Dispatches: From $70K Job to Two-Plus Years of Unemployment, Shoreline Man Rolls With the Punches

The economy is getting better, and yes, more companies are hiring, and the stock market inched up again yesterday.

The unemployment rate in December for the state of Washington was 8.7 percent in November, the lowest since 2009.

But for many people in the Shoreline area and nationally, a full recovery from the worst economic recession since the 1930s is far from reality.

Take Robin Drain of Shoreline, whose story is not unusual, said the staff at Hopelink’s Shoreline center.

Drain, who has an accounting background, worked for SME Inc. a Seattle-based industrial electrical contractor for 10 years handling everything from contracts, payroll, tax returns, accounts payable and human resources duties. He dealt with budgets and accounts totaling up to $68 million a year. He lived in a high-end apartment building and drove a 2001 Mercedes and a Mitsubishi.

But in October 2009, Drain, who had 17 years of experience in the field was laid off from a job that had paid him more than $70,000 a year.

Drain looked for work but found he was overqualified for many positions. Employers wondered why someone with his skills would want an entry-level job in accounting, or a blue-collar job. They figured he wouldn’t stick around along and he’s still jobless after sending out piles of resumes. At age 51, he’s been going to a Labor Ready office in the International District at 5:30 a.m. hoping to find work. Most days after a four-plus hour wait, there is none.

He was on unemployment for a year and four months and it eventually ran out in Oct. 2011. He didn’t get an extensions granted by the federal government for the full 99 weeks. He’s tapped into his 401k and savings to make ends meet for months. He does not have health insurance.

Drain found himself in an unfamiliar position when he went to Hopelink and used their rental assistance program. He was a volunteer in the communities he lived, gave to charity and adopted and raised two sons, now 23 and 24 years old.

As someone who had always paid his own way, who was the one giving back, did he ever think he’d be the one seeking help paying rent and getting free bus tickets from an organization like Hopelink?

“As far as finding myself on the other end?” he said. “No.”

Being laid off is never a pleasant experience, and there have been a lot of frustrations, but Drain said he’s better off than some people and believes good things will eventually happen to good people.

“I’m not angry, I’m not mad, because I know the economy, changes I saw the state of the company. I see everything because I handle the financials,” he said.

“It’s a domino effect. Now I have to rebuild my image and credit worthiness.”

In addition to unemployment, the lingering effects of the recession have left many people with fewer hours at work, which means they are underemployed, center manager, Leslie Brooks said. It’s also common to see families living on one income now instead of two.

As a result the Hopelink food bank is high demand as more clients use it and more donations are always needed.

The rental assistance program that Drain used helps people make rent and stay in their home who have received a three-day eviction notice. It also helps people get into an apartment and assist them with first month’s rent, which usually requires a deposit and last month’s rent as well. Clients must be income eligible to qualify.

As for Drain, he said, “I just want to work. I’m willing to take anything.”