Laid off in March of 08. Have yet to find gainful employment almost THREE YEARS LATER!! It would be an accomplishment to simply get an interview at this point. I am hopeful for a “99ers club” extension for 2011 – otherwise?

I have been unemployed for almost 2 years. I got laid off in August 2009 when the economy was sour and the commercial printing shop I was working at with my husband did not have work for me anymore. I have been searching for work every day sending out resumes, applications and I hardly even hear any feedback. We can barely pay our bills the only bills we have to concentrate on is rent, car insurance, car loan, and utilities this does not even include food and gas which has been hard since it hit $4.25 a gallon here in Sacramento, CA. I am 50 years old and have been working for about 30 years and have never been laid off. I am running out of options, my credit cards are adding up in late payments and extra payments as I cannot even pay a minimum amount. This is all very depressing as my credit and my husband’s is now poor. I do not understand why no one will hire me. I just signed up for online college so I can get my associate degree in Business Admin as this will assist me in getting hired as an Administrative Assistant. I have about 8 years experience in the admin/clerical field and I would like this as my career until I retire. My husband still works which I thank god for but my unemployment barely pays the bills. I just want a job and a chance to be a good employee for a company. I feel my future and my husband’s is very grim with no retirements savings. This is all very depressing.

I have been unemployed since October 2009, laid off with 17 others due to the economy. It has been and still is a very difficult time. Being over age 50, (55), I find it very hard to get my resume’ viewed for any jobs I have applied to. I have applied for over 30 jobs since 2009. It is very unfair that most companies do discriminate, whether for age, credit check, experience. The country is not in recovery, and think something more has to be done.

I will be a 99er right before this Memorial Day. I have been relentless in my job search. I keep the computer on all day so I can apply to jobs as they come out. No one even sends a sorry but thanks for applying letter anymore.

I went to school with the ARRA for 7 months which has not helped me find work. This is the longest I have ever been unemployed. Barring a miracle or just dumb luck, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

I go to 3 foodbanks each month to get by. I’ve never had to do that. Necessities have become luxuries to me. I have no medical anymore–I couldn’t afford it after the Cobra expired.

I’m 2 months behind on my mortgage and after I pay it I have nothing left for all my bills.

I called my representative who told me they didn’t vote for the recent bill to help 99ers because it had no hope. I don’t know how these people sleep at night. I know I can’t.

I was laid-off in April 2009 and my husband was laid-off April 2010. My unemployment is up and I am sick trying to find a new job. I have been applying to hundreds of positions per week and don’t hear much of anything. I spoke with recruiters who said that I have a great resume but still no job! I only hear from insurance sales jobs that are 100% commission and want you to hit up your friends and family. I have applied to part time jobs but they told me that I am a risk because they don’t want to train me and then have me leave when a better offer comes up. I can’t win even when I am clearly losing starting over at minimum wage!!! Forget Government jobs because even though I have a degree and business experience but I am not a vet or a wife or widow of one so I have no qualifying points. Something has to give!

2years & 8 months ago I had a FABULOUS job with all the perks: health insurance, dental, life, 401K not to mention all the little things like discounts, freebies, a free, in-house gym and many other benefits. I was one of 30 people laid off just 2 months after my husband lost HIS job! We lost our house, our car, the life insurance is gone, the 401k has been cashed in and all my childhood bonds have gone to keep the power on or buy food. What little opportunity is out there is so inundated with applicants that more than half the time they don’t even get back to you. With 22 YEARS of experience as a customer service/executive assistant & I have resorted to applying to Dunkin Donuts, Old Navy and the local car wash and those jobs were all minimum wage and PART TIME!! I have 3 children! I currently get health insurance through the state but I will loose it if I take a job. It doesn’t matter how little I make or how few hours I get… If I take a job I’ll loose my insurance and 1 of my children is on daily medication (that he had to go without for 8 MONTHS when my unemployment ran out!).
I’m SICK of this economy, SICK of the gas prices and food prices and quite frankly, I’m SICK to DEATH of hearing that “anyone who can’t find a job after being on unemployment for two years is either to picky or just plain lazy”. 3 million people can’t ALL be picky or lazy!!! When illegal aliens can come to this country, get FREE assistance, insurance & paid tuition while Americans loose EVERYTHING they worked their whole lives for… What does that say about us??? What does it say about our government? They could care less about us! Look at the recent threat to shut down the government- they couldn’t come to an agreement on where to make cuts… How about their OWN exorbitant pay checks?!? Oh no! Can’t do THAT! They’re used to a certain lifestyle! Can’t take that away! Guess what America: I had a lifestyle too. I worked hard for a living, paid my bills, went out to eat once or twice a month. We weren’t wealthy by any means but we made ends meet.
I haven’t even SEEN the “ends” in 2 years!! Wake up- this is a bigger problem then most people want to admit!

