How long have you got to wait to get the next job?  

The following was extracted from a printed article that was published in local newspaper.  Hopefully this finding will help you have a reality check and be prepared to even consider other career options.  

MALE

Of the male workers who were retrenched, 78 per cent found new jobs. The figure was 73 per cent for female workers.

Male workers also found work slightly faster, taking an average of six months, compared with seven months for female workers.

BELOW 40

Those who were below 40 took an average of six months to get re-hired, one month less than those over 40.

In fact, 61 per cent of those who are yet to be re-hired are 40 or older.

The study explained that the relatively high cost of hiring older workers puts them at a disadvantage when competing for new jobs.

Also, older workers are seen to be less adaptable to changes in the new economy, and their current skills may be outdated.

In contrast, about 85 per cent of those below 30 managed to get re-employed.

A DIPLOMA HOLDER

Retrenched diploma holders seemed to find it easiest to get re- employed. About 89 per cent of diploma holders managed to find a job after being laid off, compared with degree holders (86 per cent) and those with post-secondary education (80 per cent).

On the whole, those with at least secondary education found new jobs within six months on the average, one month less than those without.

HIGHER PREVIOUS WAGE LEVEL

Those with higher incomes in their previous jobs also had higher rates of re-employment, with the most successful earning between $2,000 and $5,000 (more than 80 per cent).

Less successful were those who earned between $1,000 and $2,000 (74 per cent) and those who earned below $1,000 (69 per cent).

Those who earned more than $5,000 were also slightly less successful than average (73 per cent) as they are likely to be older workers who have been with the same company for a relatively long time.

HAVE LESS THAN 10 YEARS' WORK EXPERIENCE

Retrenched workers who have been on the job for less than 10 years found it easier to get re-hired.

Most successful in getting a new job were those who had between one and 10 years of experience (with a re-employment rate more than 82 per cent).

The re-employment rate for those who had less than a year's working experience was 78 per cent.

Only 66 per cent of those who had worked for more than 10 years were re- hired.

The study explained that this could be because workers who stay on in a job longer tend to have skills specific to their employer. These skills may sometimes not be relevant in other jobs.

Also, these workers may be out of touch with job search skills.

A PROFESSIONAL

About 85 per cent of professionals, like engineers and accountants, were re-hired, compared with 81 per cent for clerical staff.

Production workers were the least likely to get re-hired, with only 66 per cent finding new jobs.

Those retrenched from the service industries did better, with about 82 per cent finding new jobs, compared with those in construction (77 per cent) and manufacturing (71 per cent).