国际英语新闻：Unemployed Americans face long slog ahead

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Nancy Meredith was shocked when she was laid off in December after 17 years of service at a Virginia-based U.S. software company.

    The news hit her hard. "It was an overwhelming sadness for a while," she recalled.

    While the disbelief and grief have worn off, finding another job has been an uphill climb, she said.

    "I've had zero interviews since then and two responses out of nearly one hundred applications," she added.

    Things may not get easier for people like Nancy, as the unemployed of all stripes face a long slog ahead. Most economists cannot say for certain when the economy will rebound. And once it does, it could still take months -- even years -- before businesses begin hiring again.

    Hopes of a quick recovery were recently dashed when June unemployment rates rose to 9.5 percent from the previous month's 9.4 percent. And many predict the figures will hit 10 percent, as weak consumer spending has put a damper on economic activity, experts said.

    The Obama administration argued the rise is because the stimulus has not yet kicked in. Once it does, the economy will pick up steam, they contended.

    Many economists, however, said unemployment will remain high for some time.

    "We will see elevated unemployment for years to come," said Heidi Shierholz, economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank. "It won't be where it is now but won't be at pre-recession levels for a long time."

    "(The June figures) say we are not getting a quick rebound," she said. "Aside from the last six months, this month is the worst jobs report since 1982."

    And if history is any guide, a rebound may not spell relief, as companies will be hesitant to hire until they are sure the recession is over, economists said.

    The unemployment rate continued to climb for 19 months after the 2001 downturn and 15 months after the 1990 recession, Shierholz noted.

    That is not only bad news for people with years of experience, but also for those at the beginning of their careers.

    Jenny Smith, as she would like to be known, said no local law firms have been hiring since she graduated from law school more than a year ago.

    She now holds an entry-level position at a bank -- for which she is grossly overqualified, she said -- earning one-third of what she would as a lawyer.

    Now in her mid twenties, she has lost a year of relevant experience, and it remains unknown how long she will have to wait for a position in her field to open up, she said.

    "It's been disconcerting," she said.

    And with five unemployed people for every job opening, job competition is likely to remain fierce for people like Jenny, experts said.

    Diana Ford, president and founder of the Ford Agency, a staffing firm founded more than 30 years ago, said job seekers are fed up.

    "They express that in different ways but you can tell they are frustrated with not having many options," she said.

    Ford sees a larger volume of job applicants than in years past, from recent college graduates to the middle aged. Finding employment even for the most qualified of applicants has been a challenge, she said.

    Those still in school are also dreading their coming job search in this economy.

    Andy Gladstein, a law student at New York City's Cardozo law school, frets that he will not be able to find a job once he graduates in May.

    "Everything is more competitive than it used to be," he said.

    With a boatload of student loans, he is hoping the firm where he is interning will hire him. But he frets about the possibility of a lengthy stint without a job if he fails to receive an offer.

    Aside from their emotional turmoil, the unemployed have also taken a financial hit.

    Nancy, despite her part-time job, has seen her income drop to half of what it used to be, and she and her husband have cut their grocery budget and limited shopping.

    Recently, she has shifted her focus to finding more freelance assignments.

    "I believe it is easier to find several smaller contracts or part-time jobs as opposed to a full time job," she said.

    Like many Americans, she must grapple with the fact that her unemployment benefits will soon expire.

    There are currently 6.7 million people collecting unemployment insurance, according to the Department of Labor, which lasts for 26 weeks in most states but can be extended an additional 13 weeks.

    Once that runs out, they are on their own. Many cut back on spending. Others, such as Nancy, find part-time work at a fraction of their former salary. Some are forced to sell their homes or dip into savings, if they have any.

    But while savings can cushion a layoff, it does little to boost the economy.

    Bill Beach, director of the center for data analysis at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C. think tank, noted the U.S. savings rate jumped from zero to 8 percent since the start of last year on consumer fears over layoffs and pay cuts.

    He predicted savings will continue to climb.

    Nancy, like many Americans, is spending less than ever.

    She uses coupons for everything from groceries to clothes to restaurants and packs lunch instead of buying it. For entertainment, she bikes, runs or hits the library instead of the mall.

    "Since my layoff, my mentality is more towards having ample money to meet the bills," she said.

    While people like Nancy have been blindsided by layoffs, they are perhaps not as bad off as others.

    Unemployment has reached around 15 percent in several rural localities -- parts of Washington State, California and Michigan, for example -- and in a handful exceeded the 20-percent mark.

    Minorities have also been hit disproportionately.

    The unemployment rate reached 14.9 percent for blacks and 12.7 percent for Hispanics in June, compared to 8.6 percent for whites, according to the Department of Labor.

    Men are also feeling the sting of joblessness more than women.

    Male-dominated industries, such as construction and manufacturing, have seen heavy job losses, whereas female dominated fields, such as healthcare and education, are less affected.

    Dean Baker, co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington, D.C. think tank, said unemployment among men is near its all-time high.

    Jobless rates for men rose to 10 percent in June, the second highest on record since World War II. That is significantly higher than the amount of unemployed women, which rose to 7.5 percent in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    The result is a significant cultural shift: More women than ever are playing the role of breadwinner and more men are assuming primary caregiver roles, experts said.

    Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families, said: "We may have reached a turning point in which many men have added 'parent' and 'partner' to the core of their identities."

    That contrasts sharply to attitudes during the Great Depression, she said.

    "In the Great Depression there was tremendous hostility toward women working at all and it was considered the husband's fault if he couldn't provide for his family," she said.

    Now those views have changed. "Over the last several decades there has been more acceptance of women working," she said. "And there is more acceptance and even pressure on men to participate more at home."