Some hope for long-term unemployed?

(CBS News) -- The Labor Department said today that another 362,000 Americans have joined the line for unemployment benefits, but the good news is that the number of people who have been out of work 27 weeks or more -- the long-term unemployed--is trending downward.

The number of long-term unemployed rose from 1,780,000 in the fall of 2006 to 6.7 million in the spring of 2010. Since then, it has fallen to around 4.7 million.

Jack Walerius is one of the long-term unemployed. He has not had a full-time job for more than three years. He now spends his time volunteering at an unemployment networking group.

"From my perspective, from my eyes, I still see that we're in a deep recession," Walerius told CBS.

Walerius used to sell advertising to car dealerships. He is now one of the 4.7 million Americans who have been without work for more than six months. The long-term unemployed often find that employers are worried their skills have degraded and also wonder why they have been unemployed for so long. Those who do land a job earn on average 17% less than they did before.

• Weekly jobless claims jump
• January jobs report: The long slog continues
• How to turn your seasonal job into a full-time gig

Asked how many jobs he has applied or interviewed for, Walerius replied "too many to count."

(Watch: Jack Walerius and other Jobless workers spoke to CBS's Scott Pelley in 2011, below)

Walerius and other white collar workers in California spoke with CBS's Scott Pelley back in 2011. Since then, Walerius has been living off of savings. He worked at a COSTCO for two months over the holidays and at 61 years old, he is not picky about the jobs he is willing to take.

"Quite frankly the seasonal job I had, I was hoping would turn into a full-time job and if that's what's out there that's what I would take right now, he said."

Walerius says that volunteering keeps him sane and gets him out of the house.

And what does he say to people who think he just isn't trying hard enough?

"You have to walk a mile in my shoes," he said "I just hope it never happens to you."

Walerius recently had his first in-person job interview in four months. He is still waiting for an answer.

[keguy11]

It amazes me every day the ignorance of people. There are all different types of companies and jobs separate from government jobs and corporate jobs. Doesn't anyone know that? The small business owner model is where I have always had my best success; these owners appreciate my leadership and drive which allows their business to grow to their expectations and then I move on to the next business adventure. I was always fairly compensated for my efforts. Since 2011, I have either been unemployed or underemployed or my salary has dropped by more than 60%. In the past 20 years, health insurance was provided with a very high monthly payment but for the past 5 years those costs have doubled or do not exist anymore. I've enjoyed the difference I made in these small companies and they compensated me fairly for my hard work and results but today that does not exist anymore. No one in the media is telling that story, shame on you

[isld]

this guy is so full of crap you can smell it threw the t.v. 3 yrs of unemployment and thousands of applications filed. this is correct but this guy is an idiot and stupid and is on of those people that if the job dosent fit his MO then he has no interest. does hes hava a brain because with all the money the gov, has spent on him why in hell did someone say to him his MO dosent exist anymore,,,, sell advertising for car companies,, he could have gone back to school after the first 50 application denials,,,, wake you idiot and stop wasting the peoples time and the gov, money... you played this game because 62 is around the corner,,,,,,

[johnlockesghost]

The status on employment really doesn't tell the story of our economy. That story must also include the underemployed and the people that no longer receive unemployment checks. The real problem is that government is guilty of not focusing on economic issues that would have solved the employment problem. Instead of concerning itself with national health care, it should have focused the same energy on infrastructure revitalization, instead of allowing a flood of foreign nationals into our country and thereby diluting the citizen workforce, it should have enforced out immigration laws and instead of engaging in unfair trade made possible via an in-balance in the cost per man hour, it should have levied stiff taxes on goods produced by foreign countries where such slave labor practices are employed. Additionally, they should have accelerated troop withdrawals from foreign soil. In short, had out government actually worked for the benefit of American citizens our economy would be booming.

