Nearly half of unemployed not looking for work, poll finds

[alp227]

Source: LA Times

Some 47% of unemployed Americans say they’ve given up on looking for work, according to a poll commissioned by staffing firm Express Employment Professionals.

More than half say looking for work has been more difficult than expected; only 2 in 10 currently receive unemployment benefits.

Among the rest, nearly a third aren’t eligible and 30% never applied, according to the data, which was collected by Harris Poll from April 9 to 21 from among 1,500 unemployed adults.

The jobless rate nationwide dropped to 6.3% last month -- the lowest level since 2008 -- as the nation added 288,000 jobs, according to the government.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-unemployment-poll-20140520-story.html

[onehandle]

1. One of the long term unemployed was arrested for threatening Boehner over this.

A long hot summer will result in more problems for the obstructionist, worker-hating GOP.

[randys1]

26. they need to be shamed and threatened over and over by more and more

[ck4829]

2. We need to bring back the Civilian Conservation Corps

We have an infrastructure in dire need of repair and guaranteed employment would definitely lighten the applicant-to-job opening ratio. What will it take to make those in power see that our country desperately needs this?

[Prophet 451]

17. Been saying that for years

You have a crumbling infrastructure and you have a load of people who need jobs. The state should hire the one to fix the other.

[JDPriestly]

23. Yes.

[adirondacker]

30. Instead we get more privatization of government work and less privacy from our government. nt

[freshwest]

36. Dad was in that and my school were built by the WPA. Obama tried something like this immediately on

getting in office, and it was to be paid by the Bush tax cut sunsetting in 12-31-10 but the Teas got in office to stop that.

He's been promoting his infrastructure projects every year. We have to get momentum in Congress by voting out the people who want the nation on its knees to the Koch brothers.

Although as far as helping the unemployment rate, I don't know what age the bulk of unemployed are. Some of our DUers are saying that their age is a factor getting jobs, and they are UE.

I personally know a dozen people IRL who were approaching retirement and simply went on to draw their Social Security. They are greatly relived, able to take better care of themselves, less expenses and have health care.

I know about an equal amount who were suffering with pain and medical conditions in their fifties who took disability, that is, when on Social Security earlier than the normal retirement age. The GOP flipped out when Obama loosened some of the rules on that, saying it would bankrupt the country.

Pot. Meet Kettle. They're trying to destroy this nation and push us to bankruptcy when none of this grief is necessary.

Bow the GOP is holding hostage the building funds to try to axe other social net programs. The money is there, they won't allow the vote in the House. It's for bridges, roads, rail and transportation projects that states are now having to cancel their plans to build since they doubt the money is going to arrive.

The GOP won't be satisfied until this nation is broken so they can sell it off to their cronies. They're doing a fire sale for the Kochs.

[hack89]

44. Why not simply increase federal funding for infrastructure work?

why create a new organization?

[yallerdawg]

3. What a waste!

We have all these people who would work and the Republicans refuse to pass job programs at any level of government.

Why would someone who has already worked 35 or 40 years of their life want to start over in a menial labor position, and earn slave wages?

For "the dignity of work?"

If full employment was the priority of our government, we wouldn't have enough people to do the work!

[lostincalifornia]

4. What I would like to see is a breakdown according to age. There is age discrimination out there

[d_r]

7. Yep

that "economic crisis" a few yeas ago was all about firing older people that made higher wages and replacing them with fewer younger people that make less. Many of those older workers could not find anything.

[thecrow]

21. Exactly

Now I have all this experience and nobody wants to hire me for $10 an hour because they think I'll run away when I find a better job. HAHAHAHA As if there are better jobs out there.
I don't think I will ever work again. Not in my field of expertise, not at my age (60s) and not at my former salary. The company I worked for has a skeleton crew holding the fort getting paid to cruise facebook and ebay all day, and selling the designs I used to make. Must be nice.

[freebrew]

40. Same here...

fired at 57 for being older. They kept the older managers, fired over 50 people over 50. Weird, eh?

Had a minimum wage job for a while, the owner was a complete ass. I mean, you have NO idea.

