It Takes Most People 27+ Weeks To Find Work

by Josie Raymond · 2010-01-15 17:17:00 UTC
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Just when a little good news arrived about the pace of layoffs slowing, a new government report shows that the situation for those looking for work is more dire than ever. According to the Department of Labor, there were 6.35 people out of work for every single job opening last November. It's the highest number since the government started tracking the statistic in 2000 and a punch in the stomach to anyone on the job hunt.

The result of this kind of environment is more and more people who are part of the long-term unemployed, defined as those who have been out of work at least 27 weeks. The New York Times despairingly calls it a "growing underclass." Thirteen months ago, in December 2008, the number of long-term unemployed was a sobering 22.9 percent of the total unemployed population. In December 2009 that number reached 39.8%. Oof. That's four percent of the entire American civilian workforce who've been looking for work for 27 or more weeks. Twenty-seven weeks! That's the gestational period of the American black bear.

Wait, there's more. The average unemployed person in December was out of work for 29.1 weeks and with each week, it only gets more difficult to find a job. After all, who do you think is more likely to get hired -- someone who has been looking for 7 months or someone laid off last week?

Photo credit: David of Earth

Josie Raymond has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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