Unemployment diary: I’m a 54-year-old talent producer in California who’s been out of work since March

• The Unemployed States of America takes readers deep inside the decimated American workforce.
• Kimberly Stephens is a 54-year-old entertainment talent producer based in Los Angeles, California.
• After losing her job in March, Stephens has been volunteering locally and says it’s been hard finding work, as most live entertainment events are canceled throughout the state.
• She’s cut back on groceries and utility usage, but worried that without a job she won’t be able to support her daughter’s application for medical school this winter.
• This is her story, as told to Business Insider.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Life has been challenging since I lost my job in March, but I try to do things that keep me in a positive state of mind. I’ve been job-searching and looking at a career transition. The entertainment industry is going through changes and many companies have furloughed or let people go. I’ve been a freelancer for over 15 years and I mainly work on live events, which have all been canceled in California. 

I do volunteer work to keep myself engaged as well as help seniors in my community stay healthy and safe. I try to look for something positive each day to remind me I’m blessed to be healthy and alive.

I’m getting by financially by the grace of God and unemployment, but there are still big sacrifices. I’ve cut back on groceries, utility usage, and not traveling to the East Coast to visit my family in Atlanta. 

My daughter is applying for fall/winter 2021 admission for medical school, but she may not be able to enter this year because I can’t afford it.

I’ve been a single parent all of her life and supported her educational aspirations, from private school to undergraduate and graduate school. I’m mostly worried about not being able to support her financially in this milestone. I don’t want her to miss this opportunity or put it off to get a job to try to help me.

With most productions being shut down and no live events in California, I don’t have any job prospects. Still, I look for jobs everyday via Linkedin, classified ads, and other professional platforms. 

I've lost people that I cherish to COVID-19, and seeing their loved ones not being able to have moments with them before they transitioned was hard. Also, witnessing the lack of empathy from the White House and disregard for public health and science has been terrifying to watch, especially as an African American woman.