Employment is Key to Beating Debt. But Confusing Employment Stats Offer no Real Help

For far too many people in North Carolina, and the country, job loss has been the primary driver of excessive debt. Even those who spend wisely and are conservative with credit can quickly feel the impact of being laid off. Three months of savings may help. But only for three months.

If you are one of the millions of Americans reluctantly contributing to the unemployment rate, it may seem like things are never going to get better. Looking for a job can be a mentally tiring and frustrating endeavor. And if you are facing the additional pressure of mounting debt from credit cards, a mortgage and maybe a couple of car payments, it can be hard to sleep at night. Well hopefully, recent news about positive job growth will help you get some rest. Or not.

According to reports, the number of jobs lost in the month of November has decreased. Payroll processing company ADP stated that companies only cut 169,000 jobs, which signifies the eight consecutive month in which cuts have been less than the previous 30 days.

Employment experts are hopeful that the coming months will continue the trend, but the overall drag on the economy caused by cumulative job losses will continue until 2014. The benchmark for "full employment" is an unemployment rate of 5 percent or less. Given our current conditions, achieving that number looks like a tall order.

We at "Bankruptcy & Your Passage into and out of Debt" do not pretend to be experts on the macro-economic conditions that impact employment, gross domestic product or the price of barley in Argentina. What we are experts on is how bankruptcy can help you. And, for a lot of readers who are out of work, in debt and frozen in financial stress, we understand how reports like this can be frustrating. Minimal positive blips on the job growth radar screen don't help you navigate a way out of the financial abyss. Without sugar-coating it, we believe this remains a difficult economy in which to make a living.

Compounding the loss of a paycheck for someone out of work is the loss of medical insurance, or at least your ability to afford it. Medical debt is a very large cause of bankruptcy in our country and today's work conditions are only making it ever more prominent.

In total, companies let go of 1.24 million jobs in 2009, which is almost 18 percent more than in 2008. So what kind of positive should you take from that? We're not sure, to be honest. That's what makes employment figures so darn frustrating. While the rate at which jobs are being cut has diminished, the rate of hiring has not increased, suggesting that many jobs simply will not be replaced. This should not be a surprise to anyone, really, given the beyond reasonable rate at which many companies expanded in the last five years.

Truthfully, job reports are becoming ineffective in their ability to communicate any real data to the economic growth equation. In the end, the preservation of one's economic well-being needs to become insular, self-focused. If bankruptcy is your best option, then ignore the stats and stigmas and screwy metrics. Do what is right for yourself and your family. There is no better barometer for health of the job market than your own situation. You need to act when the time is right for you.

If you're struggling to keep your head above water, bankruptcy can be just the lifeline you need. Contact the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt today to discuss your options. Call +1-833-627-0115 to discuss your options.