To the Point
Long Term Unemployment and the 'American Dream'
The relentless 8.2 percent unemployment rate dominates coverage of the presidential campaign, but it's much more than a political story. It's a measure of human misery. Some 5.4 million Americans have been out of work for more than six months, and that's being called "a national emergency playing out in slow motion."
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe relentless 8.2 percent unemployment rate dominates coverage of the presidential campaign, but it's much more than a political story. It's a measure of human misery. Some 5.4 million Americans have been out of work for more than six months, and that's being called "a national emergency playing out in slow motion." As the Middle Class is being "hollowed out," companies say they can't find qualified workers. Is there a "skills gap?" Are employers too picky? Is long-term unemployment making a myth of the promise that willing work is the key to upward mobility?
The full episode
2 of 3
Unemployment and Bridging the 'Skills Gap'- 0:00Biden Tells NAACP Mitt Romney Is a 'Threat'
- 0:00Long Term Unemployment and the 'American Dream'You’re reading this
- 0:00'Little America' in Afghanistan
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Anna Scott
Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter
Frances Anderton
architecture critic and author
Sonya Geis
Senior Managing Editor
Peter Goodman
New York Times / International Business Times
Peter Cappelli
University of Pennsylvania
Todd Thibodeaux
Computing Technology Industry Association
The full episode
2 of 3Unemployment and Bridging the 'Skills Gap'- 0:00Biden Tells NAACP Mitt Romney Is a 'Threat'
- 0:00Long Term Unemployment and the 'American Dream'You’re reading this
- 0:00'Little America' in Afghanistan