1. What is the definition of work? Does caring for you aging parent count?
2. Does the change in the economy demand that we look at the work of living on the planet in a sustainable way?
3. How many of the unemployed workers are qualified for the available positions?
4. What is profit? Where does profit come from?
5. How do you rework your resume so that you are more emploable in more fields?
6. Have you read, The End of Work by Jeremy Ripkin?

Three Unemployed Workers For Every Job; More Americans Face Extended Unemployment

Job seekers have plenty of competition with an average of three unemployed workers for every job opening.

According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were only 3.3 million job openings in August, which was a 24 percent drop from the high in January of 2007. But there were 9.4 million unemployed workers in August.

That means an average of 2.9 unemployed workers per available job, which is the highest ratio of jobless to job openings since January 2004, Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute said in a prepared statement.

"Millions of American workers are now facing extended spells of unemployment with little hope of finding a job," she said.

Worse still, the unemployment insurance trust funds in California, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin are nearing exhaustion and funds in 11 more states face serious financial problems, according to a report from the National Employment Law Project.

Although it isn't unusual for some states to run out of money in their UI funds during recessions, it is unusual for a large number of states to have insolvency at the same time.

And with fewer jobs available, workers in some states face running through even the 13 week extension of unemployment benefits that Congress authorized in June without being able to find another job.

As many as 1.1 million unemployed workers could be in that situation by the end of the year, according to a statement on the August employment report by Christine L. Owens, Executive Director, National Employment Law Project.
Linda Young - AHN Editor

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