By Joseph Carbone, Pres/CEO, The WorkPlace. New Haven Register. April 28, 2021
Long-term unemployment is defined as being out of work for six months or longer. It seems simple and clear, but it’s not. There is no asterisk or footnote that describes its penchant to inflict harm on our long-term unemployed. While we witness green shoots of economic recovery, there is data indicating that over 4 million Americans are long-term unemployed, or LTU, and the pool gets larger and deeper each month. They constitute more than 40 percent of the total unemployed and more appear to be on their way. This is comparable to the Great Recession when a term was coined that described the LTU as “trapped in unemployment.”
So, let me say this upfront — you need to get back to work ASAP. You need to do so even if you will earn less than your weekly unemployment benefits. Take it from me — several years ago I fell into that trap, and it was devastating. I was once unemployed for more than eight months. Despite having had a great education and being part of a politically connected family, I could not get a call returned or an interview scheduled. But it got worse — after a few months of unemployment, I found myself relieved when call backs did not occur or interviews were canceled altogether. My self-confidence waned, I grew complacent and frankly I was frightened. I developed routines to stay busy such as bringing the kids to school and grocery shopping miles away from my home. I even got into watching soap operas. This was uncharacteristic of my life, but it was a classic case of the negative effects of long-term unemployment.
Something happens when one is LTU, and we finally recognized it during The Great Recession. We learned that it is not a lack of skills or talent that keep the LTU from regaining employment. It is a confluence of forces that create a nearly impenetrable barrier to meaningful employment. We learned that employers, most of whom are overwhelmed with applicants, routinely look for folks who are employed or short-term unemployed. This is the practice of stereotyping and making assumptions without interviewing candidates. The LTU are an immediate target of bias and discrimination solely because of the duration of their unemployment. Within a few months, a stigma is created, like the “99ers” during the Great Recession. Long-term unemployment robs workers of their competitive edge in the marketplace.
Something happens when one is LTU, and we finally recognized it during The Great Recession. We learned that it is not a lack of skills or talent that keep the LTU from regaining employment. It is a confluence of forces that create a nearly impenetrable barrier to meaningful employment. We learned that employers, most of whom are overwhelmed with applicants, routinely look for folks who are employed or short-term unemployed. This is the practice of stereotyping and making assumptions without interviewing candidates. The LTU are an immediate target of bias and discrimination solely because of the duration of their unemployment. Within a few months, a stigma is created, like the “99ers” during the Great Recession. Long-term unemployment robs workers of their competitive edge in the marketplace.
Gov. Lamont and the state Legislature have supported a nationally recognized model called Platform to Employment (P2E) that has helped over 80 percent of LTU participants return to work. P2E provides LTU job-seekers with a holistic approach to job search that not only focuses on how to write resumes and network in today’s marketplace but also recognizes and addresses the varied effects of long-term unemployment on individuals. Explore P2E at www.workplace.org or www.platformtoemployment.com and you will see that it is transformative, respected by employers and has enabled American’s coast to coast to get back their lives and careers.
Joseph Carbone is president and CEO of The WorkPlace, southwestern Connecticut’s Workforce Development Board, based in Bridgeport.