Job Seekers are Still Hopeful About The Future

Why there is still hope for the unemployed.

According to a recent article from the New York Time, the people who are unemployed are still hopeful about the future and their chances for finding a new job. In a recent poll of unemployed Americans, the newspaper found that even though the job hunt is taking longer, the majority of people said that they were optimistic about finding a new job and in spite of hardships, they believe that they will find quality employement.

In the poll, a little more than half of the people surveyed said that they were very confident that they would find long-term work in their industry. What's more, they believe that their next job will pay the same or more than their previous one.

What was disturbing to me about the survey was that in spite of this optimism, the majority of people showed distrust about unemployment benefits. They worry that their benefits will run out before they will be able to find a job. Among those who were currently receiving benefits, they said that the amount they received wasn't enough to cover basic expenses like housing and food.

Many people who are out of work are having to drop their health insurance and even move in with family and friends in order to get by while they are looking for work. It seems that families are really struggling and being out of work is a hard on the entire family, and not just financially. More than half of the people reported that they had been experiencing emotional problems as well as depression as a result of losing their jobs. A third of respondents said that they have had arguments and conflict with family and friends about their job search and that they were ashamed or embarrassed about not having a job.

A fifth of the people asked were facing foreclosure and a large number of people had already moved to smaller apartments or moved in with family members. This same percentage of people had received food assistance and had accepted help from a food bank or other non-profit organization.

One thing that was clear from the survey is that even when these people find jobs, the problems won't be over soon. Almost two thirds of the respondents said that would probably not have enough money to live comfortably during retirement. What's more, many people said that they had taken money out of their retirement savings in order to pay their bills while they were out of work.

With more than 14 million people out of work and even more people who are underemployed, staying optimistic is a challenge. Currently the unemployment rating is stuck at 9 percent and there is much debate about how long the government should continue paying benefits.

The solution remains to be seen, but for now it looks as though most jobless Americans are still hoping for the best.

 

What do you think about the unemployment rate? If you are out of work, are you optimistic about finding a new job? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

 

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for LogisticsJobsiteBlog and Nexxt, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.