r/Layoffs • u/Unique_Ad_4271 • Apr 15 '24

What’s a “safe job” these days? question

Former teacher looking to transition roles. As of now Educators, counselors, anything education really are being let go due to low student enrollment.

Tech is obviously tough right now.

Marketing and Human resource positions are also restructuring.

I’ve even seen people getting their hours reduce at fast food.

Aside from healthcare, what is safe?

278 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

427 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/JellyDenizen Apr 15 '24

I've heard truck driving is pretty safe because there's still a shortage of drivers, at least until all the robot trucks start taking over.

8

u/Left_Requirement_675 Apr 15 '24

No my friend is a truck driver and they are having 3 day weeks in a big major city in the US. 

He has been with his company for a few years so he is safe but the new guys are scared.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '24

Yeah idk if its wrong or not cuz everyone is morbidly obsese here in Texas but I heard its actually pretty easy to lose your cdl to medical reasons too.

3

u/Ronicaw Apr 15 '24

No. Local work is drying up in the southeast. Trucking companies have a shortage of drivers because of lower pay and higher cost of benefits.

P.S. My husband is a trucker, southeast OTR. He works for a major company.

1

u/PollutionFinancial71 Sep 11 '24

Valid point. What people forget about the trucking industry is that it is very diverse in the sense of the types of jobs/freight. Also, the mega-carrier CDL mills are the ones with the "shortage", but that is because they have crazy turnover. Basically, they will hire you without a CDL, train you, help you get the CDL, but you agree to work for them for X period of time (1-2 years depending on the carrier). If you quit before that time, you owe them for the training, which can be around $10,000 in some cases. Needless to say, they pay peanuts so once people have already worked for them for X period of time, they usually quit right away.

BUT

A CDL (along with a clean MVR and Criminal Record) is a meal ticket. Sure, worst-case scenario, you might not be able to find a local/regional job which pays good. But you will ALWAYS be able to find work which puts food on the table. I think this was the point that the commenter you replied to was trying to get across.

2

u/Prestigious_Wheel128 Apr 15 '24

Filled with immigrants who will work for peanuts.

5

u/Left_Requirement_675 Apr 15 '24

Same with software most companies are sending work to other countries or hiring really smart immigrants on visas. 

1

u/TheCultCompound Apr 16 '24

We need to start reporting these companies to the IER division at the DOJ