Unemployed? Underemployed?
By Roy Furr

I know a lot of people come to freelance copywriting and owning a home-based business after being laid off, being fired, quitting a job they just can't stand anymore, or feeling like they're not being employed to the best of their abilities.

(Maybe one of these describes why you're reading this email today.)

And with today's employment situation, this is probably truer today than ever before.

Here are some shocking stats about employment in the US today.

We all know the official government unemployment number hovers around 9%. We hear it on the news, even if we don't want to.

But this number is a bit of a fib – because it only counts those people who are actively collecting unemployment benefits.

If you add in those people whose benefits have expired, and those who've given up on finding employment altogether – even if they'd prefer to work – the number is more in the 20-25% range, according to Shadow Government Statistics, a service dedicated to uncovering the truth behind carefully presented stats like this.

And if you look at the percentage of the total population that has jobs – something the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls the "Labor Force Participation Rate" – the percentage of the total US population with jobs is around 64% and falling. It hasn't been this low since the early 1980s.

None of these numbers count the underemployed either. That is, the people who have jobs, but are only working part-time when they wish they were working full-time. Or people who otherwise might have six-figure jobs but who are now managing a McDonald's. Factor this in, and the number of people who have anything but an ideal job is astronomical.

But that's enough gloom and doom – where do we go from here?

So, the situation is bad. But in spite of this, what are our options?

Well, if you're unemployed or underemployed, starting a freelance copywriting business may be your way out. While some freelancers may be suffering from the same business struggles that have caused our overall unemployment and underemployment situation, most I know are actually benefitting from it.

• Many industries that hire copywriters actually do quite well in a downturn – such as financial publishers that teach you how to protect your wealth when mainstream advice doesn't work anymore
• Outsourcing becomes more critical as shrinking staffs try to cope with steady workloads – often the only way to get a project done is by bringing in outside help such as a freelance copywriter
• Clients want to get better results from the same or less expense – so they're bringing in experts who can help them optimize their marketing and improve their bottom line

And that's just a snapshot of what's helping freelance copywriters survive and even thrive in this crazy economy we're finding ourselves in.

So what do you do if you're unemployed or underemployed?

If you're unemployed or underemployed right now, the tempting thing to do may be to just dive right in and see what work you can scrape up as a freelancer. After all, this may help you get by until the next job comes around, or until you can work your way up the ladder and solve your underemployment situation.

I'd caution against this.

Well, let me qualify that. If all you're looking to do is to get by until things get better, this may be a good approach. Get a few freelance gigs here and there. Make the income it takes to survive. And when things turn around (whenever that may be), you can go back to "normal" employment. But …

If you want to solve your unemployment or underemployment worries for good, I'd suggest a different approach.

I'd suggest you sit down and plan your path to success as a freelance copywriter as if you were quitting your job to make the leap. Of course, you may get done a lot faster than someone working full-time because you have more time in the day to devote to it. But you shouldn't skip it just to go for your first paycheck.

You'll want to plan it out, even up to the point where you set your "Personal Independence Day" – the day after which you'll be working for yourself full-time.

Sure, you're not quitting your job. But you're quitting your unemployment situation. And that's maybe MORE important to plan.

And let me point you toward one resource you might want to have on hand – the expanded and updated Making the Leap program from AWAI. It's designed to take you from wherever you are to the freedom, independence, and financial rewards of living the writer’s life.

It contains everything you need to plan your success as a freelance copywriter, and it’s one of the best investments I could recommend you make. And it's fully guaranteed for the next 90 days while you get your business off the ground.

And if you have any questions or comments for me about the program, my personal experience making the leap, or your current situation, I invite you to share them with me here.