Especially older V & D, there is still home – De Stentor

Just before Christmas heard 10,000 V & D department store employees had received the moratorium. Six months later are particularly many elderly parents unemployed

Only 111 of the 1,200 over-50s after the bankruptcy of V &. Arrived D in the WW had final May found a new job. In total are approximately 4,200 V & D specialists unemployed. According to figures that requested this newspaper with the UWV.

The share currently unemployed elderly is remarkably high, said Rob Whites, Head Labour Market Information from the UWV. ,, On average, a quarter of over-50s who later returned to work a half year of work from retail. The V & D specialists are from mid-February in unemployment, so no half. But by 9 percent the number of work resumptions lags behind the average pace in the industry. ”

Emotions
the elderly, according to the UWV heavyweight because they usually long at V & D worked. ,, At the briefings we noticed that they had a lot of effort to switch. They were very loyal to V & D and grown with the company, could not imagine that they would ever work anywhere else. That caused a lot of emotions. People were literally up in a grieving process. Then goes motivated apply not easy. They really needed the time to bounce back. “

That works a growing group, according to the UWV. What does not is helping, is that many V & D specialists are not accustomed to applying and networking. ,, V & D was a good employer for its staff and received loyalty in return. But people who for many years as a sales employee worked in the same department must now compete with cheaper youth and peers who have varied experience. ”

Part of the unemployed fall into defeatism, says Whites. ,, This is often accompanied by passivity and therefore it is the greatest enemy. The longer a person is unemployed, the harder it is to go back to work. Jobs will not be delivered to the door of apathetic people who sit on the bench. Employers look for workers who take the initiative and motivated happen ”

Job growth
5,400 of the approximately 10,000 V &. D staff asked in February unemployment benefit to. Whites: ,, Particularly young people have not seen whether there was a restart, but immediately started looking ” In addition, 1,800 employees of La Place were acquired by Jumbo

Of the approximately 300 former V &.. ; D engineers each month to find a new job, roughly half is again on the shop floor up. The rest will work in, for example catering, facilities management or a customer contact center.

In total, there are 40,000 unemployed store employees. The first five months of this year, the share of unemployed from chain stores was 56 percent higher than last year. This was mainly due to the bankruptcies of V & D and Macintosh footwear chains (Dolcis, Invito, Manfield, PRO Sports). However, for this year and next year in retail expected job growth, because the purchasing power increases. There are also increasing numbers of jobs in shops, for example in logistics and ICT

Joke van Dijk (49) from Apeldoorn:. ,, After 27 years at V & amp; D I have a lot sooner than expected new jobs . For two weeks I’m the coordinator of the shop Het Loo Palace. I send volunteers, create rosters, do orders, run the shop

When V &. D was falling over, I sent three letters of application, but never got a response. Because I wanted to know what I was worth, I hired a career coach. The V & bankruptcy; D was the kick up the backside I needed. In recent years at V & D were very scanty. I had to make do with an old chair. What a difference with Het Loo ”

jilt de Jong (26) from Zeist: ,, My life after V & D is only beginning. After the bankruptcy, I was appointed to coordinate with the sale of the subsidiary in Hilversum. Then I went to the US for three weeks. That vacation I had already booked and paid for bankruptcy. I was there to it. On my future I’m going to consider me. V & amp; D I moved up from intern to floor manager in eight years, I’ve had plenty of training and courses. There, V & D anyway nice ensured. I love retail, but I also think about for example a sales position. I want to retrain best. Until January, I have an unemployment benefit, but so long will I really do not sit at home ”

Irma Vlasblom (59) from The Hague: ,, When I opened the door at V & 17 February; D zipped. there was a weight off my shoulders. The last time was very hectic.

I have 23 years in the Hague office. By sitting at home, I had it hard the first few weeks. Then I has picked myself. Now I have a daily routine again. I do volunteer work for a local party, drink coffee with former colleagues. The UWV it gives me headaches. I network out of me, but they keep saying that I’m not doing enough. The union has let me down. Yes, cheap aids do so again work. At my age is unfortunately different. ”