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Phoebe Macon
By Zachary Roth | The Lookout
Tera Burbank and John Clark had been out of work over two years in February 2011: AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
You can read all the stats you want on America's long-term jobless crisis. More than 6.3 million Americans have been out of work for more than half a year. The average jobless stint now lasts longer than nine months. We could go on.
But no facts or figures bring home the grim human dimension of this epidemic better than an account we received from an unemployed Iraq War veteran. "I have led men in combat, but my last job was a temporary cashier position in the women's department at Nordstrom's," he wrote. "I don't get many interviews, but when I do, I get a lot of handshakes and a 'Thank you for your service, but you're not what we're looking for.'"
Nor can they top this description from a reader of what it's like to go for months searching fruitlessly for work: "You start to hear a voice in your head that tells you, 'Perhaps you're just not good enough.'"
When we asked readers recently to share their personal stories of being out of work for an extended period, we expected to get a lot of responses. But we didn't foresee the flood that ensued. "I imagine that you will have to hire more staff to wade through all the emails you get in response to this article," one reader wrote. It turned out she was right: That's exactly what we did.
The thousands of anecdotes you sent us offer a heart-rending glimpse inside the reality of long-term joblessness during the Great Recession and its aftermath. They convey sadness, anxiety, anger, shame, and despair, but sometimes also humor, generosity, and a quintessentially American determination to roll with the punches. And they offer a portrait of out-of-work people who are smart, articulate, motivated, and resilient--a useful corrective to some of the negative stereotypes that too often shape perceptions of this huge group of Americans.
We want to thank all the thousands of readers who took the time to share their personal stories. For reasons of space, we can only publish here a fraction of the number we'd like to. So we've set up a separate website, "Down But Not Out," to showcase many more in full. [ Click here for readers' own tales of long-term joblessness at "Down But Not Out.""]
Meanwhile, here at the The Lookout, we've picked out portions of a smaller number of the most compelling responses, and organized them around some of the major themes that readers highlighted--from accounts of how they lost their job in the first place, to the emotional toll that being without work for so long can take, to the rare and unexpected silver linings that some respondents discovered.
How it all Began: "When the economy imploded in 2009, nobody was building anything"
Many readers described how they first became jobless, with tales that often seemed ripped from the bleak headlines of the last few years--taking in everything from the mortgage meltdown to the housing bust to government budget cuts.
• George C. from Brea, Calif., told us he worked for a bank that had a division that made sub-prime loans. After the housing bust hit, "the federal government ordered the company to cease & desist from all sub-prime operations, because they didn't like banks that were also sub-prime mortgage companies, so that division of the company was shut down," George wrote. Ultimately, the other divisions of the bank were sold, "at which time there was no more work for me to do."
• "I was a steel building detailer with just over 14 years of experience," Tom W. from New Haven, Ind., told us. "When the economy imploded in 2009, nobody was building anything. With no work, my employer was forced to lay off everyone."
• Shannon B., a teacher and school administrator from Phelan, Calif., wrote that she lost her job in February 2009. "When the budget slashes hit, my position was the first to go."
• Jerry, from southern California, told us he had worked in the electrical distribution industry for more than 25 years. "I lost my job in August of 2008 when the housing bubble and second Great Depression were hitting hard. The branch I worked in closed, since the industry relies heavily on new construction."
• "I never saw being let go coming," wrote Elizabeth M., who worked at an educational center. "I simply showed up less and less on the work schedule. Then, after 2 weeks of not appearing at all, I received a voice mail via my cell phone that informed me they were actually letting me go. (Whatever happened to telling someone to their face?)"
The Emotional Toll: "I hide my emotions, but deep down I feel I am dying off"
Your tales of losing long-held jobs--often with minimal advance notice or human consideration--were bracing. But more compelling still were the numerous accounts of how long-term joblessness has affected you personally and psychologically.
• Perhaps no testimony was bleaker than a note we received from Peter K., who said he used to be a middle manager making over $100,000 a year. His life now? "Stay up too late at night and sleep too long in the morning. Drink way too much … stare at the computer screen, stare out the window, stare at your image in the mirror, stare at the ceiling fan … Social life--none. I'm no fun. Sex--none. Women would sooner hear you have Hepatitis then learn you're unemployed … Depressed--big time. Think suicide every day."
• Scott V. told us that when his money began to run out and he didn't know how he was going to feed his children, he had the same thought. "To be extremely honest I thought of taking the easy way out, which probably many people have. I read an internet article a couple of weeks ago about some 22 (?) year old ending her life because she had no job and too many bills that she couldn't handle. Of course I didn't do that, because I consider myself a strong person and I have a lot to live for."
