty of what we will face tomorrow but many are out of a job with the very real problem of not knowing where their next meal may come from. It is evident that there are jobs available out there, but in that same sense where there were once only 20 to 50 people applying for one job, the tides have changed and businesses are seeing a serge of applicants in numbers exceeding 300 or more. Families are now faced with all kinds of concerns. "How do we afford our utilities?" "How do we feed the children?" What about health care?" "Are we going to lose our home?" All these questions among others are causing people to wonder if they will ever pull through this hard time and be able to look forward to more promising days to come.
It is becoming a very real problem in several areas of our economy. As a business man that understands the fundamentals of how a successful business runs, I also realize the problem with how businesses think. Businesses are concerned about their bottom line. Their focus in almost any case is to control their profit. To do this they have to keep the costs of several expenses low. Labor is typically the highest cost that a business incurs. Thus businesses that want to increase their profit (in my eyes usually due to greed) focus on the major expense first. Laborers see their hours cut back during slow periods and the company is then able to maintain their ridiculously high profit and keep the Executives fat and happy. The Executives never intend to voluntarily take a pay cut as a way to help out the company financially, how could they afford their ten thousand dollar redecorating of their office or their million dollar jets? No, they expect that the laborer will swallow their pride and allow the food to be taken from their families mouths. We live in a world where each individual is concerned only about themselves and how much they can fill their wallet and bank account. In recent news it has been announced that companies are laying off people left and right due to the drastic decline in our economies health. Boeing announced the layoffs of over ten thousand workers. Microsoft, over eight thousand, General Motors has been ridiculed for the speed at which they fired their personnel. Circuit City announced the company wide closing of their stores. With each of these companies I wonder if the Executives are now sitting as financially strained as their former employees are.
I recently spoke with a friend of mine who is also a pastor for a local church in my area. He informed me of concerns he had due to the apparent suicidal threat increasing within his church alone because the economy is in such a slump. Within the past few weeks he has had four men approach him seeking counseling and guidance. They had been considering suicide because they saw no other way out of their financial situations after losing their jobs and not being able to find other realistic employment opportunities. How many Americans are in the same kind of circumstances where they have put in several years at a job, giving of themselves to better the company, only to be out of work and no place to go? If the threat of suicide is already increasing, then as the economy plunges further we will only see more and more turmoil unfold. If Suicide is something that you as the reader have been considering or contemplating, I strongly encourage you to speak with a counselor or church Pastor in your area. It is ok to ask for help and I encourage you to do so. What you are experiencing is something that hundreds of Americans across the nation are going through. You are not alone. I would like to offer my support and encouragement to all those out there that are experiencing financial tragedy. My prayers are with each of you that are without work and losing confidence.
As the weeks go by I will continue to review the changes and threats that continue to plague our economy. Follow along as more articles will come. Feel free to leave your ideas and comments as I will take them into consideration as I write future articles. For those of you that are unemployed and struggling I would especially like to hear from you. Perhaps I can at least offer some comfort or encouragement.