I had worked at a bar mill that had been part of Bethlehem Steel here in western NY that is now called Republic Technologies. After working there for about six years I was let go due to reorganization of the company. This led to a four year stint of unemployment despite being registered with numerous employment agencies, temp services, and doing my own searching. Finally, I managed to find via my own persistence a temporary assignment with Northrop Grumman in Amherst NY. When I was two months shy of four years employment, I was once again severed from my employer due to a lack of incoming contractual work. This was after three years of dog & pony shows saying how wonderful the company was and how the work was supposed to get “us” through the next few years – eazy-peezy – yeah right! The only saving grace for me was that some of those who did me wrong got the same treatment on the next round of severances. Now that I am once again unemployed, I’m trying to finish an Associate’s degree that I’ve been working on for too many years. Additionally, I don’t feel that I should have to take ANY job that I am capable of doing just because the Department of Labor says I have to do so.

Laid off 7/1/08, the company I worked for went bankrupt, I’d been there for over 7 yrs. I have worked in the offset printing industry since 1986. This recession has hit this field THE HARDEST, (also News paper & magazines).I have found that some of the larger companies are brokering their work “OVERSEAS” to save their preserve their 6-7 figure incomes and turning their backs on the hardworking people who are the backbone of America.
Being mid 50′s, NOT a vet., disabled, or caring for an elderly or disabled family member, No children, I find locating any assistance of any kind,(except food stamps), impossible! In @ 10 days I will be HOMELESS!!
Let’s set-up TENT CITIES at every state capital and see if our politicians notice AND TAKE ACTION, maybe suggest taking salary cuts to decrease their OVERSPENDING and not cut programs for the poor, (WHO NEED HELP).
Do they really know what it is like to be HUNGRY?????

Just two years ago I had the best job I ever had, one that paid so well I was able to keep all my bills paid, with money left over to build up my savings. I was also the happiest I ever was. But all that changed when I lost my job due to budget cuts. Nowadays my days are filled with endless job searches, phone calls from collection agencies and unbearable levels of stress. If this is supposed to be the American Dream, this certainly isn’t what I had in mind.

I worked in several low-wage, no benefit, and/or seasonal jobs for years. I decided I was tired of the lifestyle associated with these kinds of jobs so I went back to school to get my bachelor’s. Unfortunately I graduated in June 2008. After months of nothing, followed by several months of working in another low wage job that I didn’t need to go to school for, I got hired by a small environmental consulting firm. It turned out to be a nightmare, as the people who ran the company were clinically insane as well as verbally abusive. I didn’t want to quit, as I knew the chances of finding another job were slim. Finally after 6 months they laid me off. It was a blessing because the place was horrible, however a month later my partner got laid off as well. We have both been laid off for 5 months. We are living on 2 unemployment checks. She is in construction, where unemployment is still officially over 20%. I had one interview, but other than that, nothing.
It’s hard, my professional life has been so bad since 2008. I want to believe this is just a phase of my life, but I’m worried this is now actually my life permanently.