• "Most of the time you can barely get out of bed because you worry so much about your future," wrote Todd L. of Houston, Tex. "I feel so behind, especially when talking to my peers. Several of them have already moved on from their first job to their second one. Many are in long-term relationships, something I know I can never have without a job and financial stability. I feel so ... behind. I have grown much more envious of others lately."
• Stefan K., from South Bend, Ind., told us he'd been out of work for going on two years. "After a few months pass by, you start to take it personally," he wrote. "You start to hear a voice in your head that tells you, 'Perhaps you're just not good enough.' You know it's not true, but it feels true. You then began to feel ashamed when people, who know of your situation, keep asking if you've found a job yet."
• Paul K. described how both he and his fiancée--who is also contending with a long-term bout of joblessness--have seen their relationship suffer as a result of their shared plight. "It's very depressing and has caused many arguments and led to a very unhappy life for us for the last 2-3 years," he wrote. "We now sleep late because we have no money to do anything. Gas costs too much so most days we stay home and just watch TV. It's making me anxious, depressed, and my confidence is all but gone. I pray for a miracle at this point."
• The pain of long-term unemployment doesn't only affect layoff casualties--it's also assailed many first-time entrants into the job market. Jill B. of Jonesboro, Ark. got a master's degree last year, but it didn't help her. "The hardest part of this experience has been having to come home, tail tucked, as a failure," she wrote. "Out of necessity, I am now living with my parents again in a rural, Arkansas town. For financial reasons, I had to leave the thriving job market of Austin, Texas to come back to a place where there are no jobs at all."
• "I hide my emotions, but deep down I feel I am dying off," wrote Jeremy L., from Waupaca, Wisc. "I smile less. Friends don't call me anymore to do things because I can't afford to. I feel like a hermit living under a rock. I feel worthless. I feel like I'm pulling my girlfriend and daughter into a hole with me. Our once loving relationship has turned bitter and sour."
The Financial Strain: "I am scared to death of what lies ahead"
Of course, there's no way to overstate the financial impact of being without a steady income for an extended period. The notes and comments you submitted show the remarkable lengths that some of you have gone just to keep your heads above water.
• A 62-year-old Ohio man, W.M., told us he'd been forced to take contract work in South Carolina and Indiana. "I am the new migrant worker," he wrote. "I get home to see my family when I can. I have about 1/3 less salary and no benefits but I can pay my way."
• Some readers said they were selling their possessions to support themselves. "I have also sold my clothing, many of our belongings, and baby items on Craigslist and in consignment shops," M.N. wrote. "I add oatmeal to many of my dishes to extend the idea of 'beef', as well as buying generics. We've [gotten rid of] all memberships to gyms and cable TV. We are trying to live a more simple life."
• Some have been relying on family or friends. "I am in default for last year's property taxes, and now stand to lose my home of 23 years," wrote Vicki J. of Garland, Tex. "Had it not have been for a friend of mine helping me, I wouldn't have even had electricity or food for the past three months."
• Others are seeking a fresh start. "We can't afford the house payments anymore, but our house lost about 50% of its value, so we can't sell," wrote Shannon B. "We simply cannot live on my husband's salary. We are filing for bankruptcy."
• Judy J. from Catawba, N.C., described paying for groceries with WIC checks--a form of government assistance--and worrying about delaying people behind her in line. "A few times I offered to let someone cut because 'this is going to take a while,'" she wrote. "ut they say, 'No, it's okay. I'm on WIC, too, so I understand.'"
• Karen P. from Maryland told us she had to move back in with her mother at the age of 40, and that her jobless benefits will run out in January. "I am scared to death of what lies ahead," she added. "I have no idea if I will find a job or not."
• And in a harrowing detail that evokes the hardships of an earlier time, M.C. wrote: "My family is eating stir-fried dandelions out of yards to keep from starving."
Trials of the Job Search: "We can't hire any more old people"
Landing a new job in this economy is tough no matter who you are. But when you've already been out of work for so long, it can be even harder.
• We asked whether employers were wary of hiring readers when they found out how long they'd been jobless -- a form of discrimination that appears to have been on the rise lately. "Very much so," replied Susan W. "As if it were my fault I was unemployed, regardless of the fact that I had put out hundreds of resumes and applications."
• Many readers described a daunting level of competition for openings. "In my area, Elkhart County, Ind.., unemployment had gotten so bad that 1200 people applied for 10 openings at one company," wrote Jason G. (Incidentally, if Elkhart rings a bell, that might be because it's where President Obama launched his effort to get the economy moving again almost two and a half years ago.)
