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Many of the 11.3 million unemployed Americans may have only themselves to blame for their joblessness. About 67 percent say they are holding out for the right job, according to a new national survey of more than 2,000 out-of-work respondents.
Beyond.com, a job search website that conducted the survey, noted that 60 percent of the respondents also reported that their qualifications placed them out of various available positions.
Nevertheless, the findings indicate that the job hunt for many of these workers has stalled. Less than half of the job seekers surveyed claim to spend at least 10 hours a week searching for work, while only 20 percent invest twice as much time job hunting.
Some workers have simply stopped searching altogether.
While the latest unemployment rate dipped to 7.3 percent in August, its lowest level since December 2008, part of the unemployment drop was attributed to people giving up on the job hunt. The Bureau of Labor reports labor participation rate — the percentage of people 16 and older who have a job or are actively searching for one — reached its lowest point in 35 years.
One subcategory of jobless workers, the long-term unemployed, account for more than one-third (37.9 percent) of the unemployment rate, according to the BLS.
While some may be simply waiting for the right job, other reports emphasize that early retirees, workers returning to school, and an unsteady economy are all factors in the falling labor participation rate.
