- For those out of work, scant optimism in finding the next job, poll finds, By Brenda Cronin, May 21, 2014, Wall Street Journal: “The U.S. labor market’s springtime pickup has yet to brighten the outlook of job-seekers, who say their employment prospects are still stuck in the winter doldrums. Almost half of unemployed men and women have abandoned the hunt for new work, according to a survey released Wednesday. The poll also revealed that job-seekers hadn’t entirely despaired of returning to work at some point: 91% respondents said they were hopeful of finding a desirable position in the next six months. The online poll, which was conducted in April, reflects the views of 1,500 U.S. adults age 18 or older who are able to work but have been unemployed for various lengths of time. About 20% of respondents said they were receiving unemployment benefits. . .”
- Nearly half of unemployed not looking for work, poll finds, By Tiffany Hsu, May 21, 2014, Los Angeles 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. Unless I have a masters or a PhD that allows me to make $50,000 a year with a good job, I’ll be looking at $8 an hour. A plurality of poll respondents – 45% — said they blame the economy most of all for their situation. . .”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty