'The worst time of my life': The job hunt remains a struggle
Friday, September 16th, 2011
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Unemployment rates were up in 26 states and the District of Columbia in August, according to new data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eight states and the District had rates higher than the national average of 9.1 percent. In raw numbers, New York had the biggest drop in employment, followed by Georgia. The District of Columbia came third, with 12,500 people falling into unemployment.
Unemployment in D.C. has consistently been above the national average. And some areas are particularly hard-hit. The District is organized into wards, and two wards had unemployment rates close to 20 percent earlier this year, according to the Brookings Institution.
The Investigative Reporting Workshop interviewed dozens of people looking for work in the District and those who counsel and serve them. As the stories below show, the hunt for work remains a serious challenge for residents of the nation's capital.
Emanuela Cebert
Emanuela Cebert, 25, talks about how difficult it is to find work in her field — even with a master's degree. With debts to pay and no job, Cebert weighs her options.
Gloria Morrison
Gloria Morrison, 26, lives with her retired mother, debt-burdened sister and college-enrolled niece. She is desperate to contribute, but faces challenges finding employment as an ex-offender.
Judy Valencia
Judy Valencia, 30, is an employment specialist at Catholic Charities, a nonprofit organization aiming to reduce poverty on a national level. She is an advocate for strengthening the "human contact" between employer and job-seekers and sheds light on the disadvantages of moving the job- application process online.
Tara Flemming
Tara Flemming, 60, is living on a friend's couch to cut expenses until she can find a job, saying she is "willing to do anything" to gain employment.
Tonolin Young
Street vendor Tonolin Young, 45, talks about how the economy has slowed business and how he keeps afloat.
Tanya Duncanson
Tanya Duncanson has experience but no degree, which has made her job search all the more difficult.
Joan Kuriansky
Joan Kuriansky, executive director of Wider Opportunities for Women, explains how raising the minimum wage could be an effective way to ensure the working poor have enough to make ends meet.
Carlos Day
Carlos Day only has $20 to his name, but talks about the need to stay fit and "vibrant" as a strategy to securing a job.
Sean Gordy
Sean Gordy, program manager of the Department of Employment Services' "One-Stop" career center in Northeast Washington, speaks on the need for job-training and placement programs.
Susan Travers
Susan Travers, a case manager at the Department of Employment Services' "One-Stop" career center in Washington, D.C., says there is increased stress for job-seekers and case managers alike.
Lisa Ridgeway
Lisa Ridgeway, 42, has 25 years of work experience, but says her age may play a role in employer's hiring practices.
James Wilkerson
James Wilkerson, 55, a baker with 25 years of experience before being laid off from his most recent position at Costco, talk about his frustrating experiences during this recession.
