Why Are the Unemployed Not Speaking Out?

I have not written on this for a while, which means that I may be as guilty as anyone of complacency on this issue, despite the fact that I am one of those unemployed Americans struggling to find a job.

This article looks at some of the reasons that the unemployed in the US are not making a more noticeable protest, in spite of their massive numbers. Among the reasons, the changing perception of the reasons for unemployment, and the general loss of sympathy for organized labor in the United States. Unemployment is increasingly viewed as the result of the workers' failure to acquire the skills and education needed to find work, rather than the failure of business and the government to create the favorable conditions and demand needed for hiring workers. Furthermore, labor unions are now seen as ineffective, inefficient, and corrupt.

The article puts much of the blame for the passivity of the American people toward the unemployment crisis on President Obama, for not taking stronger and more immediate action to address this problem. And I do agree that the American Jobs Act is a positive but halfhearted measure that, if passed, would provide some relief but not nearly what is needed to truly address and resolve the crisis.

But I think much more blame needs to be focused on the failure of the media to sufficiently critique the deceptive rhetoric coming from the right wing on this issue. The Republican Party and the Tea Party movement, controlled by their Wall Street handlers, continue to insist, without a shred of rational evidence, that the unemployment rate can only be brought down through lower taxes on the already undertaxed wealthy and corporations, and reductions in public spending and regulations, when in fact these measures have been shown over and over to have exactly the opposite effect.

The insistence of the main stream media on presenting this bogus right-wing argument as a valid point of view that deserves full consideration, has left the unemployed, who are the victims of this very strategy, divided and unsure about what and who they should be protesting.

The Occupy movement has helped enormously to bring more attention to the general problems of wealth inequality and corporate and Wall Street corruption. But the movement has been short on specific demands and policy suggestions. In the early days of Occupy Wall Street, it looked like it might develop a close link with organized labor. But, mysteriously, little evidence has been seen lately of this partnership.

Given the harsh messages coming from the right, the halfhearted measures proposed by the Democrats, the vague messages from the Occupy movement, the absence of an effective and popular organized labor movement, and the all-consuming anxiety that is part of the lives of the long-term jobless, it seems likely that many if not most of the unemployed in America feel that they have been pretty much forgotten.

That's how I feel.

That needs to change.

Jobs: A Dim Memory

The title of this article says it all: For Many, A Job Is But a Dim Memory. I'm one of those many. The last day that I had a job was August 13, 2010. Like almost one-third of the 9.1 percent of Americans who are officially unemployed, I have been out of work for over a year. I say "officially unemployed" because the unemployment figures do not include those who, unlike me, have given up altogether on finding a job and dropped out of the workforce.

The Republicans say that the answer to this crisis is less taxes and fewer regulations. They say that the money that businesses save will be used to hire more workers. This makes no sense. Taxes on the wealthy and on corporations are already lower than they have been in generations, among the lowest in the developed world. And the government spent the last two decades reducing regulations on businesses. So where are the jobs? Why should we believe the wealthy when they say their taxes need to be cut even more? Where did all this money go that they have saved already, the money given back to the wealthy by the Bush tax cuts? Just how stupid do they think we are?

They will say that by even asking this question I am engaging in "class warfare." Well I feel like I've been fighting a war for the last thirteen months just trying to keep my head above water, to keep a roof over my family's heads, to keep the utilities turned on and food in the fridge and gas in the car.

Herman Cain summed up the right's position very well the other day: "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!"

In other words, the Republicans' message to the people of this country who are struggling to make it through this recession is, "Fuck you, it's your own fault."

The Ups and Downs of Unemployment

I haven't been in much of a mood to post anything here in the last couple of days. On the positive side, I attended a truly excellent session on resume writing at ProNet Charlotte the other day. But on the down side, financial issues have been putting me in a depressed mood.

That's always a problem with long term unemployment. Every positive, every cause for hope or optimism, seems to be canceled out by another problem or crisis. Every carefully prepared application and resume you send out seems to disappear without a trace. Every unemployment check is spent as soon as you get it. And every time you turn on the news there's more negative stories about the economy and the unemployment rate.

