Even as U.S. economy revives, long-term unemployed face uphill battle
New research offers a sobering glimpse into what it means to be out of work for an extended period of time in the U.S. – and the ongoing struggles of those long-term jobless to get back into the job market.
According to a new national study from CareerBuilder, nearly a third of previously employed workers – people who've been without a job for 12 months or longer and are still looking for work – say they haven't had a single job interview during that time.
Long-term
unemployment has also left about 25 percent of those surveyed without
enough money for food. Another 12 percent say they've maxed-out their
credit cards to pay other outstanding bills, while one in 10 of
those polled say they lost their house or apartment due to their
inability to pay the rent or mortgage.
Even with the economy rebounding from the recession's lows, it's still hard to find work. Forty-four percent of long-term unemployed said they look for work daily; 43 percent hunt for a job every week. As previously mentioned, about 30 percent of those surveyed said they haven't had an interview since losing their jobs – but another 30 percent say they've had five or more interviews, with 14 percent having 10 or more.
When
asked why they were having difficulties finding work, many long-term
unemployed (63 percent) felt a lengthy jobless period hurt their
chances with potential employers. Among the long-term jobless ages 55
and older, two-thirds felt their ages or experience put them at a
hiring disadvantage, while 92 percent said their age worked
against them in the current job market.
Researchers involved in the Institute's study say their findings are especially timely, as the national debate over whether to extend federal emergency unemployment benefits continues.
"It is important to gain an understanding of the long-term unemployed in terms of their demographic and economic characteristics and how those characteristics differ across place,”Andrew Schaefer, doctoral candidate in sociology at UNH and a research assistant at the Carsey Institute, said in a statement. "Doing so can help better target strategies for alleviating the negative effects of long-term unemployment."