For many Americans who’ve been out of work long-term, there may never be a recovery.
The Department of Labor reports that the unemployment rate continues to decline. In June 2015, the economy added 223,000 jobs, bringing the jobless rate down to 5.3 percent.
But even as the jobs picture is improving, the plight of the “long-term unemployed” remains a persistent problem – thereby threatening to stain the otherwise rosy picture of the post-recession recovery.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that about 2.1 million Americans were “long-term unemployed” in June 2015 – meaning they were out of work for 27 weeks or more. Among these workers, nearly 1.4 million Americans have been out of work for a year or more.
Anne Kim 