So, went on SS at 62. No jobs here for 'seasoned' workers. It's a republican dream here and the citizens eat it up.

Stupid fuckers.

[X_Digger]

41. And that age is creeping down.

I've got friends in their late 40's that are facing the same thing.

[geardaddy]

15. Bingo.

[adirondacker]

31. Thinning out the boomer generation saves taxes for the rich. nt

[davidpdx]

37. I have no doubt about it

Those that lost their job during the great recession who were older really got screwed.

My mom was worried about her job there for awhile as her employer was having financial problems and they were looking at outsourcing. She turning 66 next month. Thankfully it won't be happening for awhile, she's just trying to hold out on retiring as long as she can. Maybe another two years.

[stopbush]

5. I've been out of work for 3.5 years.

I still look for jobs every day. Still send out resumes. Dropped off an application today at a local place.

But it's a sick joke at this point.

Even when I get an interview, the ageism kicks in (I'm 59) and from there, it's fugehaboudit.

I have no expectation of ever getting another job. All I have is 3.5 years of dead ends and non-starters. i may as well have been marooned on a desert island.

[GoCubsGo]

10. Same here.

I'm 53. I haven't stopped looking completely, because I really don't have a choice. But, I don't look every day any more. Besides being a waste of time, it's damn depressing.

[tofuandbeer]

12. Out of work going on 2 years.

I too have lost faith in applying for jobs, though I still do. It's very depressing having a career then nothing.
I find freelance work here and there, but while freelancing (in my line of work) I have to compete with overseas folks or young students who charge very little. The best work I find is word of mouth (ex-employees, etc), and that is not often enough for part time work.

Good luck everyone!

[ColesCountyDem]

14. 56 and coming up on 2 years.

I'm at the point of pimp-slapping the next HR person who uses the term 'overqualified'!

[stopbush]

28. Who knew the HR people are all looking for people who are under-qualified?

You'd think they'd be thrilled to hire an over-qualified person.

[customerserviceguy]

35. They're all worried

that if there ever is a decent recovery (instead of the fake one we've been told has been happening) that the over-qualified person will take off like a shot.

[ColesCountyDem]

39. Provided that we don't all starve or become homeless, in the mean time....

If they would hire us 'over 50 and over-qualified' folks, it would provide those HR folks with job security: when we eventually left, they'd be needed to interview the 'merely qualified'.

[stopbush]

46. But they've been worried about that for at least 6 years and it hasn't happened.

Thousands of people have "taken off like a shot" due to normal attrition over that period, while over-qualified people sit on the sidelines, unemployed and wondering how they're going to pay the bills.

[customerserviceguy]

49. Like the sign said

at a firm that I worked in back in 1977, "There's no reason for it, it's just company policy".

[ColesCountyDem]

38. Logic would make you think so.

[FloriTexan]

16. Hubby is in the same boat.

I feel your pain. It is a sick joke. It is also humiliating to deal with this day in and day out. Nothing like complete rejection to sink one into depression. I have told him to quit looking so I can quit bugging him everyday too. We're just going to tweek our budget and lifestyle so we can just be happy again.

There really is no point into looking within his training/career anymore. The jobs that are out there are purely economic slavery. Its just not worth it anymore.

[Helen Borg]

6. So, now what are these people supposed to do?

Just wait quietly to die or kill themselves? True, if they have enough money then they have more time to do things such as volunteering in the community and whatnot. But I suspect many of these people are not swimming in money.

[GoCubsGo]

11. Yes, more "Die quickly."

And, since a lot of us can't get Medicaid, and we can't afford health insurance, odds are that a lot of us will drop dead from some stress-related illness. I know the stress has already taken at least ten year off of my life.

[PSPS]

8. And the government cooks the unemployment figure by not counting them.

These are officially described as "discouraged workers" and were defined out of existence. The U-3 "headline" unemployment rate is what the government advertises. The real unemployment rate is far higher, approaching 25%.

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[Fred Sanders]

20. Shadowstats? What is that and who makes that up as an unofficial something?

[DCBob]

22. Technically they are unemployed as long as they have attempted to look for work in the past year.

If someone hasn't even tried to look for work in over a year then it's obvious they aren't interested in working... imho.