[zebra8835]

I'd like to see a quota hire for men and women over fifty and give them minority status. While it's true many jobs belong to a "younger man," would it be too much to ask to hire one in ten over fifty or one in twenty? At least that would give the older man or woman some chance of being hired. As it stands now, your odds are just about zero. The companies figure about the time they get you trained for a technical position, you're probably about ready to retire. You also may cost them a lot using their insurance.

The companies want to get rid of you when your fifty and the federal government wants you to work until seventy. At fifty, you're way short of retirement and unless the government acts to create a law like this, you'll probably be "out of luck."

[pbarber12]

I know where 1.2 million jobs could be gotten quickly. Send the non-USA contractors home now. Our corporations have found it cheaper to hire them. It is cheaper to hire a non-USA contractor, because you don't have to match Social Security and you don't have to pay medical. Our congress won't pass laws to stop it - too much political donations from Microsoft/Cisco/Oracle etc. Meanwhile, our nurses/engineers/movie/reporter/finance personnel are unemployed. We are losing billions to lost revenue by these contractors sending their money back home and guess what folks they don't even have to pay taxes. Yep, we pay for their hospital emergency care; we pay for their kids being educated in our schools; we pay for the roads/bridges/trains they use; and what do they to for us? They help keep us in a Great Recession, and take our technology with them after they go back home and become new competitors on the global world economy. Thanks Congress for keeping us down and out with no hope for a better future.

[ouykucf]

It looks as though Walerius is a very old man. Why doesn't he just retire. I guess it's a good excuse to continue collecting umemployment insurance.

[arschgaudi]

I love when stupidity wanders into a conversation

[aintfakin]

bmallen3 February 21, 2013 9:49 PM EST
just what bank do you know that makes loans to people that they think will default?
------------------------------------
maybe its because the loan officers get a commission anyway
maybe its the why the banks tried to con everyone with those same loans and had to be bailed out.
Maybe thats why some of the folks are being sued and prosecuted.
You come in here and spew this kind of crap hoping to fool someone?
Maybe the methhead who lives in the trailer next door to yours.

[jgg000010]

a bank with a government guarantee backed with taxpayer money will make a loan to people they know won't pay it back.

[wowmanfarout]

Could it be that one party is trying to make Obama look like the
worst president we ever had? Could that party be causing the long
term of high unemployment for that reason?
If so a great many of us are paying a long and painful price
for this kind of dirty politics.

[jgg000010]

so who do you blame for not having a domestic, economic, or foreign policy? The guy in this article hasn't had a job in three years. The bush recession was over in 2009. Unemployment is higher now than when obama took office. Record numbers on welfare, foodstamps and disability. 1 in 5 Americans now living in poverty.
How you idiots can blame everybody and everything but the guy in charge is just mind-boggling. The fish stinks from the head.

[jschm2681]

Obama;s record:=44 months of 8+% unemployment, a record
since 1948; labor participation rate at 63.6%, lowest since 1981; weakest
recovery since WWII; 5.5 Trillion+ in new debt

[alanrobisch]

It takes till now to report this. its clear it only got reported now because the president is safely re-elected. Lord God Obama is elected so no more problems in the land LOL. He has failed to solve most problems he came in with and we are getting near a debt level that may make it impossible to recover from and the actual number of unemployed has increased yet we are to bow down to the wisdom of the Lord God Obama. He is omniscient omnipotent and a good communicator who can make a lie seem the truth with the best of them. We as Americans should be ashamed that we have been taken in by this charlatan

[wowmanfarout]

This has gone on for to long. We really need to know the truth
as to exactly why the high unemployment rate continues.

[aintfakin]

whine,pizzz, moan, lie
maybe the bagger knee jerk obstruction had something to do with it.
Maybe republican CEO's sending jobs overseas has something to do with it
even so
After inheriting the biggest recession short of a depression in history things are headed in the right direction.
Most of the country agrees
pizzandmoan dude
only the radio zombie choir is listening

[RobGib]

Amen!