Your benefits are based on the job you were laid off from as that company (and you) paid into unemployment insurance.

Your reasoning was the same as mine was back then. When I tried to use the unemployment benefits from my prior job I was specifically told that since I had started a low wage job I would then only qualify for benefits based on that low wage job’s salary and only if I was laid off from that job and not -reassigned- by the employment agency.

Live and learn.

Here’s my dilemma: My job comes with a handsome pay cheque, but I don’t enjoy it at all. My boss goes through periods of stress that last several months and each time he ends up taking me down with him. He snaps at my (few but necessary) questions and won’t otherwise speak–even to say hi or goodbye. He also believes that he is the only person that can do any task properly (in and out of work) and therefore takes on far more than he should. In the office, this leaves me with little of any interest to do. The remainder of the time, I have to collect information from colleagues that few give willingly and therefore I am (or rather my role is) often at the receiving end of emails/calls of complaint. Should I stay or should I go to a job that I love the sound of, but pays £10k less?

I addressed 3 other myths about “why I shouldn’t take the job” as well as 3 reasons why taking a lower paying job is a good idea. Perhaps I’ll include this article after the 3 best objections (I could think of, anyway) as a rebuttal to those as well.

So combined with the other 3 myths and the 3 good reasons, I guess that’s 9 reasons to take a lower-paying job in the right circumstances.

Econobiker makes a great point that I didn’t think of in the original article. Don’t compromise unemployment benefits unless you’re able to do better!

Put as others have pointed out, don’t shorten your severance or take less than what unemployment offers. That’s just dumb.

Job- severance – unemployment benefits THEN a lower paid underemployed job…

The resume would have an empolyment gap either way.

I say it’s better to do something than sit around feeling sorry for yourself.

One of my friends now has a six figure job, which came at the end of a long period of job searching. He has also delivered pizzas one to two nights a week for the past several years, whether or not he was employed with a high salary at the time. He is sure that people judge him when he brings their dinner to their homes. In fact, I think he enjoys that part of it very much! The point is, he’s not “too good” for that job, and while he was unemployed it was his only source of income. It certainly did not interfere with his job search.

In contrast, another friend has been looking for a job for over a year now, and has NEVER sought any part-time employment. He feels it’s beneath him, since he previously had a fancy job title. He also claims he needs 7 days (and nights, I guess) a week to search for a job. As Jim suggests, this is totally bogus. And this middle-aged guy lives at home with his parents and continues to turn down job opportunities that are entry level because he is “management material”. Did I mention he is in default on his personal debt because he can’t even make the minimum payments??

I just can’t take him seriously any more. Not when other people I know are working two jobs, and taking care of themselves and their obligations. The risk of complacency is not as big a problem as irresponsibility, in my opinion.

So low-paying jobs do not make for a good long-term solution.

Then you’d have a noticeable ‘employment gap’ on your resume that would trigger an employer’s red flag prompt them to and toss your resume.

Yep, THAT is surely the way to go.