Long Term Unemployment: A Study by Kaiser Family Foundation, NPR
Reposted from National Alliance to End Homelessness

National Public Radio (NPR) and The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released the results of a study of long-term unemployment in America. The study surveyed a nationally representative, random sample of working age adults about their employment. The study included both the long-term unemployed and the long-term underemployed.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of people who have been unemployed long-term (defined as: for more than one year) have a “not too confident” to “not at all confident” outlook on being able to find a job that will let them get by. While the study was generally balanced age-wise, the majority of the long-term unemployed were also employed only briefly, two years of less, at their last job before being laid off, possibly the result of “first in, first out” personnel policies. The majority of those surveyed also reported that their last job paid less than $30,000. READ MORE

The following article is being reposted as a special to United Front’s Homelessness Community thanks to Lavender Magazine.  Learn more about United Way Arise Project, an active giving community focused on LGBT issues and reducing youth homelessness in our community.

By Justin Jones, originally posted  December 15, 2011
Photographer: Mike Hnida

This story is true. Sincere thanks to Stephan Parker for his courage in sharing it.

The boy sits on a park bench one night, and he stares. He stares at homes, some with their lights on; others quieted for the night. He stares at the neighborhood playground. And he stares at the sky. It will rain soon.

The boy takes a breath, stands, and moves reluctantly through unkempt grass toward the jungle gym. He climbs into the mouth of a tube slide and pushes himself into the middle. He positions himself as comfortably as he can, and again he stares. He stares at dirty plastic, backlit by moonlight. And he cries. READ MORE