The New Profile of the Long-Term Unemployed (Highest since WWII)

[onehandle]

The worst hit: White Collar Workers and Middle-Age Women. But if you're looking for a job flipping burgers or pushing a broom, America's your place.
________________________________________

Not since World War II has long-term joblessness - the percentage of the unemployed out of work for six months or more - been so high for so long after a recession has ended.

The current trouble falls most heavily on people trapped by the shifting sands of the economy. Today, the unemployment rate is relatively low at 5.2 percent and overall hiring has started to pick up again, particularly for younger workers coming out of college and professional schools. But the presence of middle-aged women and better educated white-collar workers among the long-term unemployed has increased.

"There are just not new jobs being created in the things these people did before," said Andrew Stettner, a policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project and co-author of a study of long-term unemployment. "We are firing fewer people than we did in 2001 and 2002, but we are not hiring many people either, and that cuts off the exit route out of unemployment."

At the same time, the incidence of long-term unemployment among the usual victims of earlier eras - less educated blue-collar workers who often lost their jobs in production cutbacks - has fallen.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/24/business/24jobs.html?

[Triana]

1. As a middle-aged woman I can tell you..

...we are the first laid off and the LAST ones they'll hire when there is a job open anywhere. Most employers will go out of their way NOT to hire a middle-aged woman, or any woman, but particularly one past her prime. Of course, they discriminate against middle-aged men too but I think they're worse towards women.

Unfortunately, many women have kids to support, in addition to themselves, but most employers still have the attitude that women 'don't have families to support' so will hire a man instead, all other things being equal.

It's a mysogenist society we live in and that hasn't changed. In fact, it's gotten much worse and the effects of it are far more devastating than anyone will even admit.

[SteppingRazor]

2. I slightly disagree...

I don't think they hire men because "those guys have family to support." I think women don't get hired for a reason that can be summed up in three words: Paid maternity leave.

And if you're too old to have kids, you face the same problems as men of that age -- no one wants to hire a worker who doesn't have many years left in the workforce. It's cheaper and more efficient, in the long run, to hire a younger worker instead.

It's pure capitalism. There's no morals or ethics involved. It's just whatever will offer the emplyer more work at less pay.

[janx]

5. Middle-aged women usually won't be having more children,

but that doesn't mean they're "dried up" as workers. Someone in her mid forties, for example, can be just beginning to hit her stride and can work for many years to come. It's often assumed that she is supported by a man and that her kids are supported by a man, when in fact she may have older children in college with little or no support at all.

[Triana]

10. Yes. I've seen this too...

...most have teens or grown kids and are ready and willing - and able to hit their careers full steam. But, that's the time employers set them out to pasture - (and often their husbands, too). They still have to get those kids thru college and support themselves. They're often not supported by husbands, or anyone. I'm not! I'm screwed by a society that ass-umes I am, I guess. And one that wants cheap male labor.

[sojourner]

25. me too....sigh

[raccoon]

34. Me three. nt

[Triana]

6. I don't even want kids...

...and I have 20 years left in the workforce. Of course, they don't know that (about me not wanting kids). 20 years is a long time, though.

I'm sure it has to do with hiring 25 year olds just out of college for $25K per year - cheaper than paying an experienced worker more $ that they're worth.

[SteppingRazor]

8. Just what I said

You've got my point exactly. That 25 year old can provide more work and do so for less money.

They hire the 25 year old for the same reason that other companies hire 12 year olds in SE Asia.

[cap]

9. I know a lot of professional middle aged women out of work

esp. all the tech writer, graphics designers, computer programmers pr, and marketing ones.

All replaced by 25-32 year olds. Even in the good times, never saw a single one that looked over 40.

There arent any over 40 professional women in business, unless they own the business. The only professionals over 40 I see working are in government, teaching, nursing,

EEOC has been very silent about the demise of women in the work place. But they have the female mouthpiece, Eileen Chao at the Dept of Labor to say that they really arent so bad.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Why do you think I went independent?

Even in college teaching, I felt that I was getting "aged out" after being denied tenure at my last school. I went to my field's hiring convention, and the only people getting interviews were Japanese women under thirty.

After that convention, I knew that I had two options: spending the rest of my working life taking a series of one-year appointments in podunk colleges around the country and never enjoying any stability, or changing careers and following my long-held dream of becoming a free-lance translator.

I chose the second, and it has been hard at times, but not nearly as bad as the alternative.

[cap]

14. I wish NOW had really gone after the glass ceiling

I know abortion is important but I wish they had really focused on workplace issues and getting women in positions of power. If they had, they would have had a lot more resources to deal with the other problems.

[sojourner]

26. hiya Lydia Lefty...

Fellow college prof gone indy here. Had advanced to a one-year appointment as Director of Research, but other connections led me to a State level position. Unfortunately 9/11 struck and so did the California energy debacle. My whole agency shrunk from 112 people to 25. Despite great creds, no job.

So, started my own company. Hard times all round. (It's tough these days...and I don't have a retirement plan to rely on. Teaching and my two-year gov't gig has made me "social security exempt".) Screwed royally.

[Megahurtz]

21. Capitalism Sucks.

Busheister cares only about "profit for the shareholders" (which benefits himself and his corporate buddies)

He doesn't care about the workers.:(

[sojourner]

24. I've heard the "he has a family to support line" for myself.

It is not usually thought of in the case of a woman. Unfortunate.

