If you look at the unemployment rate in the U.S., it seems like things are clicking along pretty well, with unemployment holding at 4.3%. But you don’t have to look too hard to find folks who are frustrated by their job prospects, especially in certain fields like human resources. People with all the education they need and plenty of experience still find themselves without a role.
After six months without a job, you’re officially considered “long-term” unemployed. The number of Americans in that boat is up more than 300,000 over the last year. Among them is Brett Kling, an HR and technology analyst with a long resume and a master’s degree in organizational psychology. He’s
regularly dealing with rejection.
“It gets a little rough sometimes,” he said after receiving an automated text. “It’s alright. You gotta keep going. Rejections, nos, are kind of par for the course.”
Kling stays motivated by going to as many mixers and meetups as possible. In an age of AI, he said it feels like human connection is his only hope.
“Anytime there’s an open event, where you can have some facetime with people, I try to do that,” he said.
Kling attends a career transitions support group as part of the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management. Facilitator Lauren Kiproff-Downer said participants represent a wide array of industries.
“We’ve had automotive, tech, a whole lot of health care. The interesting thing is these are people who previously would never have been having to wait this long to find their right role,” Kiproff-Downer said.
Just a few years ago, when unemployment was well below 4% and there were twice as many jobs as job seekers, recruiters were offering signing bonuses to lure the same people to a new role.
“Both the openings and separations side of the job market seem to be just in a holding pattern,” said labor economist Celeste Carruthers at the University of Tennessee.
