Two jobs and seeking a third

I took a break from my imaginary getaway trip to Denmark to register as a job seeker at the unemployment office - a strange thing to do considering I technically have two jobs. Exceptional circumstances - require very lame actions and I do not think that I have had to do this before.

When I first came to Finland, I found out that the company I worked for would "fire" me for the holiday period, which was three months for the training business. This wasn't mentioned in the contract as I was only meant to stay nine months, but they offered me an extension. For this 12 week period, there was no salary, no holiday pay, no nothing - but the company said that it is okay, I just go and register as unemployed and everything is fine.

The problem is, I am not an EU citizen like all of the other workers they had and a non-EU citizen didn't qualify for any kind of support within the first three years at least. This meant that my only option was to do something I had never done before - get a credit card. For three months, I lived off my meager savings and credit and as the job I had wasn't exactly "high paying" (it was below the poverty line - while the company was making record profits), it took me about 2 years to recover from that 3 month period.

The debt cycle is real, and if one gets too far behind, it becomes a continual crushing bane of existence, constantly having the dogs bite at the heels and unable to take advantage of real opportunities that arise, due to past obligations. Debt is a killer - it is also the games they play with debt that causes so much economic volatility and when countries get into debt, it is their citizens that will foot the bill.

Fuck I hate the idea of being on any kind of social service....

In Finland, the social services are good because for a very long period of time, Finland has had low unemployment and a good rate of business to cover needs -. It has also been that Finns themselves were generally thrifty, and would limit their spending and have significant personal savings. In times of need, the government would be able to call upon internal money to cover costs, which had lower interest and the interest was paid to citizens. These days, Finns are catching up with the global western consumer cycle and getting more and more into debt, evidenced by the explosion over the last few years of "pika lainat" - quick loans - that people use to cover everything from buying a TV to a holiday, at inflated interest rates (the highest behind that link is 132% interest), higher than credit cards. What this indicates is - the people using the loan service already have maxed out their cards, or no longer qualify.

Debt is an insidious beast that keeps driving value out of pockets through interest payments for nothing gained. Yes, it is understandable that something like a house requires a loan and perhaps even a car under some circumstances - but people are buying their clothes and weekend drinks on credit. If you can't afford to drink with cash - don't.

Personally for me, this period of time has been pretty soul-crushing as it feels much like everything I have been working for over the last 17 years in Finland is going to amount to nought, even though it is not going to be the actual case. There is something horrible about having to deal with government employment services and it is made worse as I haven't had to do it for a very long time - because I have worked my ass off and tightened belts in order to not have to. In the past, I have actively chosen to not take support and preferred to rough it out instead.

However, with my family now and the current situation we face - I figure that I have generated enough taxable income and ALV (goods and services tax) through my business as well as increased the business activities of my clients, that I think I shouldn't feel that bad about taking a few months if I can get it.

It is still uncertain as when I talked to a representative today, the first issue that came up was "You are not an EU citizen" - this normally means that I am likely not going to qualify again or there will be significant differences in what is covered - but I am unsure. I am a permanent resident and have been for 15 years, run a business and hold a second job in a Finnish startup - but at these times - that might be meaningless.

And I think that is what the worst thing is when it comes to dealing with government offices - the people they are working with, the citizens and stakeholders of the country - are just numbers. I remember almost 17 years ago when I was in the office for the first time and asked, "so what am I meant to do for food the next three months" and the woman behind the counter literally said, "that is not my problem" and closed the window.

I am far from that point this time, but the same kind of familiar feelings are arising, and that annoys me. I also know though, that regardless of the outcomes in this area, I will be fine and I will work it out well enough, as I always have and back myself to find a way - if it ever gets to that.

It is funny, as with so many people having to do the same at this time, people are more openly speaking about it. What is interesting for me to note is the difference in enthusiasm between people. Some seem literally excited that they will get paid something for not working, even though it will be less than what they would get for working - others like myself - feel the sense of failure. I came very close to not registering at all this morning, but I figure that with the uncertainty of the future, it is probably best to do so and keep some options open in a pre-emptive move - and the lines are very long to contend with. There have been more requests in the last months than they normally get in 2 years.

It could be that I still won't need to fall back on it, but I am glad I live in a country where there is at least some kind of social net, as while I might not need it at the end of the day, there are many others who will. In a society and community, large disparities cause large problems for everyone eventually, and poverty is something that creates a lot of knock-on problems. There are significant differences across the globe in this area and I wonder when the recovery finally does come, which will recover the fastest economically and which socially -and which will drag on at the expense of their people for years into the future.

Taraz
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