Still looking for work
Posted: Jan. 14, 2013 | Tags: employment
Reporter Michael Lawson writes today about efforts in some parts of the country to help people find work in ways that recognize the importance of online skills, such as creating LinkedIn profiles, and of personal interaction, such as providing dress rehearsals for job interviews.
Lawson is part of our team working on the America: What Went Wrong project, which culminated in the publication in August 2012 of "The Betrayal of the American Dream," a new book by Don Barlett and Jim Steele. The award-winning investigative journalists also write for the Workshop's website; Lawson did research for the book.
For this story, Lawson found people around the country using our access to sources through American Public Media's Public Insight Network, which helps us find people with real-world expertise or firsthand experiences. We heard from people who had been in and out of jobs since 2007 and whether and how their local unemployment offices were of much help. While a small number of the more than 70 people who responded to our queries reported an efficient experience, most expressed a frustration with the services provided.
And despite one-time funding from the stimulus plan, most state and local programs remain underfunded and overburdened, according to the experts we talked to and those they are working to help.
