6.3 million people-41.2% of all Americans that are out of work-are classified as ‘long-term unemployed,’ because they haven’t had a job for at least 6 months. The problem isn’t getting better anytime soon, because employers aren’t enthusiastically hiring the long-term unemployed- if they can help it. Employment expert John A. Challenger explains that, “what happens is the company finds they have one person here out a month and one person here out eight months and they say, all things being equal, maybe someone else saw something in that long-term unemployed that I’m missing, maybe it’s a safer bet to hire the shorter unemployed person.” He also explained that when people are continuously denied jobs because of their ‘long-term’ unemployment status, they develop other problems. He stated that, “more of those people begin to think there’s no job for them, so they drift into alcoholism and other kinds of issues.”
Experts say it is important for people who have been unemployed for six months or more not to fall into a routine of laziness at home. Instead, they need to stay focused on getting back into the job force. One way to expedite the process is by taking advantage of support programs offered in your city or state. In Chicago, for example, one such resource is the Career Transition Center, which provides the unemployed with spiritual and emotional guidance. Rob King, who has been out of work for six months, said that the Career Transition Center taught him to approach his job-lessness like a job. He explains, “I try to keep that same kind of regular schedule, so from 9 o’clock to 5 o’clock I am actively looking for work and doing the things I need to do.” Rob is hoping his work-while-out-of-work will pay off, and if it does, it will provide a valuable lesson to any of the other 6.3 million long-term unemployed Americans: help is out there, all you have to do is ask for it.