Posted on 05/21/2014 10:31:51 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new survey finds that even though one out of two unemployed Americans are increasingly giving up on looking for a job, nearly all of them remain hopeful that they will find a job they “really want” in the next six months.
Forty-seven percent say they agree, to some degree, with the statement, “I’ve completely given up on looking for a job,” according to a new poll from Express Employment Professionals, the nation’s largest franchised staffing company.
That percentage closely mirrors the 46 percent of respondents who said there are no available jobs, as well as those who have not had a job interview in the past month. Meanwhile, one out of four (23 percent) said their most recent job interview was in 2012 or before.
Yet, despite the seemingly despairing situation, 91 percent are still confident they will find work by responding, “I’m hopeful that I will find a job I really want in the next six months.”
In almost all cases though, nearly or more than half of respondents are “not at all willing” to either relocate to a new city/town (44 percent) or state (60 percent), or to go back to school for training in new skills to make themselves more marketable (64 percent).
I am not on the dole. I have a double Bachelor of Science, I am a retired Naval Intelligence Officer.
Have you tried to apply at FT. Meade? They are bringing in 30,000 jobs from other bases and not all the folks are moving here. I would give that a try. Plus, I hope you are catering your application to the job. Double Bachelors is a killer....first they will say overqualified and then they will say, “Why not a Master’s”. Seriously....you have to play the game. Although I think you know that. You are a smart guy for sure.
Hell yeah. One group of three HR people for one of my interviews was like the back pages of Psychopathia Sexualis come to life. Let’s see: a dyke, a pansy and one asexual (male or possibly female - what I like to call a “shim” a she-him). I was warned in advance by a friend what I’d be dealing with, but I had to see for myself. The whole time I was peppered with “Well, you know - you will be dealing with all kinds of people here - we just like to find out if you are cool with that.” I didn’t get the job. I think I responded: “Takes all kinds to fill the freeway, I’m still driving.”
It’s really not that easy. I went through a lengthy period of unemployment back in 2010. Most jobs are mirages. Listing only. Paper collectors & head-hunters.
It was tough somewhat. I retired from the Navy June 2011 and started looking in October 2011 and didn’t get hired until March 2012. For a second or two, I thought I was done for and never would work again....it was unsettling for sure.
You are exactly right.
Jobs are found through your qualifications and connections.
However, if one waits around for the perfect job, they are going to wait for a very long time.
One nice thing for you is that since you worked over 40 years already, you are very close to Social Security which is a nice cushion for you to survive the remainder of your life. the hard ones are those with 30 years and trying to figure out how to stretch 10 more years to Social Security.
The dole already does pay many of their bills. It is weaning them off of that which is hard. If the dole were suddenly cut off you would find a lot more people looking for work - any work. It would be work or starve and live on the street. That's how it used to be. That's not how it is now.
The stigma of taking "welfare" has long since vanished from the American landscape. Now it is considered a "right" which government is obligated to provide.
So amnesty and additional foreign workers will fix this problem?? Some dim congress critters are so stupid, their brains must have a few gray matter cells accidently crashing into each other once a month.
You are very kind. I left Chattanooga in 1982 and only returned to live here in 2011. I have spent much of my life in places I would rather not be.
I guess if it was a choice-deploy again overseas and not leave my home in Chattanooga i.e. re-locate, I would go back overseas. Barring that, I really don’t care to move. I have spent enough time in the beltway to not want to return to that either.
But, thank you for your kind words.
I will find something in the end.
How many in that category who have roots in their community, own a home, have kids or grand kids and other family in town, friends, church and so forth, are going to sell out and move away for a job in the last ten years of their working life? Who in hell wants to go back to school and try to start a whole new career?
That attitude is EXACTLY why they are still unemployed. I moved to Annapolis Maryland to find work. It was a success. You can’t simply think you can stay in the same town forever if you expect to have a full employment life. Just does not happen that way anymore. It is not 1960.
I know you will and I wish you the BEST of luck!!!!!!
It is better to stay with family and sacrifice the high-wage job.
One of the reasons (of many) that society started falling apart was when generations went their separate ways.
Man oh man, is my 97 YO mom with dementia glad I’m still here a block away. Her other son (who happens to live right near Annapolis) sees her once a year.
Actually you are right. Your Mom needs you and that is great that you are near by. I know there are certain situations where it is best to stay put. I am talking about the complainers saying “poor me”, but you and many on FR are not like that.
The other brother went exactly the opposite route with the high-paying Pentagon consultant job which lead to owning his own company ($$$$). I can’t claim any credit for doing the right thing because I was never in very good shape health wise and had to quit working anyway. But that’s all water under the bridge to my mother.
I am 56, worked on Wall street and have been out of work since October 2012. I worked in NY and live in NJ so I file unemployment in NY. My benefits were halted in November 2013. I apply for many jobs online, most of which I would be a good fit for and I would invite in for an interview back in the day.
I can count the number of interviews I have had. On less than 2 hands. Only one 2-interview situation that had a couple former colleagues already there that I thought would be a good fit. Haven’t heard back since my second interview in June 2013. I haven’t given up but it is very discouraging trying the same thing over and over with many applications on all the popular job sites and directly at corporate sites and not hearing anything back at all — I appreciate (although it still hurts) when a company makes the effort to send a rejection. I know that it has gotten through the filters somewhere even though I don’t get to talk to a live human.
The economy is in bad shape. If a Republican takes the WH in 2016 count on the media to say how bad things are economically, but that is the only way for things to improve. 0bama’s economic policies need to be reversed and replaced by pro -job policies.
“Washing dishes, traveling photographer, wiping butts in a hospital, digging ditches, sweeper in a fabricating shop, what ever. “
Foreigners do these jobs now.
I’m only close to SS if I take it early and then I get screwed for the rest of my life. I really didn’t want to stop working ten years before SS age and I still don’t. I just tested for a position with a local city and his time I’m competing against only about 165 applicants, last time I applied for that city I tested against over 700! next week I test for a position with a school district in Santa Ana,CA. I keep trying but the rejections really inhibit my kicking back watching TV and and downing brews! Not reality, just what some Freepers believe those of unemployed, I mean liberated from job lock, do.
I think this is the first poll in many, many months that I can actually believe...
RE: I am 56, worked on Wall street and have been out of work since October 2012.
Let me guess... you worked for one of the big banks???
Many are still letting people go even as we speak. Barclays for instance is planning to let go of 17,000 worldwide ( most in London and NY ), and JP Morgan just moved their mortgage business from NY to Ohio.
Two questions:
1) Did they ever ask or even try to determine how old you are in the interview? ( Ageism is rampant in America ).
2) Would it have helped if you applied for a lower paying job?
I’d rather swallow cyanide than live in Maryland. And you’re right, it isn’t 1960 and that’s a damn shame. For more reasons than I could possibly list in one posting.
I wish you the best of luck! Fingers crossed and prayers your way.
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