Chronic unemployment highest since Great Depression

(CBS News) 

Updated 6/13/11

There is an unfortunate adage for the unemployed: The longer folks are out of a job, the longer it takes them to find a new one.

CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports that the chronically unemployed face the hardest road back to recovery, and that while the jobs picture may be improving statistically on a national level, it is not for them.

Tinong Nwachan, for example, has far too much time on his hands. When CBS News met the former truck driver he had been out of work for two years.

"I don't really tell too many people this but I'm not ashamed or nothing, I'm homeless," Nwachan said.

Summer job bummer: Teen unemployment 24 percent
Nearly 14 million Americans are looking for work

His day job is looking for work at a jobs center in Hollywood. He has plenty of company, including Fabian Lambrecht, who wonders when the economy's improvement will affect them.

"They're saying there are more jobs. I'm just wondering where those jobs are," Lambrecht said.

About 6.2 million Americans, 45.1 percent of all unemployed workers in this country, have been jobless for more than six months - at its highest since the Great Depression.

The bigger the gap on someone's resume, the more questions employers have.

"(Employers) think: 'Oh, well, there must be something really wrong with them because they haven't gotten a job in 6 months, a year, 2 years.' But that's not necessarily the case," said Marjorie Gardner-Cruse with the Hollywood Worksource Center.

The problem of course is the economy, but some industries, especially certain manufacturing jobs, are not ever expected to come back. Experts say unemployed workers need to be prepared to change careers.

"That person has to realize that, discover what field they want to work in, become trained and find a job in that field," said Jerry Nickelsburg, Sr., an economist at UCLA.

Here's another problem: more than 1 million of the long-term unemployed have run out of unemployment benefits, leaving them without the money to get new training, buy new clothes, or even get to job interviews.

"If you have been unemployed for 6 months or more, it takes a much deeper toll - not just on your personal finances and your career prospects - but on your emotional well-being," said Paul Taylor, an executive vice president with the Pew Research Center.

Tinong Nwachan said no matter how hard it's been, he isn't giving up on his search.

"I'm taking everything one day at a time. Eventually I know I'm gonna find something," Nwachan said.

All he says he's hoping for is a job that will take more of his time, and take him off the streets.

Editor's note: In a previous version of this story, we said that the long-term unemployment situation was worse than the Great Depression.

According to Congressional Research Service data from the end of the Depression (1937-onward), chronic unemployment is worse now as a percentage (at 44 percent vs. about 31 percent.)

However, long-term unemployment data does not exist for the early years of the Great Depression.

[djsteil]

Do you lefties ever accept the blame for your freedom purging policies? Stop with the racism blame game. It's getting old. Fact is, untrained monkeys could do a better job with the economy than your lying
commie-leon Maobama!

[djsteil]

.......and your alternative hack for a president in 2 1/2 years made the economy trillions of dollars worse. An untrained monkey could have done a better job than commie-leon Maobama. So, don't preach to us proud conservatives. By the way how's your Clinton wannabe Weiner doing lately?

[jumkey]

You're the problem, because all you have is your racism and irrational hatred.

It's hard to fix things when you conservatives are so bent on destroying everything to get at your supposed enemy, even at your own expense.

[slatep]

And where is Obam?

He's at Camp David practicing his golf swing so that Boehner can't beat him.

And where is Congress?

They are on vacation.

Just goes to show you how little the President and our bought and paid for Congress care about the crises in the US.

They're not worried.

Why should they be?

The 2012 election is almost 18 months away.

[IwillBheard]

And Nero fiddled while Rome burned! Like all great civilizations which all failed in the past by not learning from the past so shall we. We have found the enemy and they is us!

[ricardo4max]

Please explain the term "socialized welfare".
Apparently, you believe that unnatural deviate behaviour is good for a society and that the bond of marriage is not a sacred human rite that developed as a method to aid in the survival of our species. You also believe that a man (a father) has no rights whatsoever when it comes to the creation of life. I believe that abortion should NOT be used as a method of birth control in a moral and civilized society. As far as praying in schools goes, it was just fine as we had it growing up in the 50's and 60's. If people want to live in a Muslim country let them move there.
As for the GOP and big oops BIG business, it would appear as though the Obama regime is in bed with GE Goldman Sachs GM Chrysler AIG etc etc etc... I submit to you neocommie regurgitators of democrat talking points that the conservative and tea party voters are all about encouraging SMALL business (yes that's a captial S)!
.

[robertsgt40]

Is CBS so tone deaf not to understand by it's standing by and saying nothing as America was/is financially gang raped, you are just as guilty as the financiers and politicians that sold us down the river?

[Check_Your_Facts]

While you are on the GOP propaganda tour, you should check your facts. GOP has ALWAYS been about BIG Business with capital B's. Small business does not fund thier political campaigns.

Tax breaks do not make more jobs in America, those companies will still outsource thier manufacturing and call centers.

The GOP is directly responsible for Corporate America having one of the lowwest tax rates in the developed world. It was the GOP and Tea Party who allowed the tax breaks to continue. If you want to scream about unfair policy and taxation, consider that if you take the wealthiest 1% of America and made them pay the debt, it would be paid over night and they would still have half thier money.

