8 Unemployed for Every Job Opening: What Are They Supposed to Do Once Their Benefits Run Out?

AlterNet / By Joshua Holland

8 Unemployed for Every Job Opening: What Are They Supposed to Do Once Their Benefits Run Out?
Is there any hope of help arriving for the "99ers"?

March 23, 2011 |


There are now approximately 14 million Americans who want a job and can't find one. According to the National Employment Law Project (NELP), if they stood side by side, they'd stretch from Bangor, Maine to Los Angeles, California and back.

While plenty of ink has been dedicated to distant crises in the Middle East and Japan, and a wholly trumped up “deficit crisis” that haunts the sleep of the Beltway media, this disaster occurring right here at home has received far less attention than it should.

Those who have been out of work for an extended period of time face not only extreme economic suffering, but also unique barriers to getting back into the workforce. Yet the political establishment has all but ignored the pain being felt by this broad swath of working America. Economist Paul Krugman called them the “forgotten millions,” and warned that “we’re well on the way to creating a permanent underclass of the jobless.”

That disconnect has left a gap that some individuals and grassroots organizations have attempted to fill. Their efforts are commendable, and at times innovative, but a number of activists interviewed by AlterNet said that absent a serious effort by the federal government, they are merely tinkering around the edges of a deep and avoidable catastrophe. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/150358/8_unemployed_for_every_job_opening%3A_what_are_they_supposed_to_do_once_their_benefits_run_out/

At least, that was the impression that I got when I was a 99er. Thankfully I was able at long last to get a stable, steady job at a decent wage. Otherwise I'd be among those millions between Bangor and LA.

"Make no mistake; this story could be told in no other country, a uniquely American story of entrepreneurship even in times of hardship."

I was laid off a month ago. I immediately began applying to jobs from the online job boards because I've been successful in finding jobs through them for the past 8-10 years. I was confident my period of unemployment would be short when I landed two interviews within the first week. They both went well and I was already deciding which offer I would accept.

I have never had a job interview that didn't result in a job offer. Until now. I received polite phone calls from both telling me that they decided to offer the job to a different candidate. Even though the interviews went well, the same as they've always gone, I have to believe that they had several qualified candidates to choose from and I lost out in the numbers game

As good as my credentials are, obviously someone else had better ones.

I have two more interviews scheduled for next week and for the first time in my life I'm going into them lacking confidence that I will be the top candidate.

You might be the best candidate, but the person on the other side of the doesn't doesn't realize it. But someone else will.

And, welcome to DU!

and more to do with how little they can get away with paying for those credentials.

So don't beat yourself up! Many different factors affect the value of a candidate in the current market, with experience and ability being farther down the list than they used to be. It's not your fault in any way, and don't let the situation make you believe otherwise.


During my long stretch of joblessness I had several glowingly successful interviews that nevertheless resulted in the ol' "sorry, but we've decided to go with someone who better matches our requirements at this time."


Best of luck to you in any case.

I'm not unemployed, and haven't been unemployed for a single day since 1983. Because of that, I lack certain perspectives, such as what the heck people do when they are unemployed? I mean, my best estimates would have me living in my car and losing most of my possessions within a matter of a few months. I am always surprised to hear about people who have been unemployed for really long periods of time, because I'm trying to understand how they aren't near death as a result. I'd probably be at the point of trying to go to India or something by then (I'd do some kind of ascetic religious pilgrimage long before I got into the whole homeless-in-america trap.)

Recently I interviewed for a job that would have been a lateral move for me but seemed interesting enough to pursue. I have unique skills that would have been a fit for the place, and without *too much* arrogance, I can honestly say that having me in their business would have been a real benefit to them. To be fair, they understood this also, but they didn't take it to the next level after the first interview. What's weird about this is seeing that they haven't hired *anyone* for that job, passing five months later. I wonder if there is some possible scenario where having a position "open" but not filling it carries some benefit to a company that I'm not seeing?

