With few choices, some stop looking for work

by Ines Ferre

(CBS News) New York - This week's jobs report was a good-news/bad-news story. The good news: 163,000 jobs were created last month, more than expected. The bad news: Unemployment ticked up to 8. 3 percent. The reason: More Americans began looking for work. Still, plenty of job seekers have just given up.

Forty-five-year-old Camilla Hsiung gave up her job search two years ago.

"I felt it was a little humiliating to look for a job," she said, "that if you didn't look hungry enough, you weren't going to get a call back. I just got tired of the rejection, tired of trying and trying, and looking and looking, and it's just so hard."

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"I want to use my talents to help people"

Hsiung said her graduate degree in psychology and her Chinese language skills only landed her temp jobs. She was hoping to get a job in social services or at a counseling agency, but couldn't find anything.

"I'm good at my job. Whatever I do, I'm always good. "It's just the availability, it's just that the chance, the luck. It's not there, it's not there."

People like Hsiung make the real unemployment rate feel much higher than the national average, said economist Peter Morici.

"If we counted those folks who are discourage, or working part-time because they can't get full-time work, the unemployment rate is 15 percent," he said.

Hsiung doesn't qualify for jobless benefits. "Well, I live on savings," she said about how she survives. "I live day-to-day. I don't think of the future too much. I have a very tight budget. I manage. It's America, so there are ways."

Hoping to someday rejoin the work force, Hsiung is pondering a second graduate degree to become a guidance counselor.

[I_Vote]

It's tough out there right now. I just read an article written about IT workers that outlines what is going on in the IT field and how companies have developed "Purple Squirrel Syndrome". According to the IT article in ComputerWorld Magazine, "Forecast for Systems Administrators: Cloudy"; M. Brandel - August 2nd, 2012, companies are searching for the "Perfect" Employee and will not hire until they find that employee that has all the skills the company is looking for and has no criminal background, never missed a day of work, has no outside interests nor other distractions. In other words companies are looking for a "Purple Squirrel" that simply doesn't exist. I suspect that the syndrome is not exclusive to IT.

[johngalt_as]

There is a VERY good book out recently named "Your Career - What's Next?: The Job Seeker's Step-by-Step Handbook of Common Sense and Uncommon Strategies". A friend of mine picked it up on Amazon and says it was the best thing he's read in a long time about how to find a job and how to handle the interview process.

[maiingan]

I see CBS deleted my original comment, even though I don't think I violated the Terms of Service. I'll try again. I'd like to say I think all able-enough-bodied kids in high school should have to take all the "shop" classes they can, a la the 4H whole-person ethic. But respect for our skills in making things shouldn't diss our mental abilities to design those things. Without design, all you're going to make is a pile of junk. "The economy" shouldn't be allowed to diss college grads seeking suitable jobs as if our educations are superfluous. Some people think the wrong college grads are unemployed these days. Some years ago I invented/designed an accessory-type kitchen cabinet, to be attached to a wall cabinet. It's clever and useful. Because I hadn't the tools or education in cabinetmaking, I put the prototype together with hardware. Not pretty; did the job. I hunger for the education and tools, but refuse to have anyone's design ability be dissed, certainly not mine. All long-term unemployed Americans need to press government for remedies; it's not "advertising", CBS, for suggesting readers seek Change with a petition.

[johnpatrick1]

Sadly it comes down to some twit in the Human Resource department or to the old "who do you know"....most people can be trained and guided into doing most work but the "Chance" the "Opportunity" is simply not granted to them often due to weird criteria subjectively set up by the aforementioned twits in the Human resource departments. I do not blame her nor any one else in any field who just says "to hell with it>" One becomes disgusted with the "fill out this form" and the phony smile followed by the "we'll get back to you." CONSTANT rejection leads to rejection of the whole inhuman, insulting process of finding work in this society. Let us not forget that there are still some 3.5 people looking for each so called "openning>" Keep buying those lottery tickets, bunky.

[gjc1n1]

How about the jobs that you may only apply for on-line, answer 500 redundent questioning and an hour of your time (They're hoping to trip you up with differently worded questions and you give a slightly different answer so they can call you a pathological liar), and after all of that they say in a computerized voice: "I'm sorry but we have no openings for you now at the minimum wage level."

[djseavy]

While I feel for her, she underlines a bigger problem. Few younger people want to work the trades; they all want big degrees and a bite at the apple of riches. Many crafts and trades have died out - not from lack of need, but from lack of new blood. We used to be a nation of hard working laborors that actually produced something. Today it seems like few want to get their hands dirty and work in a field that actually produces something.

[gjc1n1]

People who go to college and get a degree don't want to get their hands dirty by doing manual labor. That's why they went to college. Others can't handle physical work for a whole host or reasons. That does not diminish the value of craft and trade jobs. Somebody has to do them. But it should be the people who like craft and trade jobs and are willing and able to do the physical work involved. Just like a plumber can't be a college professor, a professor can't be a plumber. The problem that I have with this entire scenario is that some people just get absolute joy in rubbing the faces of educated people into cleaning toilet bowls.

[Mike_in_USA]

to gjc1n1--maybe because of the absolute joy in the academic/"professional" community in rubbing the faces of manual working people into cleaning toilet bowls?

[gjc1n1]

All legal work is honorable and good. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to ridicule another because of the type of job he/she has. I've seen both groups - college educated professionals and manual, craft/trade workers play this dangerous game. In today's economy however, I see more and more people "suggesting" that people grovel and take minimum wage jobs cleaning toilets. They get a sick joy in watching this nonsense. If someone wants to clean toilets - fine. I have no problem with that but to suggest that someone take that type of job just to have a job is demeaning to all involved.