Why should they pay you say? They have what they have because of the country they live in. They shipped off all the factories, jobs, and opportunities, and they became incredibly rich as a result. They sucked out the life blood of America and you want to support the GOP thier biggest backer? It's time for them pay it back.

You can have a competative market again with jobs and production when you as a nation demand it. Anything manufactured in another country by an American company should be taxed 500% when it hits the border, and if it is not an American company, it should be taxed 1000%. Then watch as manufacturing returns to America. That's America with a capital A++

[ricardo4max]

"We can not allow a person you think represents you to ever be at the helm of our beloved country."
That pretty much sums up the the dictatorial anti-freedom anti-liberty oppression philosophy of the liberal left. It explains the massive voter fraud on the part of Democrats. It explains the numerous violations of the Constitution on the part of the community organizer and Democrats in Congress.
And how dare you Marxists he&* bent on destroying our republic and "remaking" it into some kind of euro-socialist failed utopia refer to the USA as "our beloved country"?

[Aroleflin]

The Democrats destroyed our economy in the 1930's over the course of 10 years and now they have managed to do the same thing, only this time, it only took them four years instead. The great depression started in 1929. Did you know that 10 years later under Roosevelt, through his big government interventions and social programs, the unemployment in 1939 was over 17% !!! God help us. We now have a socialist narcissist in the White House who could manage his own bm.

[IwillBheard]

And that was with no illegal aliens taking all the jobs that we didn't want! Cause there were no jobs we didn't want unlike today! Wonder what the unemployment rate wouild be if we took ALL jobs available, probably wouldn't be any illegals here either in this day and time!

[Aroleflin]

In a recent press conference, Obama used 'invest','investing',and 'invested', 18 times to describe deficit spending. This guy is as dumb and a box of rocks. Even worse, he's a narcissist. Obama couldn't manage a Taco Bell. So we have the likes of Wiener, Obama, Pelosi and Reid running this country. I'd be happier if we had the Keystone Cops instead.

[IwillBheard]

Sorry Bub the keystone cops got out of office 2 and a half yrs ago! Amazing that this selfmade millionaire can even tie his shoes, bet you haven't read any of his books-huh. Oh well soon has we hark up another 4.7 trillion to continue the Republicans off the table tax cuts for the next 10yrs we'll be on easy street again, bet that'll get those 8 million jobs they lost over the past 10 yrs right back, you betcha!

[noloyalisti]

I can't believe the right and left are still arguing while the giant corporations are robbing ALL of us blind (most of them pay less tax than you and me). When they get in trouble we bail them out and when they are doing well they sit on trillions.

It is way past time to nationalize the bankster and petroleum industry. I will run them for benefit of the masses. For 1/100 of the money. And better.

[babooph]

The corporations are legally allowed to bribe the media & congress to get federal tax $$& reduce their taxes too,so long as the US uses the lobby bribe system to subvert its democracy...

[noloyalisti]

And so what is the problem with government control of the big corporations so they don't run roughshod over the workers who produce the wealth? Like they do in the civilized countries like Canada and in Europe.

What is the problem with the government making sure they pay their fair share? And don't destroy the environment, etc, etc.

[abby_del_abbey]

Saw the first Great Depression. Don't want to see the next.
Gov't could bring back CCC, WPA, etc. which would help employ people and rebuild our country.
Greed is killing our nation -- the greed of corporations, the greed of CEOs, financiers, etc.
Our politicians are playing at being "leaders" while America crashes and burns....

[Aroleflin]

You mean civilized countries like Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, Cuba and Venezuala or North Korea. They controlled or currently control companies and not single one of them succeeded or are succeeding other than taking away your rights. Rights that include your ability to write your opinion on here. You socialists are such fools. You would trade your right to freedom of speech for a narcissistic liar like Obama for a free hand out from an overly meddling bloated government.

[noloyalisti]

Notblu does not realize we are NOW a socialist country" for the rich. They have privatized their profits and socialized their losses. The oil corporations are the reason we have two genocidal occupations that have destroyed the economy of the US.

The wreckage of corporate capitalism is all around us. The policies of America ARE A FAILURE. Notblu, a typical Republicon, as the ship is sinking they are saying there is nothing wrong.

[nottblu]

We are not a socialist country, yes there are some social programs. Noloyalisti sits at here computer and rails against the very companies that allow her to spew her crapp. The rich who she vilifies are the wage payers and producers of goods we use and purchase. This idea of class warfare is rediculous, there have always been the haves and have nots, she would like everyone to believe the haves are evil when in fact they are ones who pay the majority of taxes, contribute the majority of money to any and all charities, produce jobs, improve technology, discover cures for humanity the list goes on and on. Poor uniformed brainwashed individuals like her have been taught to hate the very people and business that provides her essentials and standard of living. It has been Obama'a s and his democratic cohorts mission to create this class divide insuring a self entitlement philosophy for the sheep like Noloyalisti and further solidifies and expands their perceived voter base.

[ricardo4max]

What kind of intellect writes "We are now a socialist country for the rich."? Why debate with a poster whose lack of knowledge and inability to use logic and reason is glaringly obvious.