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No interviews for 30% of long-term jobless

January 24, 2014

The long-term unemployed are feeling the sting of a slower-than-expected job market recovery more than others, according to study released today by CareerBuilder. Thirty percent of workers who were previously employed full time and who have been out of work for 12 months or longer said they haven’t had a single job interview since they became unemployed.

Forty-four percent of the long-term unemployed said they look for jobs every day and 43 percent look every week. While 30 percent of the long-term unemployed surveyed said they haven’t had any interviews since they lost their jobs, 30 percent also said they have had five or more interviews and 14 percent have had ten or more. One in 10 have turned down a job while unemployed.

Being out of the workforce for an extended period has left 45 percent of long-term unemployed concerned that their skills have depreciated. Of these respondents, 56 percent said their technology skills depreciated.

When asked to identify some of the major challenges they encounter when looking for a job, the long-term unemployed pointed to:

  • My age or experience is a disadvantage: 66 percent (Among long-term unemployed ages 55 and older, 92 percent feel their age works against them)
  • The longer I am unemployed, employers are becoming less responsive: 63 percent
  • The number of jobs in my profession has dropped significantly during and post-recession: 37 percent
  • I am unable to relocate or commute far: 30 percent
  • I am having difficulty transitioning skills to a new field or industry: 16 percent

The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive from Nov. 6 to Dec. 2. It included more than 300 workers who were previously employed full-time, have been unemployed for 12 months or longer and are currently looking for a job.