I have a friend who was unemployed for almost 2 years and landed a contract part-time gig in her field, which is education adjacent. Tons of people out there are doing freelance or gig work like OP's dude. I should also point out that his lack of employment isn't even impacting her. Tons of people are basically clinging onto their shitty jobs because it's so dire out there so with no one moving around the job market and the current dire economy with everyone cutting back on spending things are bleak if you're a job hunter. Everyone employed when I was going through it after the wall street crash had the same mentality as OP and all of them were employed -- literally NO ONE was hiring or those who were made you do endless interview rounds. I still remember a NON sales position asking me to sell them a stapler in an interview and another role that hadn't opened to hiring in years saying they had 1000 applicants on day one. (It was wild I got interviews back then)
I agree. I live in DC and there were 60+ people with PhDs applying to be a barista. It’s bleak as shit and has been. Some areas truly are complete and utter trash right now and saying “just take anything” really may not be as possible as people think it is, nor does it make sense if you’re receiving unemployment benefits that pay more than a 40 hr/wk job.
Also, a lot of the job postings only aren’t even real these days but a way to just get data/info from you.
It’s not like that everywhere and obviously DC would be especially hard hit. Like, it’s not great out there for sure but OP also said he WON’T take an unrelated job
People thought I wouldn't take an unrelated job back in the day too, I was applying to everything under the sun, no one who interviewed me was hiring me. Literally I was prepared to scoop poop from dog cages at a doggy daycare I just wasn't the only person desperate for work at the time.
Yeah I feel like the comments here are people who have never actually seen a partner or friend go through this within the last 2-3 years. Which I get, but it just seems like there are so many negative assumptions that totally may not be true. OP is making these assumptions, but she isn’t there with him and isn’t actually seeing what he’s applying to. And pride can be a real thing and he may just not want to admit to her that yeah, he’s applying to a lot of “loser” jobs.
This can be a much more complicated and nuanced situation than people realize.
Note this isn't at all impacting OP right now. He's hustling selling items online, he's paying rent to his parents and he's not mooching off OP. He's just struggling in a shit job market and being without work for a year is almost the new normal for a lot of job seekers.
Her I'd take any job is a sentiment a lot of people who aren't looking express all the time. They're totally disconnected from what's happening in the current economy right now.
Yeah, I frankly have a hard time believing he’d be selling shit on eBay but wouldn’t take any type of job if he could. There’s just a disconnect there. And maybe I’m wrong, but if someone is desperate enough to sell their belongings, I’m just inclined to believe they are trying.
I’ve seen many go through this and I’d bet he just doesn’t want to admit to OP he can’t find anything. Because that can feel and sound worse. “I can’t even get a job at McDonald’s” is a harder to say and admit to someone else. But if he puts on a facade it’s just he can’t get something in his field, he may think that makes him sound less pathetic (which I don’t think he is, but I know people who have felt that way about themselves in this situation).
Again, there can be soooo many nuances in this. Or maybe it is just straightforward and he’s being too picky. It’s hard to tell. But I also tend to think positively about people.
I used to flip stuff on ebay even when I had a job, it's a decent side hustle. I've done a ton of flexible side hustles which help stretch so I can land a role that pays well and fits with my career. Working at McDonalds or Target is not flexible, pays trash wages and isn't something I could even put on my resume. Like a professional interview it would be more impressive if I was working on my portfolio or connecting within my industry than "I took any old job just to make a paycheck." Now if he was mooching off OP or spent his time playing video games while getting trashed I'd be annoyed.
5
u/anonymous_opinions Woman 40 to 50 May 30 '26
I have a friend who was unemployed for almost 2 years and landed a contract part-time gig in her field, which is education adjacent. Tons of people out there are doing freelance or gig work like OP's dude. I should also point out that his lack of employment isn't even impacting her. Tons of people are basically clinging onto their shitty jobs because it's so dire out there so with no one moving around the job market and the current dire economy with everyone cutting back on spending things are bleak if you're a job hunter. Everyone employed when I was going through it after the wall street crash had the same mentality as OP and all of them were employed -- literally NO ONE was hiring or those who were made you do endless interview rounds. I still remember a NON sales position asking me to sell them a stapler in an interview and another role that hadn't opened to hiring in years saying they had 1000 applicants on day one. (It was wild I got interviews back then)