Depression among the long-term unemployed has to be a chronic and serious problem. And to make matters worse, it can be extremely difficult to get assistance with medical expenses. It was five months after I lost my job and insurance before I and my wife were able to get into a sliding scale program to help with doctor visits and medications. And my nineteen year old son, because he works part-time while he is going to college, is still ineligible to be covered by the sliding scale. This is an issue that I think needs to be addressed by our lawmakers, although I seriously doubt that will happen.

Although I sometimes get really sick of people telling me that I just need to keep a positive attitude and don't give up, that's really all that I can do.

ProNet Charlotte

I mentioned the other day that I was attending an orientation at ProNet Charlotte, a nonprofit service to assist displaced professionals in their search for employment. After attending the orientation session, I have to say that I am impressed with what they have to offer, and very hopeful that they will help me in my job search. Here is a video about this innovative service.

Job Search Assistance

I recently found out about a nonprofit group called ProNet Charlotte. Their purpose is to provide tools, resources, counseling and networking resources for out-of-work professionals seeking employment in the Charlotte area. I will be attending an orientation meeting this afternoon, and have also signed up for a resume coaching session next Tuesday. Reviewing the web site, it looks like this group has a wealth of resources, and I'm looking forward to getting started. I only wish that I had learned about them sooner!

What I Hate About Being Unemployed

Always worrying about not having enough money to pay rent and bills.
Not having health insurance.
Filling out job applications and sending out resumes that seem to disappear into a bottomless black hole.
Having to borrow money from my mother.
Having to borrow money from my son.
Trying to keep up my self-esteem and convince myself that it is not my fault that I lost my job.
Trying to keep up my self-esteem and convince myself that it is not my fault that I haven't found a new job yet.
Having to explain to bill collectors and utility companies that I can't pay them now because I'm unemployed.
Listening to politicians pretend that they understand or care about what the jobless are going through.
Almost never having more that a quarter tank of gas in the car.
Reading the news when every day there is another story about how crappy the economy is, and how high the unemployment rate is, and how it's not going to get better any time soon.
The red tape that I have to deal with for unemployment benefits and assistance programs.
Feeling guilty when I even think about doing anything that is fun, or that costs a few dollars.
The tape that holds my broken glasses together, and wondering how that will look when I actually do get a job interview.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

After one year and twenty days of unemployment, and hundreds of job applications that disappear into what seems like a giant black hole, yesterday I got my first actual job interview scheduled. Whether or not I get this job, it is encouraging to at least be noticed by a potential employer, and to think that maybe in the long run persistence will pay off.

There is certainly reason enough out there for long-term unemployed Americans such as me not to be encouraged. The White House budget office is now projecting the unemployment rate to remain at or above 9 percent through the next year. Of course, the official unemployment rate is just the tip of the iceberg, as it does not account for an ever-increasing number of workers who become so discouraged that they simply stop looking for work and drop out of the labor force. Next week President Obama will introduce his program for jobs creation. He will have the opportunity to propose bold steps to relieve this crisis, to get Americans back to work, earning paychecks and stimulating the economy. Or he could go his usual route, play it safe and propose modest steps in hopes of reaching a compromise with the Republicans. I hope he will go with the first option, but I'm not holding my breath.

The Perilous Life of the Unemployed, Part 3: Bureaucracy

I went to file my weekly unemployment certification this morning, which has been a routine Sunday ritual for the past year, and got the following message:

Our records indicate that your benefit year has expired. If you need further information, contact your local Employment Security Commission office.


Wow! Thanks for the advance warning, guys!
I had no advance knowledge that there even was such a thing as a "benefit year." I was (acutely) aware that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my unceremoniously being let go by my employer, who I had been working for for over twelve years. I had very deliberately ignored this anniversary because I did not want to dwell on it and make myself miserable.


Anyway, having done a little research, I now learn that I have to have my benefits claim reinstated and that there will be a week delay in getting this week's payment, so... no money this week! No problem, it's not like we have bills to pay or anything.


Does it not occur to anyone that this could cause some problems for people? That maybe if this is really necessary, they could at least give some advance warning and explanation? That the most complex, arcane processes might not always be the best? That people and families are at the receiving end of these procedures?


I understand that there must be reasons for this, that it's not unreasonable to have a review of benefits eligibility after the end of a year... the point is... Give us a heads-up so that we will know that this is coming and can plan ahead!


And in the back of my mind (but not very far back) is the question of what other surprises will be waiting for me when I go to the unemployment office tomorrow to get this all worked out. And yes, I will be paying them a visit. There's no way in Hades that I'm going to trust this to a phone call.


