Educational Opportunities for Unemployed Workers

Tags

Economy, Education, Education Department, Labor Department, Pell Grant, Student financial aid in the United States, Unemployed, Unemployment

“In a time when unemployment is at near-unprecedented levels, with long durations of joblessness and substantial job loss— and with the federal government picking up the tab for 20 to 53 weeks of extended jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, it is critical that states adopt this change to give workers the chance to develop skills that will help them find sustained work and stay afloat while they do so.” ~Maurice Emsellem, National Employment Law Project (NELP) Policy Co-Director

People who have been laid off and want to go back to school often face the difficult choice between giving up their unemployment benefits for an education or go without an education.  If they decide to return to school, they usually don’t qualify for federal aid because eligibility is based upon the previous year’s income.

In 2009, the Federal Government launched Opportunity.gov to help unemployed workers find educational opportunities during these tough economic times.

60 Minutes: A Jobs Program for Workers “Trapped in Unemployment”

Tags

60 Minutes, Economy, Job description, Older workers, Unemployed, Unemployment, Unemployment benefits, Work

Posted by: Mitchell Hirsch on Feb 21, 2012, www.unemployedworkers.org

The CBS News program ’60 Minutes’ this week featured a powerful segment on the crisis of long-term unemployment, focusing on the Connecticut-based jobs initiative for those who have exhausted unemployment benefits called ‘Platform to Employment.’

We were among the first to promote this promising initiative on our blog last summer prior to the initial ‘Platform to Employment’ (P2E) program launch.

Earlier this month, the WorkPlace, Inc. announced it had received a $200,000 grant from the AARP Foundation to help support P2E efforts to recruit and assist workers over 50 years of age, who make up a high proportion of those exhausting unemployment insurance benefits among the long-term unemployed.

Measures Aim to End Bias Against Long-Term Jobless

Tags

Economy, Employers, Employment, Older workers, Unemployed, Unemployment, Work

By SHELLY BANJO, www.wsj.com

More than a dozen states are considering legislation to make it illegal for companies to discriminate against the unemployed.

State lawmakers say they see the bias turning up in a nation with an 8.3% unemployment rate: Companies that explicitly advertise that they won’t hire someone who isn’t currently employed.

The proposals from Connecticut to California range in scope from banning advertisements that require current employment to allowing unsuccessful job candidates to sue businesses under the same discrimination laws that apply to bias on the basis of religion, race, gender or national origin.

The efforts come as the percent of the long-term unemployed—people looking for work for more than six months—has consistently topped 40% since December 2009, when it broke that threshold for the first time since 1948, the year such data began being collected.

Deducting Job-Hunting Expenses

Tags

Advice, Economy, Employment, Help, Internal Revenue Service, Itemized deduction, Job hunting, Job-Hunt, Tax, Tax deduction, Unemployed, Unemployment

Written by Kay Bell, Published February 13, 2012, Bankrate.com/www.foxbusiness.com

These days a lot of Americans find themselves pounding the pavement in quest of a new job, whether they’ve gotten the pink slip or expect to get one soon. The good news: The search may help you cut your tax bill — under certain circumstances, job-hunting expenses are tax-deductible.

 

New job, same field

First, your hunt for new work must be in the same field in which you’re currently or were formerly employed. Uncle Sam won’t help out if you decide to totally switch career gears.

Millennials get creative in a tough job market

Tags

Career, Economy, Employment, Generation Y, Interviews, jobs, Millennial, Unemployed

By Hadley Malcolm, USA TODAY (usatoday.com)

Using a fishing pole and a magnet, Liz Langer once retrieved a stranger’s keys from a sewer. She received $80 for completing the job. She’s not a repair or maintenance worker, just a 27-year-old Ph.D. student looking to make some extra cash.

After graduating from Tufts University outside Boston in 2008, Matthew Doyle put his English degree in a corner while he waited tables, worked room service at a hotel, held an unpaid internship with a literary magazine and was a self-described “manny” (male nanny).

Langer and Doyle are two of millions of Millennials who are juggling multiple jobs and looking for creative ways to bring in extra income during a time when record unemployment has forecast an uncertain future for college graduates.

Great Resource for the Unemployed: Career One-stop

Tags

Advice, Arbor, Career One-stop, Economy, Financial help, Gas card, groceries, Help, Interviews, jobs, Unemployed, Unemployment, Work

If you are currently unemployed, Career One-Stop is a great place to go to for help.

Career One-Stop is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration and was established by law under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA, P.L. 105-220).  The central component of all One-Stop centers is a labor exchange system that is universally accessible to job seekers and employers. This labor exchange system is undertaken by the U.S. Employment Service (ES) which was first established by the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933.  There are offices located all over the country.

Unemployment benefits extension: What’s at stake

Tags

Barack Obama, Career, Congressional Budget Office, Economy, jobs, Unemployment Benefit

By Tami Luhby @CNNMoney December 21, 2011: 1:15 PM ET

The deadline to file for federal unemployment benefits is at year’s end unless Congress passes an extension.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The long-term unemployed are running out of time.

In 11 days, a provision will expire that could cause millions of jobless Americans to lose a critical lifeline next year.

At issue is the extension of emergency federal unemployment benefits, which allow the jobless to collect benefits for up to 99 weeks. Also at stake are the extension of a payroll tax cut, and the “doc fix,” which would prevent a scheduled pay cut to Medicare physicians.

Facebook teams with U.S. to help the unemployed find jobs

Tags

Career, Economy, Facebook, Interviews, jobs, LinkedIn, Resume, United States Department of Labor, Work

Posted on October 21, 2011 By Jessica Guynn, Los Angeles Times

The social-networking site will work with the Labor Department to create a central location for employment services for Facebook users. Professional networking site LinkedIn doesn’t see it as a competitive threat.

 

Facebook Inc. has struck a partnership with the U.S. Labor Department to help the unemployed find jobs.

Letters of Reference/Recommendation

Tags

Advice, After interview, Career, Economy, Employers, Interviews, job opportunities, jobs, Letter of Recommendation, Letter of Reference, Recommendation, Reference, Resume, Unemployed, Work

A reference letter, also known as a “letter of recommendation”, is a document that can be very helpful to use for your job search.

The purpose of the reference letter is to emphasize on the candidate’s key points and instill a sense of confidence about the candidate’s abilities.

As potential employers read your letters of reference, they look to discover specific descriptions and examples illustrating your potential to make a difference within the company.

Polish your skill sets with free, excellent on-line tutorials

Tags

Advice, Career, Economy, Employers, Help, Interviews, job opportunities, Lynda.com, Microsoft, rewarding career, tutorials, Unemployed, w3school, Work

As each day passes, and you still find yourself unemployed, gaining no new experience and consequently, falling out of favor among potential employers, one thing you can do is update your skills and build new skills for your next job.  In this day and age with so many people unemployed, companies look for motivated individuals who take initiative in bettering themselves.

Don’t be surprised if a company asks you what you’ve done during the span of your unemployment.   How will you respond?

Long-term unemployment can take a toll on anyone’s life, but don’t dwell on your suffering.   Keep a positive attitude and take the proactive approach, for example; acquiring a certification, starting an industry-related blog, or volunteering for coaching or training others or taking an internship yourself. The message you’re sending to the potential employer is that even though you lost your job as a result of these tough economic times, you are determined to get back on your feet.