Coronavirus: Israelis looking for work in these uncertain times
While many of those who have been let go from their jobs are still receiving unemployment benefits, there are plenty of people who either quit or were fired before the pandemic began.
By ILANA SHTOTLANDOUTSIDE THE Jerusalem Employment Office(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
"I worked for a large commercial chain for 19 years. I left my job in August 2019, so I could use my abilities in a different field,” explains Revital Yona, 40, from Lod.“I was getting unemployment payments, which ended in April, just when the corona outbreak started. I’ve been sending lots of CVs to companies, but the only companies getting back to me are looking for part-time employees. I really need to find a full-time job. I have three kids and lots of bills and a mortgage to pay. Now, there are a million unemployed Israelis, and everyone is looking for work at the same time. It’s not easy.”While many of those who have been let go from their jobs are still receiving unemployment benefits, there are plenty of people who either quit or were fired before the pandemic began, most of whom no longer receive any help from the government.Clearly, it’s not easy not having any income or unemployment benefits during an economic crisis.“It’s quite stressful,” admits Yona. “It’s awful sitting at home every day. I’ve been out of a job for almost a year now. I’m not the kind of person who can just sit at home. I love working, learning new things and keeping busy doing things. I started going to job interviews even before my unemployment benefits ended. They’d ask me questions like, ‘Do you have any secretarial experience?’ I’d say, ‘No, but I am willing to learn, and I’m very resourceful.’ I even took an office management course with Machshava Tova, which provides job-seekers with training and skills that are required for entering the workplace. But nobody is willing to give me a chance.”How are you getting by financially?“My husband has been working overtime at his job, and I’ve been trying to keep household expenses as low as possible. But even though it’s been almost a year, I’m still optimistic that I’ll find something. Things will work out in the end. I believe in myself and I’m not going to give up. I go to every job interview I can and present myself in a positive and professional way.”Hadas Levi, 29, from Jerusalem, says, “Before the corona outbreak, I was working as a portfolio manager. I was fired in October, and so I started getting unemployment benefits. During that time, I tried to figure out what I’d like to do next. I did a course to become a wedding organizer, which finished in March. I was scheduled to coordinate two weddings the week after Purim, but then the corona pandemic hit and all the weddings were canceled. My unemployment benefits were supposed to end in March, but thankfully the government extended payments through June. But I still haven’t found a job.”So what are you planning to do?“Well, I guess being a wedding coordinator is not the best field to be in these days, since even all the veteran organizers are currently unemployed. So instead, I’m looking into other jobs as a salaried worker. It’s clear to me that being an independent contractor is not so easy anymore. I’m a bit stressed since my unemployment benefits are ending soon, but I’m not married and I don’t have any kids or a mortgage to pay, so it’s not so bad. I’m optimistic and hope I’ll find something soon.”HANA, WHO prefers not to divulge her full name, says, “My husband, who works in hi-tech, was fired six months ago. He started receiving unemployment benefits and began looking straight away for a new job. He found something in March and began working, but a few days later, the pandemic hit. They considered putting him on furlough, but in the end, they realized they had to fire him. He’d already used up most of his unemployment benefits, and he won’t be getting much more. We’re still optimistic, however, that he’ll find something soon.”Einat Lichtenstein, 36, from Nofei Nechemia, was working in the nonprofit sector.“In August 2019, I was fired, and I received unemployment benefits through January,” she explains. “I looked for new work mainly at non-profits, but I couldn’t find anything. Right at the beginning of the corona pandemic I found something. I was supposed to replace someone who was retiring. But because of the craziness, he decided not to leave.”Have you kept looking for work throughout the COVID-19 period?“Yes. I’ve sent out lots of CVs, but I keep getting responses that they’re not hiring at the moment, that they’re waiting until the crisis passes. Or I’m getting offers for jobs that pay minimum wage. They aren’t really helpful. The nonprofit sector has frozen a lot of its activity nowadays. I haven’t had steady work for almost a year already.”Has this affected you psychologically?“Well, during the height of the crisis, I was busy just trying to keep my children safe and keep the household running. But now I’m just feeling frustrated. Sometimes I wonder if everything is happening for a reason. Maybe it was meant as a wake-up call, and that I need to make some changes. I have five children and am very grateful that my husband has stable work. I’ve been managing a few ad-hoc projects just to bring in a little extra money while I continue to search for a job.”Does it make you feel different knowing that a million other Israelis are also looking for work?“I try not to think about it like this since it makes me feel even more anxious. I’d like to believe that each person has their own unique story. So many people are frustrated by these difficult times, and yet we each have our own personal narrative. I think this is a great opportunity to really take a good look at our lives. Of course, it’s very difficult financially to survive on one salary, and some days I feel like my life is in crisis, and I get so worried about the future. Not only am I not successfully finding work, but the entire nonprofit sector is collapsing.”BAR DAVID, 27, from Jerusalem, says, “I was let go from my job as a cashier in January 2020. I wasn’t eligible for unemployment benefits since I hadn’t worked enough consecutive months, and anyway, I figured I’d find another job quickly enough. I started looking for a secretarial position, but nothing was panning out. Then the corona pandemic hit, and so I stopped looking for work. I figured the chance of finding a new job during the pandemic was pretty low. Now, I’ve resumed my job hunt.”What has been your experience lately looking for work?“It’s incredibly difficult. There are many more people looking for work than ever. The number of jobs available is much lower than demand, and I’m searching to somehow find my place in all this chaos. Just before all the craziness hit, I’d begun taking a course through the Jerusalem Municipality Strive program that helps people figure out what kind of jobs they’d be good at and how to go about the job search process.”Have you been able to pay your bills?“I’m married, and I have a baby. My husband was put on furlough from his job when the coronavirus hit, and he doesn’t want to go back to that job. He’s getting unemployment for the time being while he looks for something else. We’re experiencing a difficult period, but we’re trying to keep our heads above water. We’re pretty much in survival mode. We’ve had to use some of our savings, unfortunately, just to get by.”Maya, 43, from central Israel, worked for 10 years in human resources, mainly in training, welfare and in-house communication. She quit her job a year ago, hoping that she could transition into a different field.“Afterward, I replaced someone who was out on maternity leave, and now I’m receiving unemployment benefits that will be ending in a few weeks.”Maya admits that if she’d known we were going to be hit by a pandemic, and that the economy was going to take such a turn for the worse, she never would have quit her job.“I never would have left that job before I’d secured another one,” she says sadly. “When I quit, I was sure I’d find something new right away.”What’s it feel like to be looking for a job nowadays?“First of all, I’m a very optimistic person by nature. When I speak with a representative from an employment agency, they are the ones who are sounding pessimistic. There just aren’t many jobs to choose from these days. I’ve been sending CVs, networking, meeting with people to pick their brains, but there just isn’t much out there now. I’d love to move up in the field of HR, since I love helping people from the first moment they arrive at a new job until the moment they leave. I also want to take a course so I can work in coaching. I know at some point I’ll find something, but there’s just so much uncertainty now. It’s impossible to know what the future holds for us.”Translated by Hannah Hochner.
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