This post focuses on the stories of the unemployed and migrant workers who are returning home to their countries. How has unemployment affected individuals around the world? What are some of the difficulties encountered by individuals as they search for work? In what ways the reverse migration of workers creating problems for developing nations? Unemployment diaries There are several websites which provide regular news updates on job losses. For example: Layoff Tracker, Layoff Daily, The Layoff List, Singapore Retrenchment Blog. For its part, the International Labour Organization has uploaded a document on latest unemployment figures for every country in the world. These websites highlight the fact that job layoffs are perceived by most people as the primary and most recognizable indicator of the global economic recession. There are many unemployed individuals who document their daily struggles by creating blogs. A few examples of these unemployment diaries are Furbier.com (Brazil), Retalhos Da Vida De Um Merdas (Portugal), Jobless and Less (United States), Unemploymentality (U.S.), Pink Slips are the New Black (U.S.) ‘Escape from Unemployment’, a book about the life of an unemployed person in Korea was published. Also noteworthy is the Unemployment Haiku Weekly blog of a recently laid-off worker. Unemployment Haiku Weekly Fabio C from Brazil echoes the sentiments of the unemployed: Ficar desempregado é terrível. Você se sente inútil, nem descansar consegue, já que você pensa que precisa achar algo para fazer. Seu corpo e sua mente se acustumam ao trabalho, agora entendo porque aposentados ficam depressivos ou porque alguns profissionais vendem 10 ou 20 dias de férias. Meus dias tem sido pesados, cansativos por serem iguais. My days have been heavy, strenuous because they are all the same. That really depresses me. According to the ILO, the Middle East and North Africa region recorded the highest unemployment rate in 2008. Amira Al Hussaini of Global Voices has written a post about the job losses in the Arab world. One of the hardest hit by the recession was Dubai. Kinan Jarjous in Dubai wrote a poem and several goodbye emails after being laid-off: There’s no need to be upset. I, for one, am ecstatic that this is over. Granted, I will miss the income, and feeling somehow “useful”, but it is now due. I have drafted several goodbye emails, but picked the shortest and sweetest to send. There’s nothing left to do, nothing I would talk home about anyway. My energy now should be spent on pressing forward, and following my own wishes. I have to stop pretending to be someone else. Even workers in the movie industry are in danger of losing their jobs. A producer for a major movie studio in Hollywood was recently laid-off: They say that the movie business is one of those recession proof industries, but when you have the base of such an interconnected economy collapse and you also have lots of people suddenly waking up to the fact that they've been living way beyond their means, then it seems that even the mighty Hollywood ends up shedding jobs. And those people, just like everyone else, will have to think about finding work, staying in their homes, and making sure their families have good health insurance. A blogger from South Korea identifies the possible reasons of companies for firing workers. Aspan, also from Korea, observes that “society is not comfortable with the unemployed.” Below is a translation of what Aspan wrote in his blog: Most unemployed people feel humiliation when they receive unemployment compensation. They feel upset in workshop places where they can receive the compensation. We all know we lost jobs, but they painfully remind us in such a cruel way. We’re not begging, but it leads us to be upset. In order to receive the compensation that is provided every two weeks, we have to go to a public place on time and have to show evidence of how hard we have looked for jobs for two weeks. After passing, we can finally receive the unemployment compensation. In addition, the moment when I feel sad is how other people look at me. The way they look at me, why the person who is supposed to be the breadwinner of the family is stuck at home. “Can I take a rest for filling up new energy?” Even when I try to make a credit card, I was rejected from companies that had begged me to make cards before… Our society is not comfortable with the unemployed. Unemployment has taught many people to appreciate the valuable things or persons in their lives. Pedro from Portugal is comforted by the fact that he is supported by family and friends: Valem-me muitas coisas. O conforto da família, os amigos, os colegas.