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Triana

(22,666 posts)
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 11:28 AM Apr 2013

Companies won’t even look at résumés of the long-term unemployed

Here’s one major reason why America’s unemployment crisis could be here to stay. At the moment, thanks to the lasting effects of the recession, there are 4.7 million workers who have been out of work for at least 27 weeks. And new research suggests that employers won’t even take a look at their résumés.

Matthew O’Brien reports on a striking new paper by Rand Ghayad and William Dickens of Northeastern University. The researchers sent out 4,800 fake résumés at random for 600 job openings. What they found is that employers would rather hire someone with no relevant experience who’s only been out of work for a few months than someone with lots of relevant experience who’s been out of work for longer than six months.

In other words, it doesn’t matter how much experience you have. It doesn’t matter why you lost your previous job — it could have been bad luck. But if you’ve been out of work for more than six months, you’re essentially unemployable. Many companies won’t even consider you for a job. Here’s what this looks like in chart form:



THE REST:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/15/companies-wont-even-look-at-resumes-of-the-long-term-unemployed/
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Companies won’t even look at résumés of the long-term unemployed (Original Post) Triana Apr 2013 OP
They don't have to. Because it's an employer's market. phantom power Apr 2013 #1
It should be illegal. Full stop. Illegal. And severely punished with... Triana Apr 2013 #3
later in the article.....and this is infuriating... Triana Apr 2013 #2
The only thing that surprises me about this is winter is coming Apr 2013 #4
This is an American FAILING which falls squarely on the shoulders of Businesses. HughBeaumont Apr 2013 #5
We had this situation in 86'thru 92'. Wellstone ruled Apr 2013 #6
Been there. Done that. Yep, it's true..... Wounded Bear Apr 2013 #7
This is just another example of people making bad choices Orrex Apr 2013 #8
It's a harsh reality FreeJoe Apr 2013 #9

phantom power

(25,966 posts)
1. They don't have to. Because it's an employer's market.
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 11:33 AM
Apr 2013

Because there are still more applicants than jobs. But hey, the stock market is up with a bullet, so I'm sure it's all great and I'm just an emo-prog.

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
3. It should be illegal. Full stop. Illegal. And severely punished with...
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 11:35 AM
Apr 2013

BIG substantial fines and easy reporting for prospective employees, as long as unemployment rate is over 5%

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
2. later in the article.....and this is infuriating...
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 11:34 AM
Apr 2013

"Tax credits for businesses that hire long-term unemployed were included in a jobs bill that Republicans blocked in Congress."

HughBeaumont

(24,461 posts)
5. This is an American FAILING which falls squarely on the shoulders of Businesses.
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 12:11 PM
Apr 2013

Of course, it's not like our corporations/businesses or the wealthy that run them have any feelings or shame, so I guess we'll keep on failing and act like everything's killer.

You know how much everyone's life is brightened at the news of a long-term-unemployed person's employment? You see the glow from such news and the tears of joy that flow because the person doesn't feel worthless and frustrated any longer? It's an utter crime and a disgrace that we judge people's worth by how gainfully they're employed.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
6. We had this situation in 86'thru 92'.
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 12:13 PM
Apr 2013

It's the new paradigm crap all over again. Employers want the youthful look. Want them young and dumb. Hire them cheap and give them zero bennies. The day of employee bennies is toast. Race to the bottom,here we go.

Wounded Bear

(58,436 posts)
7. Been there. Done that. Yep, it's true.....
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 12:16 PM
Apr 2013

Was out of work, granted it was largely my choice, for several years. When I started looking, it was like crickets chirping when I put out feelers for work.

Finally got a personal reference for agency work, worked there two years-much of it part time-and moved on to another agency, where I've been the past year, some steady work, some part time piece work.

The job market right now can be summed up in a simple statement-life sucks, then you die.

Orrex

(63,083 posts)
8. This is just another example of people making bad choices
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 12:46 PM
Apr 2013

Obviously, they shouldn't have chosen to be downsized and out of work in a dead job market for 27+ weeks.


FreeJoe

(1,039 posts)
9. It's a harsh reality
Mon Apr 15, 2013, 01:45 PM
Apr 2013

In my 25 year career, I've hired probably less than a person a year on average. Once hired, they can be particularly hard to fire unless they are a disaster. I'm guessing that most other people in corporations are in similar circumstances - few chances to hire and you have to live with the consequences of those hiring decisions for a long time. That makes a hiring manager very risk averse. They will often pass over the chance to hire someone that might be awesome for someone that they are confident will be pretty good.

That leads to a lot of soceital problems. One is what was mentioned in the OP. Someone that has been out of work for a long time may be a great worker caught up by circumstances. But then again, they might have other problems. Someone with a huge stack of resumes that needs to be cut down to a handful to interview is going to pass up on any resume with an obvious negative on it.

A similar problem I see is that people hire people they know directly or indirectly. I think about 1/3 of the people I've hired have been people I either worked with in the past or had close contacts that worked with them. This is pretty rational behavior for the person doing the hiring, but it leads to serious societal problems as people on the outside try to break into the social circles of those on the inside.

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