[freebrew]

42. pretty arrogant point of view...

when one has been looking for work for years, every rejection being justified as 'overqualified' or 'we don't want someone that's going to retire soon'. I got tired of the lies.

And here, looking for work means showing up at the career center every 4 weeks.

I would be very interested in working, just tired of being put down by morons in HR that are 'just doing their job'.

So screw off with the repub talking points.

[DCBob]

45. pretty obnoxious and clueless comment.

I totally understand the frustrations of looking for work.. we have all been there.. but anyone who hasnt even tried looking for work in over a year has simply given up. Nothing to do with politics.. so f'koff your "screw off" comment.

[Art_from_Ark]

48. "Obnoxious and clueless" does not describe the post you are replying to

That post is actually quite on the mark. If you want an example of "obnoxious and clueless", read what you yourself have written.

[freebrew]

50. Two different statements...

First, you say these people aren't interested in working, then you say they've given up.

Different apples.

As for the stats, after the unemployment compensation runs out, there's no need to go to the career center.
Going there is only necessary to renew the UI claim every month. Since there aren't jobs, what's the point of going? These aren't counted in the stats because they're out of benefits and don't go back to the center.

So, unless you've been unemployed for 5+ years, are out of benefits and over 55, you've no clue.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Cut the Crap™.

Last edited Wed May 21, 2014, 05:40 PM - Edit history (1)

The Dow was up 150 points today yay!

Regards,

TWM

[frylock]

13. i really like this new meme, and plan to embrace it fully..

cut the crap, indeed.

[Helen Borg]

19. So, all boats will rise, right?!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. The Right would claim ALL of them are guilty of FRAUD and need to be jailed.

[gwheezie]

24. My husband barely looks anymore

He hasn't worked in 4 years, he always worked, since age 12 he worked. He now calls himself retired, he'll be 65 in Oct. He applies for a job about once a month, we decided since we live out in the middle of nowhere, unless the job is local, it takes too much gas to drive an hour for a $10 buck an hour part time job. We could use the money from another income but thankfully we had downsized years ago and can make it on my salary.

[HomerRamone]

25. I'm confused

"only 2 in 10 currently receive unemployment benefits. Among the rest, nearly a third aren’t eligible and 30% never applied"

but

"Jobless benefits may be tamping down any sense of urgency. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they consider unemployment compensation to be a cushion; nearly half said they didn’t search as hard as they could have for openings because of the funds."

??

[yallerdawg]

27. "Jobless" benefits

I think this is referencing the other safety net programs we become eligible for when we have NO INCOME.

Section 8 Housing, SNAP, Medicaid -- give all that up for $8 an hour at a part-time job, asking "Do you want ketchup with that?"

[doc03]

29. How do you live when you just quit looking for work? I am retired and don't have

any special skills but if I wanted to work I am positive I could have a job next week, not a high paying job but a job.

[HomerRamone]

32. Why do you think it would be that easy for someone of retirement age

to get even a minimum wage job? Have you read any of the many testimonials about this issue?

[doc03]

34. We have a high unemployment rate here too. The steel mills closed,

the aluminum plant closed, coal mines and several power plants have closed. I don't want work but I know I could get a
job if I wanted one. I am not saying a great job, when it comes to one that pays a good income now that is a different story. I know several people that retired when I did that work security jobs, transfer cars for dealers, mow grass, work kiosk jobs at the mall. I have a friend in his seventies that works about 30 hours a week for $10 an hour cutting a rich guy's lawn. What my question is if you are out of work and have no unemployment how can you just quit looking. How do they live on zero income?

[gwheezie]

47. If my husband didn't have a wife with a job

he would take any job at $10/hr. But he would have lost this farm, he would have to rent a room from someone or live in a shelter, he would have no insurance since we live in a state that refused the expansion.

[840high]

33. Try it and seee - let us know.

[freebrew]

43. No special skills? And you can get a job?

Doubtful, unless it's minimum wage at a midnight gas station.

I'm retired, I have LOTS of skills, welding, mechanics, programming, engineering, LOTS.

I'm overqualified for EVERYTHING. Go figure.