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More than 1-in-4 California jobless are long-term unemployed

August 31st, 2009, 3:00 am · 22 Comments · posted by Mary Ann Milbourn

California hit an unhappy landmark in July when workers who had been without a job 27 weeks or more became the largest pool of unemployed, according to state Employment Development Department statistics.

EDD reports that in July, 28.2% of California's jobless were long-term unemployed, unemploydurationjulyleap-frogging those out of work five to 14 weeks, which had been the biggest group in June.

Workers who have been off the job less than five weeks typically make up the biggest pool of unemployed because in a normal economy most are able to find new jobs within a few weeks.

Even as recently as a year ago, when California already was at least six months into the recession, 34.4% of jobless workers were in the short-term unemployed group while 17.8% had been looking for jobs 27+ weeks.

California's unemployment rate, however, has since spiked to 11.9%, fourth highest in the country. Now, once a person loses their job, they are likely to stay unemployed much longer.

In July, the pool of workers unemployed more than 27 weeks jumped to 504,000, surpassing the 490,000 in the five-to-14-week group.

The 27-week time frame is important because regular unemployment benefits run out after 26 weeks and the jobless must look to Washington for additional aid.

Congress has approved three extensions that allow most unemployed workers in California to get benefits for up to 79 weeks, but even that safety net is about to run out.

EDD estimates 143,000 Californians will exhaust their unemployment benefits by tomorrow, Sept. 1.

A bill has been introduced for a fourth extension, but there won't be any action on it until after Congress returns from its August recess on Sept. 8.

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 22 Comments

  • Tex says:
    August 31, 2009 at 5:21 am

    Woman's Path to Work Ends in Rural, and Job-Rich, North Dakota ...
    Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 14, 2009 ... Maybe in North Dakota
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/13/AR2009081303866.html

  • never ending fight for freedom says:
    August 31, 2009 at 6:35 am

    All this & our anointed leaders cant find it in themselves to bring the sweeping cuts in taxes & social programs necessary to turn things around, pitiful.

  • Rick4us says:
    August 31, 2009 at 6:59 am

    Are there still jobs Americans won't do? Why do politicians still suppport illegal immigrants while so many Americans are out of work.

    Maybe some college students and transitionary workers should pick up some part-time work in offices, restaurants, hotels, car washes, etc.

    Unfortunately our current system is so messed up that you can 'get for free' more from governement financial assistance for not working than working full time. That is a recipe for disaster.

    • Zorro says:
      August 31, 2009 at 8:43 am

      Blaming the illegals again!!!!??? I can bet you are one of these worthless guys that do nothing in life, and very jealous about the illegals making more money then you.
      You probably is so deep in credit card debits and is blaming anyone crossing your path. Get a job, pay your debts, find somebody to love (man or woman) and get a freak life.

      • laugh says:
        August 31, 2009 at 9:31 am

        I'm with you Zorro.... These people sound like Nazi's blaming the Jews and we all remember what happened to them.

      • DIna says:
        August 31, 2009 at 9:32 am

        They and their children are the main reason for this states debt. We can no longer afford to be a welfare state for Mexico's poor and indigent.

        40% of their children end up being a burden to society.

        • Zorro says:
          September 1, 2009 at 11:44 am

          Where these numbers coming from? Heritage Foundation?Republican Party?Lou Dobbs website? This is just another scare tactics to change the focus.
          They (Republicans and Conservatives talk shows) they need to blame somebody.
          Of course the will blame illegals, blacks, poor people. They cannot assume their mistakes, what brought this country down is not the illegals but their open market, free trade, credit cards companies, Iraq and Afegan wars and so on.
          Wake up America stop believe in numbers, we are just puppets in their hands.

      • AG says:
        August 31, 2009 at 9:59 am

        Personally, I am not against illegal engineers, doctors or artist. Unforrtunately, they don't come here. Instead we get criminals and uneducated scam from that part of the world. When they get here, they breed and pass along to their children all the same "values". Having said that, it's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is that they milk the system whithout giving much in return and they don't even try to become Americans and adapt American values.

    • aksteve says:
      August 31, 2009 at 9:48 am

      How about making CA prisoners work the fields instead of paying a fortune for their @$$es. That might dissuade people from going to prison in the first place.

  • Amy says:
    August 31, 2009 at 7:10 am

    the gov makes things worse, employer has to pay unemployment benefits--less money to hire someone new,

    • Bryan says:
      August 31, 2009 at 1:05 pm

      That is soooo true!

      Some would say, that's just the obligation of doing business. I say Nooo.
      Why should business have to support any social responsibility? They should only use the commons and not have to contribute anything back to society!

      In fact, why do we have "socialized" education? Let's do away with private citizens property tax. After all, if you choose to have a kid, why should I pay to educate the 'lil rug rat in a "public" school with property tax?

