In addition to the lengthening recession, unemployed workers are finding another obstacle to finding a new job: unemployment discrimination. Many job seekers are reporting that some companies have a bias against the unemployed, discreetly avoiding considering resumes of those who have been laid off. The stigma results from a perception among employers that the unemployed are less productive, or that they will take a less attractive job out of desperation, only to jump ship when something better comes along. As a result, even unemployed workers who are considered for new jobs are finding themselves in a defensive position in interviews due to gaps in their work history.
See "In the job hunt, the stigma of being laid off is hard to erase", Stephanie Chen, CNN, June 29, 2010