Chronic Unemployment Worse Than Great Depression

The unemployed have, on average, remained unemployed longer than in the 1930s; Employers wary of job gaps in resumes.

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By CBS NEWS
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Story Created: Jun 6, 2011 at 11:01 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Nov 8, 2011 at 4:26 PM AKDT

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.

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 - a higher percentage than during the Great Depression.

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

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mark said on Monday, Jun 6 at 8:31 PM

Thanks Phil Sometimes the truth hurts. Nothing will change. No one cares. Just live with it. The America MY Father knwe is dead. Degenerates now rule the middle class. Lets not forget Trickle up Poverty ......Thanks President. Thanks!!

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Phil said on Monday, Jun 6 at 12:38 PM

And what is our wonderful government doing to help solve this problem? Absolutely NOTHING! It's a shame we have a government who takes better care of other countries than its own. Let's all thank those who made it so we can send all of our jobs overseas and make us more unemployment than the great depression. Those who where involved in doing that are traitors to this country.

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