Going To Work For Uncle Sam

Despite the current economic recovery, jobs are still hard to find, and as CBS News' Anthony Mason reports many Americans are going to work for Uncle Sam.

Just how tight is the job market?

Ask Eric Rosa, who just graduated high school: "It's gettin' really hard to find work around here."

Aina Gayares, who's looking for a job in retail sales, said she can't find anything at all.

"Nothing,'' she says.

And neither could 20-year-old Milena Kravchenski: "There aren't any jobs out there. And you just get angry. And you just give up after awhile."

But Milena didn't give up. Instead she and Eric and Aina have all signed up with the Army.

Lt. Colonel John Gillete says the Army was looking for 100,000 recruits this year. They've met that goal, helped in part, by the economy.

"We've found the economy has been a significant factor," he said. "We've met and exceeded those goals."

Because even in a recovery, this economy is still struggling to create jobs. In fact, between February and August the economy lost nearly 600,000 jobs, and nine million Americans are still looking for work.

"Things are getting better. But there's still work to do," said President Bush recently.

That weak job market is making more people join the military. It's also making fewer people leave. For example, so many sailors are staying in the service that the Navy has actually cut 700 recruiting jobs.

But the military still offers a steady paycheck and good benefits.

"It's a guaranteed some kind of job, so ..." says Eric Rosa

So for new recruits taking the oath of enlistment, it's not just the Army -- it's employment.