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When I moved to Oregon, I registered with the Employment Division so I could get assistance hunting for work.

The Employment Division was not pleased that I had neither a car nor a license. [Coming fom, NYC, I had never needed either a car or a license.]

I remedied the situation by bartering my services as a carpenter for driving lessons.

At the time, a woman carpenter was so unusual I was photographed and featured in the local paper.

The newspaper article caught the attention of a zealous clerk at the Employment Division, who called me in for discipline.  The service exchange was considered income, and thus compromised my eligibility for unemployment compensation as well as Department Services.

I appealed to her supervisor; and the zealous clerk was overruled. 

Barterers should be wary that service exchanges might be considered income by State agencies.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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