I have been trying to get in the habit of just stepping back from things like this, closing my eyes for a few minutes, and focusing on my breathing. Practicing some mindfulness meditation. So that I won't get overwhelmed by frustration at times like this. It helps if I can just get myself into the right frame of mind. We will get through this.

A REAL Jobs-Creating Bill

Representative Jan Schakowsky (D, Ill.) has introduced the Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act, which is exactly the kind of progressive legislation that the country needs right now. Jobs will not be created by the radical right's strategy of cutting taxes to the wealthy and to corporations on the assumption that the extra money will be used to stimulate the economy and to hire new workers. Tax breaks to the wealthy does nothing but make the rich richer and increase the gap between the rich and the poor. The only way that a significant number of new jobs will be created is through the direct creation of jobs by the government.

Jobs Protest!

Yesterday Karen and I took part in a protest demonstration organized by MoveOn.org, at the office of Representative Sue Myrick (R, NC). The theme of the protest was "Jobs, Not Cuts." The protesters were not allowed to gather in the parking lot of Myrick's office, which is in an upscale neighborhood, across the street from Southpark Mall, so we lined the street with our signs to get the attention of passing traffic. Many of the people in the passing cars honked their approval and agreement with our messages. Myrick did not deem it worth the effort or time to address the demonstrators' concerns, despite a visit to her office by a representative of the protesters. And, sadly, despite numerous calls to the local TV stations, the media did not send anyone to cover the event. I guess the concerns and frustrations of the jobless are not considered worthy of their attention.

It felt good to get out and take part in an action like this. One of the best ways to deal with the depression of being jobless and feeling invisible is to do something to make your voice heard.

It's the Jobs, Stupid!

Three articles that make the argument that the real crisis in America is unemployment, and that drastic action needs to be taken to address this crisis (a point which seems so obvious that I almost feel stupid typing it).

Paul Krugman in the NY Times and Stephen Foley (whose article is aptly titled "America Has Just Abandoned the Unemployed") in the London paper The Independent both argue for intervention by the Federal Reserve, as well as direct job creation programs by Washington.

And a more personal piece from NPR addresses the diminishing prospects that face the increasingly discouraged long-term unemployed workers. Many are giving up hope and dropping out of the labor force altogether, which no doubt is partially responsible for the slight drop in the unemployment rate last month, while other jobless workers are forced to lower their expectations for adequate pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Morally Grotesque

Bernie Sanders has said it best: the Republican plan for the debt ceiling is "morally grotesque." And no, the Democrat's plan is not much better. This whole debate over the debt ceiling is a fiasco, a smoke screen to draw attention away from the real critical issue facing the country, which is jobs. When there are over 14 million Americans who are jobless and looking for work (in other words, that number does not include the many who have given up completely), more than four million who have been out of work for over a year, it is obscene for our leaders to continue harping on the debt as the most pressing problem facing this country, and to suggest that the solution is to demand that the disadvantaged--the elderly, the disabled, poor families, the unemployed and their families--should be the ones to pay the price.

Any outsider following this debate would have to conclude that the government of the United States is dominated by a ruling class that is selfish, materialistic, cynical, deceitful, and cruel.

I would like to think that this is not the case. Would like to... But as a famous rock band once told us, you can't always get what you want.

Tell Congress, Monster.com and Career Builder to stop discrimination against unemployed workers

Fortunately, increasing attention is being paid to the growing number of employers who are refusing to even consider applications from jobless workers. Job listings specifying that only responses from currently employed applicants will be considered have made the situation for millions of long-term unemployed, such as myself, even more desperate than ever. Congress is considering a bill, The Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011, to outlaw such overt discrimination in job listing notices. Here is a petition to encourage your representatives in Congress to support this bill. There is also a petition that you can sign to tell Monster.com and Career Builder to refuse ads from employers that discriminate against unemployed workers. Thanks for your support. Right now we need all the help we can get.

--Dan

I Am the Elephant in the Room

Another interesting article by Catherine Rampell about the seemingly unnoticed and invisible unemployment crisis from the NY Times Economix blog. I like her point about the debt ceiling debate being possibly an example of a "wag the dog" strategy by lawmakers who are afraid to address the real problems facing this country.

--Dan

The Adventures of Unemployed Man

I want this graphic novel!

