by T. Lynn Wright

Created on: October 24, 2010   Last Updated: October 25, 2010

Despite the slightly changing numbers that are emphasized in the news reports, the employment picture in the United States is all too grim for many. There are certainly niche positions, but we are not a "niche" society.  A local ad in a small town for a part-time dishwasher resulted in a flood of resumes from very over-qualified people, elderly individuals and others who practically begged at the reception desk for a job. This is the true face of unemployed America.

There are those who are miserable in their current jobs, but they square their shoulders and soldier on, reluctant to face the unknown and give up the jobs they have. The two ends of the spectrum are facing the worst of this alarming economical period. The very young can't find the usual after school or weekend job. Aging baby boomers not comfortable with the changing technology of everything from cashiering to customer service can't find new jobs.

A faltering economy has a domino effect-fewer people buying things, fewer people needed to make things. The elderly are remaining in their homes longer, unable to afford long term care and unable to sell their homes to pay for it.  A generation of people are murmuring to themselves that they have a college education, why can't they find a job? This is not the land of opportunity that the history books described.

While it may be soothing to read that unemployment is slightly down, the facts behind the numbers aren't detailed. Perhaps the benefits for many ran out?  Everyone wants to be optimistic,but you don't see news photos of the middle class in line at the food bank or a 20 year management veteran humbly applying to care for the elderly in a nursing home.

Many Americans will blithely go on with life, unprepared for the possibility and probability that things will worsen. Many will continue to tighten their belts, downsize, stand in long lines to apply for jobs and other lines to get the macaroni and cheese. Infrastructure will be strained by a new class of homeless people due to foreclosures, job loss and health insurance loss. Those on the front lines in the United States are already seeing these symptoms of a long-term condition. This is the reality that newspapers and sound bites can't convey. If the situation prevails or deteriorates, illnesses will go untreated and the numbers of real casualties will rise.

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