Five million Americans are among the long-term unemployed--those without a job for 27 weeks or longer--according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Another 7.3 million are looking for work, while the unemployment rate sits at 7.9 percent. Numbers aside, individual stories illustrate how America is affected. To see how joblessness hits home, Yahoo News asked unemployed workers to share their job-hunting stories. Here's one.
FIRST PERSON | I have been unemployed for way too long. I have a file in my email that shows I have sent out more than 2,200 resumes with only "thanks, but no thanks" replies. I worked for AT&T for 20 years as an account manager and trainer and have put in hundreds of resumes for AT&T account manager positions throughout the United States. They don't even want the experience they have developed in me. Here is what AT&T said about me:
"We see Glen has applied to quite a few positions over the last few months. They have ranged in location and title as well as what organizations he's applying to within the company. We'd be glad to try and get him in contact with a hiring manager but need to narrow down what he's really after. Please send us information on what field he's really interested in and where he'd like to be or if he's willing to relocate on his own budget. We appreciate the drive that he has and the eagerness to come back to AT&T. We can't promise him employment, but we will work with him to get in front of a hiring manager."
These conversations have gone on for more than six months without even a call or contact from anyone! I've been an AT&T account manager for 15 year, and I'm not even in the running for an interview? But it's not just AT&T; it's every company I send in my resume to. I have even started offering my services for low-end jobs. Nothing!