Job Seekers Look For Any Signs Of Solutions
DENVER (CBS4) - The unemployment rate has been above 9 percent in all but two months since May of 2009. That has job seekers looking for any signs of solutions.
To rapidly bring down that high unemployment rate, the economy needs to add roughly 250,000 jobs a month. When roughly 14 million Americans are unemployed, people need to pay their bills and solutions can't come fast enough.
"You get angry because it's like there's no reason I should be out of work," said Steven Crutchfield.
Crutchfield is one of the millions looking for work. He's been laid off twice within a year from two different advertising jobs.
With this being the first time since 1945 that the job numbers were unchanged, it's an alarming setback for the economy.
Andrew Hudson says the Colorado companies he works with to post positions on his site are holding off on hiring, even re-assessing departments.
"Re-assessing how they go about doing business," Hudson said. "They're looking for efficiencies. So while there may not be a ton of layoffs going on, there's not a ton of hirings either."
Hudson believes next week will be important for job seekers as the president rolls out his jobs plan.
"The idea of retraining employees, the other idea for job seekers in particular and people who are unemployeed is reinventing themselves to do something completely different or to become an entrepreneur," Hudson said.
With an election year nearing, many robust policy ideas are expected to emerge from Washington. But for folks on the front lines of unemployment, those ideas need to turn into jobs.
"What are the next steps? How am I going to pay for insurance, rent, everything?" Crutchfield said.
But there is a glimmer of good news. Hudson is still getting 5,600 jobs a month added to his website.
