According to a new study by the Economic Policy Institute, 22.1 percent of all unemployed workers were out of work for six months or more in 2003, indicating that long-term joblessness is at the worst its been in over 20 years. Many of the long-termed unemployed are older workers with lots of experience and education. There are several explanations for this including the outsourcing of white-collar jobs and the use of new technology to boost productivity. The economy is also creating less desirable jobs that do not offer pay and benefits comparable to what many workers are used to.
See "Hunt for jobs takes longer", Michael Oneal and T. Shawn Taylor, Chicago Tribune, March 4, 2004