ForcedFromExecutivePaytoHourlyWageNewYorkTimes

MarkCooperstartedhisworkdayonarecentmorningcleaningthedoorhandlesofanofficebuildingwitharag,vigorouslyshakingoutarugatabackentranceandpushing

adustmopdownalonghallway。

NinemonthsagohelosthisjobasthesecuritymanagerforthewesternUnitedStatesforaFortune500pany,overseeingabudgetof$1.2millionandearningabout$70,000

ayear.Nowheisgratefulforthe$12anhourhemakesinwhatisknowninunemploymentcirclesasasurvivaljobatafriendsjanitorialservicespany.Butthatdoesnotmaketheworkanyeasier。

Yourefightingdespair,discouragement,depressioneveryday,Mr.Coopersaid。

Workingfivedaysaweek,9a.m.to6p.m.,Mr.Cooperisnotcountedbytraditionalmeasuresasamongtherecessionscasualtiesatthispoint.Buthistumbledowntheeconomicladderisamongthemoredisquietingandoftenhiddenaspectsofthedownturn。

ItisnotclearhowmanyprofessionalslikeMr.Cooperhetakenonthesetypesoflower-payingjobs,whicharethemselvesinshortsupply.Manyaredoingtheirbesttoholdoutaslongaspossibleonunemploymentbenefitsandsingswhilestilllookingforworkin

theirfields。

About1.7millionpeople,however,wereworkingpart-timeinJanuarybecausetheycouldnotfindfull-timework,a40percentjumpfromDecember2007,whentherecessionbegan,accordingtotheBureauofLaborStatistics。

Andexpertsagreethatastheeconomicdownturncontinuesandasmorepeoplebegintoexhausttheirjoblessbenefitsandotheroptions,thesituationMr.Cooperisinwill

inevitablybeemoremon。

Interviewswithmorethantwodozenlaid-offprofessionalsacrossthecountry,includingarchitects,formersalesmanagersandexecutiveswhohetakenonlower-paying,stop-gapjobstohelpmakeendsmeet,foundthattheywereworkingforplaceslikeU.P.S.,aVerizonWirelesscallcenterandaliquorstore.Formanyoftheworkers,thepsychological

adjustmentwasjustasdifficultasthefinancialone,withtheirsenseofidentityandself-worthupended。

Ithasbeenlikepeelingbackthelayersofabadonion,saidAmeArlt,53,whorecentlyacceptedapositionasacustomer-servicerepresentativeatanonlineinsurance-leadsreferralserviceinFranklin,Tenn.,after20yearsofworkinginexecutivejobs.Witheverylayeryoupeelback,youdiscoversomethingelseaboutyourself.Youheto

makeanadjustment。

Somepeoplehadexhaustedtheirjoblessbenefits,orwereineligible;otherssaiditwasimpossibleforthemtoliveontheirunemploymentchecksalone,orsaiditwasamatterof

pride,orsanity,thatdrovethemtofindajob,anyjob。

Injustoneillustrationofthedemandforlow-wagework,aspokesmanforU.P.S.saidthepanysawthenumberofapplicantsthislastholidayseasonforjobssortinganddeliveringpackagesalmosttripleto1.4million

fromthe500,000itnormallyreceives。

WhenMs.Arltappliedforthejob,shesentinastripped-downrsumthathidher20-yearcareeratnationalmediapanies,duringwhichsheascendedtovicepresidentofbranddevelopmentattheOnmandVideoCorporationandwasmaking$165,000

ayear.Shedecidedin2001tostartherownbusiness,openinganequestrianstoreandthenfoundingamagazinedevotedtothesport.Butwiththeeconomyslowing,shewas

forcedtoshutterbothbusinessesbyJuneoflastyear。

Afterapplyingformorethan100jobs,mostlydirector-levelandaboveinmarketingandbranding,andgettingjusttwointerviews,Ms.Arltsaidsherealizedlastfallthatshehadtodosomethingtoclosethemonthlyfinancial

hemorrhage。

HernewjobatHometownQuotespays$10to$15anhourandhasmostlyentaileddataentry.Buteventhoughshehaspartedwayswithsomefriendsbecausesheisnolonger

intheirsocialstratum,Ms.Arltsaidshewasgladshewasnolongersittingathome,thinking,WhoheInotheardfromtoday?

