Long-Term Unemployment

Posted on December 2, 2010 by townsend

• Unemployed, and likely to stay that way, By Catherine Rampell, December 2, 2010, New York Times: “The longer people stay out of work, the more trouble they have finding new work. That is a fact of life that much of Europe, with its underclass of permanently idle workers, knows all too well. But it is a lesson that the United States seems to be just learning. This country has some of the highest levels of long-term unemployment – out of work longer than six months – it has ever recorded. Meanwhile, job growth has been, and looks to remain, disappointingly slow, indicating that those out of work for a while are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Even if the government report on Friday shows the expected improvement in hiring by business, it will not be enough to make a real dent in those totals. So the legions of long-term unemployed will probably be idle for significantly longer than their counterparts in past recessions, reducing their chances of eventually finding a job even when the economy becomes more robust…”
• Extensions for unemployment benefits started to expire earlier this month, By Jeff Bollier, December 2, 2010, Oshkosh Northwestern: “Back in April, when Congressmen and Senators last debated an extension of unemployment benefits, policy groups estimated failure to act would impact about 1,600 Wisconsinites. Congress eventually agreed to extend unemployment benefits to a maximum of 99 weeks. Now, the end of those benefits could have a more far-reaching impact. The extensions approved earlier this year started to expire this month, and the U.S. Department of Labor estimates a decision not to extend benefits now would leave almost 44,000 state residents and 2 million Americans without financial assistance, guaranteeing a dismal holiday season for people already struggling with bills and expenses…”