nice touch...

Thanks for the clarification George. The key word is attempt.

My conclusion is that I don't blame the President for my unemployment. This whole mess is a result of high gas prices, banks and mortgage companies raising the interest rates for their customers with adjustable rate mortgages, credit cards jumping on the sinking ship and lowering everybody credit limit to basically what they owe, and other things. All things that the President has very little control over, but should. I do think it's getting better. Surprising statement coming from somebody who has been unemployed for over 2-1/2 years, but I did have my first interview, so maybe it is getting better. Now, if we can just make it illegal to discriminate against somebody because of their credit, as long as their credit problems are due to long-time unemployment.

That graph is highly misleading. Labor rate participation is at it's lowest since 1981. Also the labor rate participation for men is at 69.9%, the lowest it has been since 1948.

Taking into account labor rate participation and the fact that government does not include in its unemployment figures those that have been out of work for greater than two years would result in a true unemployment rate upwards of 17%.

You beat me to the punch. I can't type that fast.

The outlook is indeed dire.

Oh gosh, I wish I could. I had to move in with my mom after my father passed away in March and she has become somewhat helpless (not really, but she thinks she is) and she also lost a sister in May. So I just need a part-time job, which also seems impossible to get. But thanks so much for thinking about me.

No problem. It's a help desk position supporting Peachtree Accounting software. That's why I thought of you with your tax experience. They train you for 7 weeks. It's definitely a full time position though.

Well good luck with your search.

1982 and 1983 were bad. I had a good job during that time period, so I guess I didn't really care. And until this last job loss, the other times I either got laid off, quit, or just was let go for a stupid reason, it only took me from two weeks to three months (got three months severance, so I didn't look real hard!) to find another job. And good jobs. Got several job offers. So when I lost my job in December of 2009, I honestly didn't think it would take long to find another one. Boy, was I wrong. And I had great credit at the time, owned my own home, and had all kinds of experience. None of that matters when there are thousands of people applying for the same jobs.

Phil, If you're going to draw conclusions about unemployment during a particular period you need to examine the underlying economic conditions at the time. There was a huge run-up in oil prices starting in 1979 during Jimmy Carter's administration due to the Iran crisis, also, perhaps you;re not old enough to remember the "stagflation" that occurred and 16% interest rates under Carter that caused the economy to crater after Reagan began his term of office.

Up until the current economic crisis the recession of the early eighty's was the greatest since the depression.

To subtly imply that the election of Reagan had anything to do with the crashing of the economy is disingenuous. You should apply greater rigor to your thought processes.