The Perilous Life of the Unemployed, Part I: Health Care

When I lost my job last August, one of the first and most difficult challenges that I and my family faced was living without health insurance. The United States is virtually alone among the "industrialized" countries of the world in taking the bizarre position that adequate health care a privilege rather than a right.

Since I have type II diabetes and depression, and my wife and son also have health issues, one of the first places I went after I got laid off was the social services office to apply for Medicaid. No luck! It turns out that since my son was 18 years old, we no longer qualified for this program. I was given a paper that listed low-cost, sliding-scale clinics where we might see a doctor and receive discounted prescriptions. For every one of the numbers that I called, I got the same response: We are booked solid, we are not accepting new patients, you can try back in case something opens up, but don't hold your breath.

The problem, I realized, was that just as the US economy had gone in the toilet and the unemployment rate had risen to over ten percent, the funding from the government for health care programs for the unemployed and underemployed had plummeted. This is just another of the many catch-22s of American government: just when services are most needed, they become least available.

In late December I became so ill that Karen insisted on taking me to the emergency. It turned out that I was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis--because I had not been able to afford my insulin and other medications, my blood glucose level was so high that my urine had filled with ketones. If Karen had not talked me into going to the hospital, I could have fallen into a coma and died within hours.

It was only after this trip to Carolinas Medical Center that one of the hospital's social workers was able to make some phone calls, pull some strings, and get my family into a sliding scale program for office visits and prescriptions. I will always be grateful to the staff of this outstanding hospital for accomplishing this. However, the fact that it took over four months and a potentially deadly medical crisis to be able to get assistance, and it is disturbing to me to think how many people in situations similar to ours still are without any resources at all for their health care needs.

What is most galling of all is that in a country with the incredible resources and wealth of the United States, the prevailing view is that health care is a commodity to be bought and sold on the market, instead of a basic right that is available to all persons.

--Dan

The complacency of the unemployed

Another thoughtful article on the political complacency of the jobless from the NY Times Economix blog.

My take is that as unemployment benefits were extended out to 18 months or more, a greater number of the unemployed have held that things would turn around and the economy would improve before their benefits ran out. It seems likely that as we go into next year's election campaign, and simultaneously more of the jobless see their benefits expire, unemployment is going to become a huge issue. This will be the time when we could see greater radicalization of the long-term jobless. At least I hope so.

--Dan

Catch-22 of the Day

Many hiring companies systematically exclude unemployed workers from consideration when hiring. This is an abhorrent practice that makes the job search process seem even more hopeless and frustrating for millions of unemployed workers. Thankfully, Congress is considering legislation that would ban this discriminatory practice and help even the playing field for jobless Americans. Let's hope that Congress does the right thing and acts quickly on this very much needed legislation.

--Dan

Problem? What Problem?

A quick scan of the front pages of the CNN and MSNBC websites this morning finds neither site with a single story focusing on the crisis of unemployment. Stories on the negotiations over raising the debt ceiling focus, of course, on the battle over whether or not to increase revenues to help bring down the debt. Republican politicians and business leaders are clinging to the utterly surreal notion that if we just give even more to the already wealthy and cut services to the other ninety percent, that everybody will end up happy. Of course "everybody" meaning everybody that they hang out with. The rest of us are invisible.

Of course, as Michele Bachmann reminded us a few days ago, why do the poor need help from the government when all they really need to do is have more faith?

The thing is

I really do feel a sense of emptiness when I think about the ten months and counting since I lost my job. There are people all around me contributing, taking care of their families, paying their bills, living normal lives. And here I am applying for jobs, sending out resumes that disappear into some black hole never to be heard from again. And some days, like today, I get so angry that I can't stand to think about it, but then later on I have to wonder if it really is just something wrong with me? I worked for over twelve years for the same company before I went in to work last August 13 and left less than an hour later with no job. A stable work history, a job lost by no fault of my own, classes taken during my period of unemployment to increase my skills, and it all counts for nothing. And then, by the prevailing logic in this country, if I suggest that maybe the government ought to do something to improve the situation, then I am a lazy freeloading socialist who wants to take the hard-earned money of others by raising taxes. Whatever. I just want to be able to feel a sense of security for my family, to be able to feel some semblance of self-worth, and to live in a society that places some value on shared responsibility and common interest.

--Dan