Where Seattlest Considers Unemployment

Hard as it may (or may not) be to believe, the sorry state of employment in our fair city reaches deep into the Seattlest newsroom. Appearances notwithstanding, there are those amongst the intrepid Seattlest staff who find themselves part of the 4.6% of workers in Seattle-Tacoma who had jobs back in March 2008 but didn't in March '09 (as we were reading on Schmudget today). We've given up our Scotch and cigars for Rainier and GPCs (do they even still make those?), and yes, the tweed is getting a little threadbare.

But as Seattlest has discovered, even in the worst of times, there are ways of getting by, making do, and still having fun. But what's the fun of keeping that all to yourself? While the good people at Slog have been inviting readers to submit their tales of woe and anguish in the unemployment line for a while, we want to open up the floor to Seattlest's own dedicated readers. What's the most irritating part of unemployment for you? What was the insane, inconceivable question thrown at you by the interviewer for that job you really thought you'd get? What do you do to kill the time, to save money, to have fun on a tight budget and tight belt? Where are the best happy hours serving dollar beers and two-dollar wells for every night of the week? Confidentiality provided upon request (we won't publish without confirmation). The only requirement is that we want it in your words.

So share the (figurative) wealth! Email jeremy(at)seattlest.com with your tips, tricks, and hilariously sorry stories, because life's only really a tragedy if you have to experience it alone, and who knows? Maybe amongst Seattlest's dedicated readers is the person who has just the advice for you....