US News

CITY FULL OF SAD ‘SACKS’

New Yorkers are far from immune to the record number of pink slips being handed out across the nation, helping catapult the country’s unemployment rate to a whopping 6.7 percent last month.

Figures released by the federal Labor Department last week show that employers laid off a staggering 533,000 workers – the most in 34 years and a further sign the economy is headed deeper into recession.

The state Labor Department’s latest figures showed that New York’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 5.7 percent in October – up sharply from 4.6 in the same month last year.

In the city, unemployment also reached 5.7 percent – up from 4.2 percent in October of last year.

Nationally, the work force has been steadily shrinking – losing more than 1.2 million jobs over the past three months alone and 1.9 million this year.

The job reductions were the most since 602,000 positions were slashed in December 1974, when the country was in the grips of a severe recession.

There was more bad news yesterday.

The Conference Board, a private research group, said the economy is going to continue losing jobs rapidly next year.

The group said its employment trends index, which combines eight labor-market indicators, fell between October and November.

“Thus far, the US economy has lost 1.9 million jobs and the declines in the ETI [Employment Trends Index] suggest job losses could very well surpass 3 million by mid-2009,” said Gad Levanon, a senior economist at the board.

“The continued deterioration in the labor market will exert significant downward pressure on wages,” he said.

As it stands, job losses have hit white-collar workers at an alarming rate.

Anya Metlitsky, 23, who lives on the Upper West Side, was laid off in September after a restructuring of her fashion public-relations firm.

She said he had no idea she was going to be on the unemployment lines when her boss called her into his office.

“It was devastating,” she said.

Since then, she has applied to about 60 companies – but hasn’t landed anything.

“With the job market the way it is, everyone is getting laid off and it’s tough to get any callbacks,” she said.

Metlitsky said she wants to continue in her industry but doesn’t know if that will be possible.

“After putting so much work into my career, I want to stay in the field,” she said.

“But at this point I think I’m going to have to settle for something else.”

She’s thinking of going back to school and getting a degree in social work.

OUT OF WORK IS FULL-TIME WORKOUT

Damien DeJesus, 26, senior manager for a promotions and events company on the Lower East Side

Damien DeJesus was laid off Nov. 3 and is scouring the city looking for similar work.

“I saw it coming,” DeJesus said of the economic strife. “I knew there was some restructuring. The writing was basically on the wall.”

DeJesus, who is single, said he’s had to cut all the extras out of his life, such as going out with his friends on the weekends and ordering in every night.

“I’m cooking every day and was riding my bike – until someone stole it in Union Square last month,” he said.

DeJesus said he is currently living on his savings but hopes to land something by next year.

He said his “full-time job now is looking for a new job.”

“I wake up at 7 a.m. every day, make coffee and start my day looking for a new job,” he said.

WILLING TO DO ANYTHING

Peterson Charles-Mark, 30, an accountant from Canarsie, Brooklyn

Peterson Charles-Mark was laid off Nov. 30 from his accounting job at the Bank of New York and will do anything for work.

Charles-Mark, who worked at the bank for nearly three years, pocketed an annual salary of $45,000 – but was let go due to massive budget cuts at the company.

“My bills have to be paid, so I’m filing [for unemployment] as fast as I can,” he said.

Charles-Mark said he has sent his résumé to Goldman Sachs – but is perfectly willing to work as a supervisor at a CVS pharmacy.

“I’m an economics major. I know how hard it is to get a job,” said Charles-Mark. “I’m definitely willing to take a pay cut.”

Charles-Mark, who is married with no kids, added that the current financial meltdown is “dire.”

“I’m the breadwinner, and the rent is pretty high,” he said. “It’s the holiday season. It’s tough now.”