• "I applied at one place that literally handed out raffle tickets and the winning 100 tickets were the only ones that got to apply," wrote M.O. "Of course my number wasn't one of them."
• An enormous number of older readers said they think their age is part of the problem for employers. Paula S., from Acworth, Georgia, who said she was "sixty-something," described "two eye-opening experiences of blatant age discrimination . . . . One twenty-something supervisor asked me if I had ever thought about coloring my hair . . . . Another manager told his assistant with the door open when I showed up to complete an application and interview: 'We can't hire any more old people.' "
• Britt S. said he'd tried to transition into another career after getting laid of from his newspaper job. But, "if an employer has a choice between a 27-year-old with a degree and 3 or 4 years of experience and a 57-year-old with the same degree and no experience, who is most likely to get the job?" he asked.
• Even Dan H., a skilled telecommunications technician in Scottsdale, Ariz., who's not exactly long in the tooth, told us he thought his age worked against him. "I do believe that being 37 was a factor in being passed over for jobs," he wrote. "[T]echnology is a young man's game. Potential employers thought I may be rusty with my skills … Trained to an expert level, but no one can afford to hire me."
Tips for Jobseekers: "Any job is a good job"
Many readers who had ultimately landed a job were eager to share what worked for them.
• "Network, network, network. I can't say it enough," wrote E.S., from San Diego, Calif. "LinkedIn is awesome, but enlist your Facebook contacts, or join a networking group. I know it's horrible to ask your friends to keep their eyes out, but in the end that's how I got hired. When you know someone who knows someone, who can vouch for you, you have a much better chance of getting a job with the company you want/in the field you want."
• Kurt G., from Seattle, Wash., thinks the face-to-face meeting is the key. "It doesn't matter what skills you have, and it doesn't matter what skills the employers say they want," he wrote. "What matters is having the skills that get you through the interview process. Focus like a laser on the interview process. If you're successful there, you'll get an offer, and after that, it's up to the employer to retrain you."
• Susan W. suggested making a nuisance of yourself. "I selected three companies I really wanted to work for, applied and kept going back and going back until they either told me to leave me alone or hired me," she told us. "Two told me to leave them alone, the third hired me."
• Chris C. of Modesto, Calif., had a different strategy: moving into a field traditionally dominated by women -- a trend that's said to be increasingly common for male workers on the job market. "I researched the employment situation where I am living and decided to retrain in something it appeared people would want," he wrote. "After I received my nursing license it took me 3 months to find a full-time job."
• And Cindy S. advised job-seekers not to be too picky. "Don't be afraid to downgrade your expectations," she wrote. "Right now, any job is a good job. When the economy recovers, it will be time to stretch out and seek a job for which you are qualified and paid well for, but right now, income is income."
Solutions to the Crisis: "The vast majority of us are on our own."
A lot of readers had thoughts about how to fix the long-term jobless crisis--or at least how to make things easier for its victims.
• Many respondents lamented the problem of having to compete with cheaper foreign labor. "Make it more difficult to offshore work, or to hire foreign workers at a discount," wrote Kurt G., in a typical comment.
• Yvonne P., from Spring Hill, Tenn. suggested that the government give a "small tax incentive to businesses who hire people who have been unemployed for 6 months or more. Call it, 'Americans Back To Work Tax Break.'" Not a bad idea.
• "There aren't enough resources for retraining, especially of college-educated people," wrote E.S. "The vast majority of us are on our own."
• And Todd L. asked for a little more heart from employers. "I want companies and those who represent them to realize that job applicants and the long-term unemployed are not just resumes in a system," he wrote. "We're real people too. Please treat us like one."
The Unexpected Upside: "We have made some memories that are priceless"
As is no doubt clear by now, the picture that most readers painted of long-term unemployment was overwhelmingly bleak. But that doesn't mean there weren't some respondents who had the strength of mind to also take note of the positives.
• Stephanie B. of Memphis, Tenn., told us she works three part-time jobs and is left on a tighter budget than when she was on jobless benefits. And yet, she wrote: "The one thing that has come out of this experience that I am thankful for and hope I won't ever forget, is the closeness we feel as a family. We can sit down to a checker tournament and play for hours. We can pull out the paper and crayons and create artwork we never had time to do before. There's no more running around nonstop all week long. Most days feel like Saturday when school's out. We entertain ourselves and each other on very little, and I think we have made some memories that are priceless."