[lillyhorton]

I hate it when people assume only uneducated people scrub toilets. I served ARMY, got my teaching degree with middle school endorcement but ended up in a state job earning as much scrubbing toilets at a university. I am not the only educated building service worker. I am asked to respect those who do not respect me. Everyday I work I chant to myself as I crawl under secretaries desks to pick up fries, popcorn and candy wrappers, It pays well.. It pays well.. It pays well. Everyday as I scrub poopy butt cheek marks off the toilet I say to myself..LARD ASS. Every week I scrape gum off the bottom of desks I think OOOH fruity pebbles. Don't be disgusted when you see a group of janitors inspecting puke before clean up because the fact is it is the only way to stop regurgitating ourselves. No I don't think anyone is being clever dropping bags of urine down the trash shoot or displaying open used sanitary napkins on top of the box. Painting with poop in the stairwell is not sane it is a sign of distress. We don't think it's cute when we have to remove used condoms from the ceiling or scrub exploded soap bombs dropped from the open stairwells. I can't immagin why any educated person would want this job if it didn't pay well. To all professors, use the ELMO or smart board or overhead projector to save on chalk. I don't think you realize how difficult it is to clean up. Oh! Please throw things away each year. Stop hording for gods sakes!

[gjc1n1]

lilly-
That's why many folks don't want to join the armed services - demeaning attitudes. Hey some people love all that obedience and yes sir crap. I'm not one of them and I suspect neither are most people. But hey, if that's how you get your jollies, who am I to interfere? Knock yourself out cleaning those bowls.

[gjc1n1]

I think it's terrific that Camilla Hsiung has savings to live on until she finds a job in her field. A college graduate should not be reduced to menial jobs especially when he/she is not getting any government assistance. When one is not getting government assistance, no one in the public has any say in what that person is doing with their life. Employers these days are nothing more than overseers who want to suck the last ounce of blood out of you for no wages. Can't wait until the tables turn, and they eventually will, so that employers can get a dose of their own bitter medicine.

[jstaro]

Watching this my questions were: Why didn't the reporter ask her if she had applied for a job in her field or wants with the Veterans Administration, My second one is why she herself didn't mention applying for the called for jobs in her field in the Call For at the Veterans Administration!! Only thing she would need is better understanding of PTS etc. in occupation theaters verses civilian trauma that brings on same, and they would help in that advanced education need as well as her listening closely to the patients with!

[jstaro]

Realizing the Country has yet to Sacrifice in not only paying for these present wars, surplus was gone and deficits had already started with those rubber stamping congresses before 9/11 and the rubber stamping, off the books and all borrowed had started. The 112th congress, especially the house, has already sought to cut VA funding, in the decades long underfunding of as the country cheers on wars, but this VA is finding ways to save and enhance where needed, in her fields as well, with the call to hire new professionals in the fields, with allot of help from the Administration and other Cabinet Agencies, the only ones doing much of anything!! The country just does welcome homes and parades!

[camillahsiung]

In fact, the reporter did ask but it didn't make the cut. To clarify, I did apply in my field as well as in other fields, including very low paying menial jobs, and including volunteer work. In the last three jobs that i have had in the past 2 years, i was a victim of employers trying to avoid paying me. One was a big NY law firm who actually still owes me 2 months pay, and i have yet to hear anything from the labor dept where i filed a formal complaint. Another small business tried to avoid paying me as well, but i managed to make my demand by bringing a witness and refusing to leave without the pay owed to me. And there was a third incidence in the same year where a local restaurant was very slow to pay me when i helped them out as a hostess. So even in jobs that i was able to get through word of mouth, from personal relationships, it was difficult to get paid and to be treated fairly. It has gotten very bad out there indeed.

[NinthSt78]

I feel the same way, and ten years older makes it even more depressing.

[Mel424]

Just goes to show, unless it is a targeted and in demand degree, you are going nowhere with a college education. It's great to say hey pick up a broom, clean a house, be a waitress. However, people make just as much finding menial ways to live in the meantime until they can find good work with decent pay. The candidate pool is so large these days that employers can afford to be picky and hire on only a part-time basis and pay a lot less than what they used to. No need to pick up a broom if you can make ends meet somehow by not doing that and continuing a job search for a semi decent paying job. It is more frustrating than humiliating.

[askagain]

You are correct, a college education isn't enough. A college education in the right field can make a world of difference. Having earned three degrees over forty years ago, it amazes me that many college students still major in areas where there is little or no demand. My older son became a physician. Medicine offers incredible opportunities in private practice, research, and working for government, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies to name a few which pay well. Medicine is just one of many areas but students must make the right career choices to find readily available jobs. Finally, not all college graduates are desirable. Some have the wrong personality, work ethics, or attitude and potential employers can choose from the most desirable candidates.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Anyone who feels "humiliated" by the job search process shows why no one's wanted to hire them for two years.

[askagain]

Good point. I was a night custodian while in college and a sales clerk in a men's clothing store while in high school, and a grocery store stock boy while in junior high school. I would go back to any of those jobs if it meant supporting myself or my family. I never felt that any of those jobs were beneath me. A good work ethic still pays off for millions of Americans,

[MegaProcrastination]

I know, right? I can understand being frustrated beyond measure but humiliated? I think more people in this country need to get over the idea that they should never feel humiliation and understand that sometimes a bit of humiliation and low self-esteem can lead to serious personal growth.