➔ Technically when most workers lose their jobs, they are not fired. Laid off? Maybe. Down-sized? Good chance. No matter what they call it though, they’re out of work.
If it’s any comfort, they’re not alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last month there were nearly six million workers who were presently unemployed. How prevalent that is depends largely on the industry and the position from which they were let go and geography as well as other factors. Then again, a great many workers were at their last jobs for considerable lengths of time – some even for decades.
It could be worse
No matter how bad you feel about those unemployed, there are people who have it worse. For instance, pity the poor professional football coach.
There are 32 teams in the National Football League, each with its own head coach. At the beginning of the 2022 season, according to profootballnetwork.com, there were ten new head coaches in the NFL. That’s 31 percent of all the head coaches in the league – a record. Houston is on its third new coach in as many years.
Of the remaining 22 (as of this writing,) two already have been fired in mid-season. Last year there were two let go before year end. Both interim head coaches who succeeded them were not retained for this year.
There is an old saying about professional sports coaches (football, baseball, basketball, et.al.) that says that the day you’re hired, you’re one day closer to getting fired. That’s certainly true in the National Football League.
Beginning this year, of the 32 predecessors of the current incumbent head coaches, 26 of them – 81 percent – were fired. Of the remaining six, two left their teams by “mutual consent” with ownership and only four, actually retired.
But professional football coaches fare comparatively well. According to Business Insider, the average tenure of an NFL coach is 4.3 years. That’s better than Major League baseball managers whose average tenure is 3.7 seasons. Head basketball and hockey coaches both last an average of 3.4 years.
Despite the fact that they are paid exceedingly well, they do not exactly enjoy job security.
“Blame no one. Expect nothing. Do something.”
— Bill Parcells, former NFL head coach