• Dan H., who rallied to the challenge of unemployment by working with his wife to start a new business, told us: "If you cannot get a job, make one I guess. In the last year, in order, we've moved for a 'better life' across country, had a child (when we conceived all was good), lost job, had car repo'd, borrowed money from family to get wheels, went on public assistance, cried a river over my manly short comings, was inspired by my wife and am now an entrepreneur. Scary how quick life changes."
• Todd L., too, was able to look on the bright side. "I am blessed to have my family," he wrote. "They support me financially and emotionally … I have become more religious. I pray everyday, asking God for a job and a girlfriend. Does it help? Somewhat. It is better than no religion at all. Most of the time it just makes me feel better. God has given me time and comfort. But I am still waiting for a miracle--a job and a girlfriend."
• And Scott V., who's now working after being jobless for more than two years, told others not to give up. "It does suck, but you can make it," he wrote. "I have been humbled by losing my job almost 3 years ago. Having ZERO dollars in my bank account and very little cash in my wallet. Without the support of my family and the love of my life, to help me get by, I would not have made it this far. I do thank God for all his good graces he has bestowed upon me, which I know I don't deserve. So whoever is reading this, DO NOT sit around waiting for something to happen, make it happen."
Galen Bernard contributed to this report.
Jul 15, 2011
Phoebe Macon
WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — For disaster victims rebuilding their homes, towns and lives, the anxiety is matched only by anger at Congress for entangling their future in a political battle over government spending.
A sharply divided Congress had repeatedly rejected a deal that included funding federal disaster assistance, raising fears that there would be no plan to continue aid for victims of disaster like storms Irene and Lee or the tornado in Joplin, Mo.
On Monday, Congress advanced legislation to assure there would be no interruption in assistance through the new budget year, which begins Saturday. But that didn't do much to appease those who would have paid perhaps the highest price for politics.
They're spreading the blame both among Republicans, who want cuts in other government spending, and Democrats, who are accused of using the GOP opposition to win political points.
"They aren't looking so much at what is actually needed as what's good for their party, and that to me is wrong, wrong, wrong," said Lawrence Sayah, a Waterbury resident whose home, ravaged by the floods wrought by the remnants of Hurricane Irene, is still stripped to the studs inside.
Sayah already received $18,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, although he and his wife are appealing for more for repairs that will run more than three times that. He worried that an impasse could affect his appeal.
Congressional members trying to appropriate money to keep the government running bickered over federal dollars to help victims of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.
Some Republicans had been pushing for expenses to be offset by cuts elsewhere. Democrats, like Sen. Patrick Leahy, who represents flood-stricken Vermont, countered that the same budgeting standards are not enforced when it comes to Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Here you have Americans, and you say you can't help Americans in America with American dollars," Leahy told The Associated Press. "It's 'Alice in Wonderland.'"
As of Monday, FEMA had $114 million left in its disaster relief fund and expected it to last until Thursday or Friday, agency spokeswoman Rachel Racusen said.
Feelings were especially raw around the Northeast, where the double whammy of Irene and Lee in recent weeks ripped up roads, flooded towns and shuttered businesses.
"Talk about heartless; it seems heartless when you think how we're suffering, throughout our country right now, being inundated with disasters everywhere you go," said Martha Gordon, who was still mucking out her home in the New York suburb of Wayne, N.J., on Monday, weeks after flooding destroyed the three-story white shingled place she had lived in for 50 of her 78 years.
In Philadelphia, a steady stream of flooding victims headed into a FEMA disaster aid center downtown Monday, where people arrived looking for help and left with yellow forms to apply for assistance.
"If the funding is held back, I may have no other choice but to leave my house because of the mold," said 61-year-old Barbara Lewis, of Philadelphia, whose home was damaged by the remnants of Lee. "Politicians will play politics because it's not their lives."
Lewis, who is allergic to mold and recently lost her job, said she was worried that a serious problem could develop if she can't get money to fix the problem now. If that happens, she said, she would likely have to move out of the home she has lived in for 31 years.
"We're just waiting out Washington to make the move. It's our survival in this little town," said Bill Briggs, whose factory making baseball bat blanks in upstate New York's Prattsville was destroyed by flooding wreaked by Irene. He was meeting Monday with his insurance man and a structural engineer to decide whether he could rebuild.
"There is an expectation — this supports the major reason why we have government. If the expectation is there, it seems like the performance should be there," said Philip Zea, president of western Massachusetts' Historic Deerfield, a center that includes an inn and a classic New England village museum.
While flood insurance may cover most of the costs of restoring the inn, Zea said, he hopes to get some federal aid for the loss of business during the months it will be shuttered. He had to lay off 20 employees when it closed.
