Yesterday I had a discussion with a staffer at the headquarters of a Democratic candidate in my home state. He seemed surprised when I said that jobs would be the deciding factor in the race.
"In what parts of the state?" he asked.
In what parts of the state? Surely, unemployment numbers are the clearest indicator of the health of the economy. Look at the fluctuations in the stock market last week. If you have a job, you're worried about keeping your job. If your job is secure, you're worried about your 401(k).
Right? Or am I crazy?
This discussion came before I had read the AP story on job prospects for the long-term unemployed. If you haven't seen it yet, let me summarize it for you: If you've been unemployed for more than six months, it's grim. Longer than a year -- or God forbid, two -- it's hopeless.
We long-termers now make up 46% of the total numbers of unemployed. And those of us over age 45 "make up the largest slice of the long-term unemployed."
Yes, we. I have become a statistic.
There's nothing wrong with me -- like three eyes on my forehead or halitosis or a bad attitude. My suits are professional, my haircut conservative, and my smile liberal. I'm a catch! Caught in a Catch 22 of a job market.
It's not my skills or my credentials that are lacking, it's the way prospective employers perceive them. As the AP article points out,
One factor behind the growing proportion of the long-term unemployed is the erosion of their workplace skills — or employers' perception of it. It's hard to find work in a tight job market when your skills are seen as stale.
Stale? This would be laughable if it weren't so tragic. Unemployment agencies aren't interested in talking to me even for a position as receptionist -- as if my "skills" answering a phone or typing have eroded over time. My credentials as a former newspaper editor mean nothing outside of the industry, and no one inside the industry is hiring.
In my case, my job search was complicated by caring for my mother, who died a few months ago.
I've moved to another city to give myself a fresh start in an area where unemployment was lower and job growth more promising. It was a mistake.
Last week, in between sending out more resumes, I sold what little I have left to sell. With my unemployment benefits exhausted, I won't be able to pay rent unless I start a job in the next week. I have no family or friends who can help. I don't include these details to garner sympathy, but rather to let you know what life is like in the unemployment trenches.
If sending out resumes has seemed like a futile endeavor, it's with good reason. HuffPost has uncovered a disturbing trend. Prospective employers aren't reading my resume. In fact, they're throwing out the resumes of the jobless. Employers even have begun to include warnings in job ads:
"Client will not consider/review anyone NOT currently employed regardless of the reason."
There's something you can do to help us. If you're a boss, don't throw out our resumes. Pretend you're a Hollywood agent. If somebody has talent, we're worth a second look.
If you're working, talk to the people who do the hiring at your company. Tell them this: If you throw us -- the long-term unemployed -- into the trash bin, you're throwing away the knowledge, experience and skills that could help get America moving again.
Don't let us become the Lost Generation.