I find myself on the hiring side of the table pretty often. I'm the one who gives the technical side of the interview. My profession is the type of thing where you either know the subject or you don't, and either way it will be perfectly clear to me within a few minutes of conversation. So I pretty much get the gatekeeper decision -- if you get to me, then if you get past me you're in, assuming you'll work for what we pay, etc. What's been shocking to me is how, with supposedly such a huge number of unemployed people out there, it is really difficult to get people in the door. Even offering a good rate (it's a living wage, nobody is getting rich working here, but ok), we never seem to get so many applicants that we have to throw away resumes or pass on scheduling interviews.

Maybe the employment situation is only really bad in certain fields? I don't know. I have no perspective on the big picture, and limited experience in my small picture.

"I wonder if there is some possible scenario where having a position "open" but not filling it carries some benefit to a company that I'm not seeing?"

Yes, there are several reasons a corporation would advertise a job and not hire for it despite the talent coming in for interviews. The main reason is to declare no one in the area can fill their needs and this allows them to hire an HB1 visa worker at 1/4 of the price they would pay a US citizen. They must advertise for a certain length of time to prove no one in the US has those specific qualifications. But of course it's all a hoax, just a scam. They merely want another HB1 visa worker.

Other legitimate reasons includes seeing what is available in the labor market so that when they are serious about hiring, they know what to expect. Also there maybe temporary hiring freezes, so that the corporation is waiting for someone to leave or for the freeze to pass.

I was at a naval architecture firm not too long ago; they've had a position open for about a year because it's such a small industry and there are so few people who do that.

I wonder if there is some possible scenario where having a position "open" but not filling it carries some benefit to a company that I'm not seeing?

When I've seen that, it's been the manager holding out for a bigger salary for the position (claiming "the right person" won't come at the budgeted rate) to increase the size of his/her empire.

It started to get to my confidence, too. Try hard not to let it. Easier said than done. My best to you!

After running out of unemployment benefits and getting 500 rejects, we turned to our small farm and work that. We pretty well figured there will never be another job again.

I might have just missed it in the article, but as of January, it was 5 unemployed for every job opening, not 8. The highest it's been was 6.9 in July 2009. I'm looking at seasonally adjusted total unemployed and seasonally adjusted all non-farm job openings.

Source: Job Openings Labor Turnover Survey

"Employers are hesitant to hire those who have been out of work for a lengthy period of time because they think there must be something wrong with workers who haven't been picked up by another firm by now, but the reality is that there are now five unemployed people for each job opening. According to NELP, when you include people who are working part-time while looking for a full-time gig, that ratio jumps to eight to one."

Ok, so Job openings comes from Job Openings Labor Turnover Survey and was 2,760,000 for Jan. Unemployment comes from Employment Situation Table A-1 and was 13,863,000, and part time for economic reasons (part time but want and available for full time) is from Table A-8 and was 8,407,000 (went down in Feb, but job openings aren't out for Feb yet). Ok, so that all adds up: 13,863,000/2,760,000=5 and (13,863,000+8,407,000)/2,760,000=8 But, most of those who are part time for economic reasons are part time due to "Slack work or business conditions" meaning they usually work full time (>=35 hours) but at least for the survey week worked <35 hours. Might be temporary, might be longer. Looking only at the people who can't find full time work, that was only 2,415,000 Adding only those makes the ratio 6-1, and many of the unemployed (1,793,000) are only looking for part time work, so that would make the ratio back to 5-1.

But at the same time, the job openings number isn't only full time, but part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal as well, so that would increase the ratio.

In short (too late!), the unemployment to job openings ratio is a valid measure of how unemployed there are for every job opening of any kind. Adding in part time looking for full time is just not a valid measurement.

And despite all the horror stories, you can flip burgers or work as a security guard with a graduate degree. But it means you're not middle class anymore, which is probably the point...

of SIGNIFICANT income, such as a spouse's income, an inheritance, etc.