"You really wonder, what are they doing down there? What are they thinking?" said Skip Flanders, of Waterbury, who already got a $30,200 FEMA grant for his home. "They've certainly never been through it themselves to see what it's like to have your house and living somewhere else and not knowing how you're going to put it back together.
In Joplin, where a tornado killed more than 100 people in May, Mayor Mike Woolston acknowledged the depth of the debate but noted the anxiety the debate in Washington was causing.
"We can appreciate the efforts to get our national economy in better order, but we're concerned about how that's going to affect us," Woolston said. "If some sort of budgetary measure is not passed soon, I'm worried about what that will mean for us."
Even some of the politicians involved in the debate appeared exasperated. On Monday, Leahy and his Vermont colleague, Sen. Bernie Sanders, denounced the impasse as they boarded a flight back to Washington. Gov. Peter Shumlin, who estimated damage from Irene could cost Vermont $1 billion, sounded a similar note.
"I never could have predicted that disaster relief to states would be held up by partisan bickering in Washington," he said.
The Senate Republican leader, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, took exception with Democratic complaints last week that Republicans were asking for a government shutdown.
"If there's any lesson we can draw from the debates we've been having here over the last six months, it's that the American people won't accept that excuse anymore," he said last week. "The whole 'That's the way we've always done it' argument is the reason we've got a $14 trillion dollar debt right now."
___
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Patrick Walters in Philadelphia, Michael Virtanen in Albany, N.Y., Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vt., Samantha Henry in Newark, N.J., Denise Lavoie in Boston, Bill Draper in Kansas City, and David Espo and Alan Fram in Washington; and AP photographer Julio Cortez in Wayne, N.J.
Sep 28, 2011
Phoebe Macon
After a nail biter of a finale, Miss Universe 2011 was crowned Monday night September 12, 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The winner: Miss Angola Leila Lopes, who beat out 88 contenders to win the world's largest beauty pageant Monday night.
The 25-year-old beauty queen pledged to help Angola move past its history of war and impoverishment. She also plans to focus on HIV advocacy worldwide.
"As Miss Angola I've already done a lot to help my people," Lopes said. "I've worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids, I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs ... I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more."
The soft spoken beauty offered down to earth advice when asked about her three favorite beauty tips: Get plenty of sleep, always use sunblock and drink lots of water. She asserted that she's never had plastic surgery.
"Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing," Lopes said, responding to the question of what part of her body she'd change. "I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty. I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life."
Lopes was also asked about racism in light of the fact that she's one of the few black women to earn the Miss Universe crown. Lopes responded, "any racist needs to seek help."
"It's not normal in the 21st century to think in that way," she said.
Contestants hailing from 89 nations spent the past three weeks in Sao Paulo for the 60th anniversary of the beauty contest that had an anticipated worldwide audience of one billion. Mexico's Ximena Navarrete, last year's winner, was on hand to relinquish her crown to Lopes.
Rounding out the top five at Monday's pageant were Miss Brazil, Miss China, Miss Philippines and 23-year-old Miss Ukraine Olesia Stefanko, who was the first runner-up.
The top ten also included young women from Australia, Costa Rica, France, Portugal and Panama.
Miss Colombia Raises Eyebrows Before Pageant
Even before Monday's pageant, Miss Universe was making headlines. Reports that Miss Colombia had shunned underpants during some of the pre-pageant activities led organizers to reprimand 22-year-old Catalina Robayo.
"Our supervisors talked to all of the contestants about dressing appropriately, and one of our p.r. people spoke to her, and apparently she said she was wearing underwear," Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe organization, told E! Online. "But regardless, it created quite a stir here for a few days."
Pageant officials refused to confirm whether or not Robayo was wearing underwear. Her alleged ban on briefs hasn't been the competition's only problem. Officials were forced to return bikini bottoms from sponsor Catalina Brasil Swimwear after they were deemed too skimpy for audiences. (What flies on the sands of Rio, unsurprisingly, raises issues on prime time network TV.)
It's far from the first time controversy's reigned at one of Donald Trump's many pageants. Carrie Prejean memorably condemned gay marriage at the 2009 Miss USA pageant, posed for partially nude photos and later lost her crown due to breach of contract. Last year, the Miss USA organization came under fire after releasing racy portraits of the contestants clad in lingerie.
It's likely that the buzz leading up to Miss Universe translated to a bump in viewers for NBC's Monday night broadcast. And there's a silver lining for Miss Colombia.
"If it doesn't work for her at Miss Universe, she could always go to Hollywood," Shandi Finnessey, fashion commentator for the pageant, told ABCNews.com last week. "It worked for Paris and Britney."
Sep 28, 2011