Chapter 4: The Pandemic and the Long-Term Unemployed: A Road Map for a Job Search Turnaround

COVID-19 has made an already precarious situation much worse for many employment seekers. The massive disruptions caused by the pandemic has slowed down the economy and triggered the shutdowns of businesses large and small. The tide of layoffs hit millions and has yet to subside. One particular group that has been hit the hardest consists of the long-term unemployed. Competing for work against those who recently lost their jobs may lead many long-term unemployed (LTU) to view their chances for landing satisfactory employment as further reduced, while others may have given up and are no longer seeking work. A common measure used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines a LTU person as an individual who experienced a job separation lasting 27 weeks or more. Thus, by definition, you are considered LTU if you were separated from the labor force for at least 6 months.