Hernewpaycheckcovershermortgagebutnotherotherlivingexpenses.Recently,shecashedoutwhatwasleftofherretirementportfolio,about$17,000。

Ithasbeenthehardestthinginmylife,shesaid.Ithasbeenharderthanmydivorcefrommyhusband.Ithasreallybeenevenworsethanthedeathofmymother。

Nearlyallofthoseinterviewedsaidtheyconsideredtheirsituationstemporaryandplannedtoresumetheircareerswheretheyleftoffoncetheeconomyimproves.Butthereare

peoplelikeJohnEller,51,ofLeesSummit,Mo.,whoofferaglimpseofhowdifficultitcanbetobounceback。

Mr.EllerhadbeenaseniordirectoratSprint,earningasmuchas$150,000ayearandoverseeing7,000employeesat13callcenters,beforebeinglaidoffin2002amid

theeconomiccontractionaftertheSept.11terroristattacks。

Ayearlater,hefoundanotherjob,atroughlyhalfthepay,managingacallcenterinNewJersey.Afterhelostthatjobtwoyearslaterinadownsizing,

Mr.EllerfoundhimselfoutofworkforanotheryearbeforelandingacontractpositionrunningtwocallcentersinKansasandIllinois,earningclosetosixfigures。

Butafterthatendedayearlater,hewasunabletofindworkforseveralmonths.InJuly2007,hetookwhathethoughtwouldbeatemporaryjobfor$10anhourasabakerin

agrocerystore.HewaslaidoffagainlastOctober。

Mr.Ellerquicklylandedanewsurvivaljob,workingasasupervisorontheovernightshiftforacontractorprocessingimmigrationapplicationsforthefederalgovernmentat

asalaryofabout$34,000ayear.Butwitheightchildrenandawifetosupport,Mr.Ellersaidhewasstillbelowpovertylevel。Thefamilyhasnotbeenabletomakemortgage

paymentsinfivemonthsandhasbeenonthebrinkofforeclosure。

Imstillscratchingandclawingandtryingtoworkmywayback,hesaid。

InMr.Cooperscase,relyingonunemploymentcheckswasneveraseriousconsideration.ThemaximumbenefitthatjoblesspeoplecancollectinArizonais$240aweek,

amongthelowestinthecountryandmuchlessthanisrequiredtocoverthemortgageonthefortablefour-bedroomhomeinGlendalethatheandhiswife,MaggieMacias-Cooper,share。

Mrs.Macias-Cooper,whoworksasapersonaltrainerinagymbuiltinwhatusedtobethecouplesthree-cargarage,hasseenherclientbaseshrinkto10fromabout50overthelastyear。

InadditiontogivingMr.Cooperajobasajanitor,hisfriendagreedtopayforthecouplesbenefitsthroughCobra.MaintaininghealthcarecoveragewasparamountforthefamilybecauseMrs.Macias-Cooperrecentlyhadbreastcancer。

Someunemployedprofessionalssaidtheydecidednottoseekevenpart-timeworkbecauseitmightinterferewiththeirjobsearches.ButMr.Cooperriseseverydayat4a.m.and,afteratimeofprayer,devotestwohourstohisjobhuntontheputer.

Heprintsoutadetailedcalllistofprospectiveemployerstotakewithhim,squeezinginphoneconversationsduringbreaksthroughoutthedayfromhispickuptruck,

whichhecallshisoffice。

ThereweretimesIbrokedown,Mr.Coopersaid.Ibrokedownthinking,ThisiswhatIvebee.

ButMrs.Macias-Cooper,whoadmittedthatshewasinitiallyembarrassedaboutherhusbandsnewjob,sayssheisnowgrateful。

Thereisnoshame,saidMrs.Macias-Cooper,whogrewtearyduringaninterviewattheirhome.Iamveryproudofmyhusbandthathewillgotoanylengths,dowhateverittakes,tokeephisfamilyafloat,

ifitmeansmoppingfloors,cleaningurinals。