The Republicans have no problem spending money to support prisoners.

It's supporting honest working people that repels them.

:sarcasm:

``At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,'' said the gentleman, taking up a pen, ``it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.''

``Are there no prisons?'' asked Scrooge.

``Plenty of prisons,'' said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

``And the Union workhouses?'' demanded Scrooge. ``Are they still in operation?''

``They are. Still,'' returned the gentleman, `` I wish I could say they were not.''

``The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?'' said Scrooge.

``Both very busy, sir.''

``Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,'' said Scrooge. ``I'm very glad to hear it.''

``Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,'' returned the gentleman, ``a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?''

``Nothing!'' Scrooge replied.

``You wish to be anonymous?''

``I wish to be left alone,'' said Scrooge. ``Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.''

``Many can't go there; and many would rather die.''

``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''

``But you might know it,'' observed the gentleman.

``It's not my business,'' Scrooge returned. ``It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!''

Anyone have thoughts on a jobs program to alleviate this situation?

"The working class has nothing else to lose but their shackles."

Nobody needs a "job" - especially a generally harmfull job working for benefit of banksters and capitalistic destruction of common environment. What we need is food, clothes and shelter, and other levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Take a pay cut I suppose, while their employers take a pay raise...

playing their game. Being a victim, a wage slave, hypnotized by the money illusion aka Sauron's eye. Revolution starts from self.

I would love to start a business. The problem is, I haven't as yet come up with a business idea that has reasonable chances of allowing me to do stuff like live indoors and eat five or more meals per week. Some people have pretty good luck in their business endeavors, myself, not so much.

Dumpster diving keeps one well fed. It's also very ethical and ecologically sound - not to mention lavish - business (more than half the food produced goes waste). Other forms of gathering plus gardening bring more variety to the table. Business of gathering and gardening (and fishing and hunting) food plus being a general handyman with various practical skills might earn one a room and roof in a good ("intentional") community of people, even when dole money for rent stops flowing. But if communal way of living does not suit one's character, building a home suitable to one's needs and style is allways an option. :)

for one example. But let's get first this clear: (FIAT) money and capital are basically nothing but means of creating artificial scarcity. How many empty houses, how much food wasted etc. in the name of "private ownership" and accumulation of power fetishes aka money (that you can't eat or use for anything that really makes sense). I'll shout it again: ARTIFICIAL SCARCITY in a world of abundance - MENTAL SLAVERY!

In my experience, once we "emancipate from mental slavery" (as the song goes), practicalities of getting fed etc. sort themselves, keeping in mind that it's a process of constant change and adaptation. But as we are by nature social beings and compassionate at heart, we can have faith in the power of community.

I didn't apply for benefits because my part-time, paid-per-diem job gradually faded away. Fewer and fewer clients wanted fewer and fewer case studies done. It's been 2 1/2 years. I got a little freelance work the first year, but that dried up.

People like me, in our late 50s, have pretty much lost hope of working again, but we're not being counted in the statistics.

Or, rather, someone like you who got picked for the survey is counted, and you're extrapolated from that. You aren't in the initial claims number (which is the only claims number that gets regularly cited anyways) but you are in the U3 (or depending on how much freelance stuff still happens, the U5).

Sorry for your situation; I really hope things get better.

that my job is disappearing sometime this summer. I guess I should be glad that they gave us so much notice, many people aren't given that courtesy. The thought of starting all over again (at 43) just makes me want to cry.

but starting a new life at 40+ is also a great source of joy and new youth. :)

I'm now 45, in my previous life I was a self-employed translator and married with two kids, living the urban middle class life. Then I crashed, started to study professional gardening and alternative ways of life (ecovillages etc.). I now live as the oldest member in a sea side garden community of 12 young people (all students and/or unemployed), most of our food comes from dumpster diving and from our garden. It's a good life, keeping on learning. :)