Dec 1, 2009 5:03 pm US/Central
One Woman's Yearlong Struggle With The Recession
Connie Sloan Working Again, But At Less Than Half The Pay She Made Before She Lost Her Job
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Connie Sloan is earning $31,000 a year as a receptionist for a chain of beauty salons. Two years ago, she lost a job earning more than twice that as a facilitator at a cosmetology school, because of the recession.
CBS
We hear the economy is bad but getting better. One of the faces of the recession said she has made progress, but it's going to be difficult to regain everything she's lost.
Last year, CBS 2 News asked our viewers to tell us how they were coping in the beginning of the recession. We received scores of emails. Connie Sloan's was among them.
At the time, Connie had lost her job and was afraid she'd lose her home.
On Tuesday, she told CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker that she's managed to keep her home and she's found a new job, but life is far from perfect
"I'm angry that I am one of the people that got caught up in this economic market downward turn," said Sloan.
Sloan expressed her anger last November in a message she sent to CBS 2. On Tuesday, she read part of that email.
"It's going from bad to worse, with no relief in sight for those of us that are struggling, but wish to do anything to save our homes from going into foreclosure," she wrote.
Sloan admitted she was angry when she wrote the email.
"I was. I was at the end of my rope. I had been out of work for a year, my 401(k) was exhausted, my savings was totally exhausted," she said.
Sloan has since found a job; she's a receptionist working for a chain of beauty salons, earning $31,000 year. She used to make $80,000 as a facilitator at a cosmetology school.
"It's a struggle. Every pay day, there's never enough money to pay the bills. So you pay your mortgage, or you pay your bills," Sloan said.
Life hasn't always been a struggle. Just two years ago, she was on her way to fulfilling her five-year plan of paying off her home, getting her daughter through college and helping her two older boys buy property.
"It's all gone, everything's gone," said Sloan, through tears. "This will be the first Christmas that we don't celebrate."
But they'll also count their blessing this Christmas. As much as she's lost, sloan said she knows she still has something to be thankful for.
"I still have a roof over my head," Sloan said. "and I know there are a lot of people out there that don't."
Sloan is 59 years old. She had hoped to retire at 65, but that plan went out the window.
She said she'll have to keep working for several more years to pay off her debts and hopefully pay off her home.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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