Long Term Umemployment Is a Major Resume Negative

The Terrifying Reality of Long-Term Unemployment shows the data from an experiment in which researchers sent out virtually the same resume, with the only exception the time of being unemployed.  The results show that being unemployed over six months essentially eliminates any interest by the employer, even if the candidate had relevant experience. In fact, a candidate with no relevant experience but with less that six months unemployment was much more likely to receive employer interest than a candidate with relevant experience and over six months unemployment.

Here are my conclusions. First, any job is better than no job, in the view of potential employer.  Second, long term unemployment compensation programs may have caused issues for workers that chose to stay on unemployment rather than taking lower paid.

My lesson learned:  To be employable, stay employed, even if the job is in a different or lower paying field.

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This is not financial or career advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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