      Let's also do away with public fire departments and police departments. After all, if business and private citizens can get off without any tax, they can hire more people, and citizens can buy more stuff and can protect themselves.

      I mean, really, I have not had a fire nor have I used the police, so why should I pay?

      We can pass around a tin cup if we have a fire or bank robbery or other emergency.

      Why have a Federal tax to pay for military? You pay for yours as you see fit, I'll pay for mine.

      So, to recap, no taxes, no state, federal income tax, no sales tax, no property tax, no social security and no unemployment.

      What society will we have left? Well, we will have no fire dept., no police, no public schools, no health care, no unemployment insurance, no street maintenance, no traffic lights, no military, no subsistence for the elderly, no ANYTHING!

      How well do you think you, or business, will do in this climate?

  • AG says:
    August 31, 2009 at 7:34 am

    Also, those who actually find a job after months of search, get significatly lesser pay.

    Welcome to deflationary spiral.

  • theCanimalsHusband says:
    August 31, 2009 at 7:48 am

    The key here is to breed more unwanted children that can fill the schools and eventually the prisons.

  • Margaret says:
    August 31, 2009 at 7:58 am

    this is so true i took a long term temp job I am barely making more than unemployement I think it works out to be 30.00 more a week and still can not find permanent full time work I took a $600.00 a month in pay cut just to go back to work and I dont see any thing turning around anytime soon very sad for so many people more people will be loosing their homes filing bankruptcy ect you just wait and see and government makes it harder for business to do business in california more and more companies are out sourcing to china mexico and india these are jobs we desperately need here and government only makes the problem worse. I really hate to see what s coming I dont care what they say the recession is not over!

  • Jimi says:
    August 31, 2009 at 8:00 am

    Undercounting is now an art form. We really don't know the true unemployment numbers due to the Obama white house fudging numbers and dropping the long time unemployed.
    Just more smoke and mirrors from the new international man of mystery.
    So much for "transparency" ehh?

    • Bryan says:
      August 31, 2009 at 1:10 pm

      Umm, Jimi, that is NOT an Obama thing, that is how unemployment has been counted for many administrations now.

      It's not fair to rate unemployment this way, but don't blame Obama, when under Bush it was counted the same and you didn't utter a peep!

      Be objective and honest! This way of counting unemployed is NOTHING NEW!
      It SUCKS, it's WRONG, but it's NOT UNIQUE to Obama.

  • BAM says:
    August 31, 2009 at 8:44 am

    I'm just glad we have our senators in Washington fighting to help turn things around for us. Barbara Boxer is working tirelessly on this ussue.

    Oh wait, no she's on the Colbert Report promoting her new book.
    Nevermind.

  • Jim says:
    August 31, 2009 at 9:38 am

    http://www.shadowstats.com

    In July he wrote:

    - June U-6 Unemployment Rate Topped 20% (25% SGS) in Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, California, South Carolina and Rhode Island

  • thomas klein says:
    August 31, 2009 at 9:54 am

    It was the people that elected Cathleen Bass and the rest of the CA legislature over the last 10 years that has led to this mess. Fat pensions, bloated government, the most hostile business climate in the country, environmental laws that make it impossible to make ANYTHING in California without 100's of permits, and let's not forget Barbara Boxer and Diane Fienstien, two worthless bookends, and a Governor with no balls. It's our own fault, WE have elected to office the Bozo's that we can thank for this decline in prosperity for CA residents. TRY to find SOMETHING made in California, just try. Aerospace-GONE, Auto manufacturing - Gone, Bicycles -GONE, Steel - GONE, Electronics - GONE, Finance - GONE, Major Appliances - GONE, and now, Home building - GONE, Boat Building - GONE, Agriculture ALMOST GONE, Movies - ALMOST GONE, WERE TOAST

  • never ending fight for freedom says:
    August 31, 2009 at 9:56 am

    what dina said.

  • Jeanette says:
    September 4, 2009 at 8:45 am

    It's entertaining reading opinions why the country is where it is with employment. Blame it on Obama, blame it on the libs, blame it on Bush, blame it on Reagan, blame it on somebody, but dont blame it on the person saying the words

    I once heard someone blame it on Henry Ford and on our 100 year ago ancestors who were farmers, craftsman, small merchants. Industrialists like Ford came along, promised an honest wage for an honest day of work. Our ancestors bought into the idea of a 50 hr work week, which was less than a farmer/craftsman/merchant
    toils and thus became dependent to the employer. That thinking permeated society and now we teach kids skills that make them a good employee...they dont teach entrepreneurship.

    A few years ago, I heard that in a private class about the stock market. That wake up freed me from
    job worry. http://www.ProfitsOnWallStreet.com

    Until collective society wakes up to realize that it is not our rich uncle's
    job to nurse us from womb to tomb, these issues will not only remain
    but will get worse and worse.
    J