Which was exactly my point. They're not the first generation to regularly get rejections, get smacked around, etc etc. The Great Recession was THE worst economy since the 1930s. It affected primarily Gen X and Millenials who were not as senior and not as well entrenched in their jobs as Boomers were. Recessions tend to hurt younger and less well established workers the most.
Yep, I sent out 50 - 100 resumes a week while on unemployment just after 9/11 occurred (the requirement was 3 per week). I would send follow-up letters, make calls, etc. Over the course of the first 3 months I got maybe 5 calls to discuss an interview and actually landed 3 interviews. All of the offers made would’ve cost me money to accept (by the time increased insurance costs, commute costs and times, parking fees, etc. and less than half the wages I was getting prior to being laid off were considered). I made more on unemployment, which was shocking to me. I did finally have to accept the most reasonable offer I got - it was still $10 per hour less than the job I previously had, but I could wait no longer.
It took me several years to recover from that experience.