What Went Wrong: Unemployment
The view from the ground: Economy is still weak
Aug. 17, 2012
Hundreds of letters poured into the offices of The Philadelphia Inquirer in response to the gripping story of economic woes told in the original “America: What Went Wrong?” series by Donald Barlett and James Steele 20 years ago. While letters today are submitted electronically and conversations are had across cell phones, the feeling of economic despair sounds eerily familiar. Here is the first in an occasional series about people who submitted their story to us over the many months that we have embarked on a new project, “What Went Wrong: The Betrayal of the American Dream.” The series also led to Barlett and Steele's new, best-selling book, "The Betrayal of the America Dream," released earlier this month.
An uneven dream: African-Americans no strangers to unemployment
March 6, 2012
A lack of employment and economic security has put into flux prospects of the American Dream for the next generation. But crisis-level unemployment has persisted in black communities for decades. What's the solution? A look at a new report from the Economic Policy Institute and interviews with people on the front lines.
Women left behind in recovery
Oct. 10, 2011
For teen girls of color, the recovery has "been an absolute disaster." New numbers from Gallup show young African-American women are facing an uphill road to employment.
'The worst time of my life': The job hunt remains a struggle
Sept. 16, 2011
Finding work is still a serious challenge for residents of the nation's capital. The Investigative Reporting Workshop interviewed dozens of people looking for work in the District of Columbia as well as those who counsel and serve them. Facing the worst economic outlook in decades, job seekers are struggling and frustrated, but trying to stay optimistic.