[getmeouttahere]

3. And will only get worse with....

repukes in charge. They don't stand up for ANY workers, let alone women or minorities or older workers.

[Greylyn58]

19. As I am also a middle-aged woman

and have been out of a job since Oct '03, I can tell you that everything you have said is true.

And it's not getting any better.

[cap]

23. I know of a family of women

all unemployed since '01 or marginally so.

One Ivy League/Andover grad in Economics, One Carnegie Mellon Grad, One manager at Nortel and one computer programmer. All late 30's to 40's.

[Triana]

30. I believe the Repukes...

..would like to push all women out of the workforce - except for the very young, bosomy, ignorant, cheapo ones (no or not much experience yet). Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist but I do believe that's at least part of the plan...

[cap]

31. yes and NOW is letting this hot button issue slide

eom

[Triana]

35. NOW, FM.. all of them.

I don't get why these women's orgs aren't screaming bloody murder about the disappearance of experienced women from the workforce and the force(s) behind that (mysogenist Republicans).

[cap]

42. NOW has emphasized the personal/private issues

and has downplayed public workforce issues.

I know abortion, lesbian rights, and stereotypes are important and they do affect the workplace but if we arent making the buckeroos and arent getting the promotions we wont have the resources to fight the other battles. I think NOW would get more support and look more mainstream if they really emphasized workforce. (Although I do congratulate the work done on Walmart)

[Triana]

43. Hell yea!

I actually lost interest in them because they don't seem interested in such (workplace, career, glass ceiling) issues. The other stuff's important but I think in the order of priority and as you say, logistical order, we have to have job and financial security and visibility first. Totally agree.

[DemoTex]

4. Christy Harvey discussed this on The Al Franken Show last hour.

Christy and Katherine Lanpher discussed these new unemployment figures (Al had already left the set for the forum on Capitol Hill). There is no reason to believe that these statistics will get any better before 2006. The political implications of hard times for this economic strata could weigh heavily in favor of Democratic candidates (especially if some of these people need to file for bankruptcy protection under the Draconian new law).


The GOP's Moral Bankruptcy Bill

[KitSileya]

7. "after a recession has ended."

The recession is over? I didn't know that. I thought we were standing on the brink of the precipice - waiting for the Bush deficits to catch up with us.

[ozone_man]

15. We are and they will.

Just don't expect the NYT to report that.

[KitSileya]

17. That's what I thought.

I mean, I hear about the jobless recovery and all, but it doesn't seem like things will recover very far even if the situation is ameliorating a little - it'll just make the contrast that bigger when the bottom drops out of the economy - with oil prizes, deficits, health care loss, and the removal of any sort of social safety net for ordinary people, the past couple of months might seem like a golden era. What irony!

[Zerex71]

12. The recession hasn't ended, I'm afraid to inform the NYT.

[area51]

13. "The recession hasn't ended"

Exactly. I'll bet it's about as hard to get a job now as in the 1st Great Depression. Thanks, Bush, for causing the 2nd Great Depression.

[sojourner]

28. ooops. is that cuz now it's a depression?

[raccoon]

36. One thing for sure, you'll never hear any economist

or pundit use the word "depression" (as in economic, not emotional).
If they did, they'd be promptly beheaded. And not by the Al Qaeda.

[sojourner]

39. Made me laugh...but it ain't funny dammit!

:grr:

[Doctor_J]

16. As soon as those tax cuts for Warren Buffet kick in

we'll all start to feel the trickle. Wait...I think I feel it...oh, hell, that's not wealth running down my back.

[sojourner]

27. LOL!!! n/t

[struggle4progress]

18. kick

[MountainLaurel]

20. This ties in neatly

To another thread dealing with an article about how current generations, particularly among the working classes, are facing a quality of life and economic situation worse than that of the previous generation. Kids who aren't going to college often have few options: The manufacturing jobs, the union pipefitting or electricians positions just aren't there any more. A lot of these kids are looking forward to a future full of Wal-Mart style jobs.

[megatherium]

37. This has been going on for a long time.

Like since the Reagan adminstration -- see the movie Repo Man for an excellent impression of attitudes circa 1984. One character is pleased that he works fries at the burger place because "you can really move up, you can become assistant night manager".

[wicket]

22. Where are the jobs?

I lost mine a few months ago and would really like to know.

[geckosfeet]

38. there are precious few

I lost my job in Oct. 2003. I took a low paying factory position just to have something but a year later came to understand that it was not for me. I felt more guilt and anxiety working that job than I did being unemployed.

I have since started my own business and am trying to create opportunity for myself without falling into the BushCo of forced labor.

There is a large, highly educated labor pool competing for $10/hr jobs. This is BushCo's idea of prosperity and opportunity. Good if you are a corporate raider-bad if you are highly educated 40 something.

[sojourner]

40. amen

[ckramer]

29. The answer is: Ebay

Boosh said that.

[cap]

32. this is just like the end of WWII with the return of the GIs

women are silently marched out of the labor force and not a word is being spoken on their behalf.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

33. Question: Why do the long-term unemployed hate America?

I was doing my Stephen Colbert impression

[Strawman]

41. And they're not even counting all those unemployed embryos

:sarcasm:

Funny how you hardly hear about this stuff, innit?