Meet the long-term jobless
There are now a record 5.6 million people who have been unemployed for more than six months. A few tell us what life is like for them now.
Exhausted savings
Hometown: Los Angeles
Former job: Television camera operator
Out of work for: 9 months
I was working on a reality series for a production company and they were cutting back little by little. I think it was just the financial situation they were finding themselves in -- it was slow for them and it trickled down to me.
I've been unemployed since March and although I've been able to pick up a little side work here and there, I have been unable to find full-time work (I work, or rather, worked in entertainment). In the meantime, I've exhausted my savings and have been looking into any kind of work available. I'm finding that I'm either overqualified, underqualified or companies have put a hold on hiring.
The ideal would be working in the career that I'm trained in, but at the end of the day I'm not turning anything down. I'm looking at moving to wherever the work is and have been selling what I can to prepare for that move, but I don't have that much more to sell. Still, I'm not bitter about my situation as I have my health, a roof over my head and I'm eating.
NEXT: 'My job is who I am'
