Last year at this time, the economy was humming along, with unemployment at 3.8 percent overall and 2.0 percent for college grads. January 2021’s unemployment rate is at 6.3 percent, which means that an awful lot of people who lost their job during the peak of pandemic unemployment are still looking for a job.
If you’re hiring, it’s time to look at some of those people who have been unemployed for six months or more. (Some people have been unemployed for a much longer time!) Companies often prefer to hire people who are already employed, but if you want to do what is best for your community and your company, it’s time to look at the long term unemployed.
