Good to READ: Help! My Job Search is Taking Years!

Help! My Job Search is Taking Years!


In May 2008, there were 400,000 discouraged workers, defined as those not looking for work because they thought no jobs were available to them. The average period of unemployment was 17 weeks, and 40 percent of jobless people were without work for less than five weeks. Just 19 percent, or 1.5 million people, were unemployed for more than 27 weeks, according to the most recent data from Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fast-forward to May 2009: There were 792,000 discouraged workers -- 392,000 more than the year before. The average duration of joblessness was 23.1 weeks, and 23 percent of workers were unemployed for less than five weeks. Fifty percent of people were unemployed for more than 15 weeks and of that, 28 percent, or 3.9 million people, were unemployed for more than 27 weeks.