To product designer Michael Hartzell, one of the most difficult things is telling people heâ??s jobless. Itâ??s especially true in Madison, a city long viewed as recession-proof.
“Being laid off has a real stigma attached to it,” he says. “I havenâ??t even posted it on my Facebook page yet.”
Hartzell, 40, and a father of one, lost his position recently at Pacific Cycle during a companywide reorganization. Although he knew the end was coming, it didnâ??t make it any easier. Heâ??s since found a bit of consulting work, but few firms are hiring, and competition for any full-time openings is intense.
….As the nation readies to mark Labor Day 2009, Hartzell can take some comfort knowing heâ??s not alone. Some 273,000 Wisconsin residents, or 8.7 percent, are unemployed, according to the latest figures from the Department of Workforce Development.
Quoted: Laura Dresser, associate director of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)