Business & Tech

Jobs: Been Self-Employed, Now Job-Seeker

Veteran San Leandro contractor thinks a job with health benefits would be better for his family -- if only he could find one.

After nearly 20 years as a self-employed building contractor, Karl Garcia is looking for a job with health benefits.

But after four months of submitting applications, the 50-year-old San Leandro resident has yet to land an interview.

"I've applied for warehouse jobs, I've applied for security jobs," said Garcia, who talked with Patch after a recent story their stories.

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"I've gotten little or no response," he said. "I'm good face to face. But with the Internet I don't have that chance."

Garcia is an unusual job-seeker. He is not unemployed because he still has some private contracting jobs.

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"But they are too few and far in between," he said.

What is common about his circumstances is the importance of finding a job that pays full or partial health insurance benefits.

Garcia explained his situation.

He is married to a college professor. They have one child in grade school.

His wife has health coverage through her employer.

Garcia and their child are eligible for coverage under her plan.

That is a blessing in itself because self-employed people pay the highest rates for insurance.

But the family must still cover the full premium for Garcia and their child -- close to $1,000 a month.

"That's why even if I made less money, we as a family would have a better chance if benefits were something I could count on," he said.

But with 14 million Americans out of work, hunting for a job means courting discouragement.

Garcia recalled applying for one entry level position in security.

"Somebody out of high school gets a job as a security person," he said. "I got back a reply saying that I didn't fit their criteria for the post."

What did that mean, he wondered. Was he too old? Too experienced?

Of course, there's nothing to do but shrug and keep looking.

Like many people, Garcia knows these times are not like his parents' day, when a lifetime of work was followed by retirement and a pension.

"The expectation of security is gone," he said. "It's turned into more of a hope."

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