Unemployed? How Long Does It Really Take to Find another Job?

One of the most nagging questions in job seekers' minds is how long it will take to find a new job. A survey of 600 job seekers conducted at the end of last month gives an indication of the length of time it's taking job seekers to find jobs in today's market.

Of the 600 job seekers polled, 77 percent were unemployed. The remaining 23% had jobs. Of the more than three-quarters who were unemployed, nearly half had been out of work for more than a year:

49 percent had been out of work for more than a year
8 percent had been out of work 10 to 12 months
5 percent had been out of work for seven to nine months
16 percent had been out of work for four to six months
20 percent had been out of work for one to three months

Of the nearly 50 percent of job seekers who've been unemployed for more than a year, 60 percent of those long-term job seekers have been out of work for two years and counting.

In a press release announcing the survey results, it was noted that some of the job seekers who've been out of work two-plus years are stay-home-moms and retirees hoping to return to the workforce.

When asked, both employed and unemployed job seekers how long they thought it would take to land a new job,

28 percent are confident they can find something new within 3 months
37 percent expect the job search to take four to six months
14 percent think it will take seven to nine months
12 percent anticipate the job search will take 10 to 12 months
10 percent believe they'll be looking for a new job for more than a year.

Overall, the majority of callers – 65 percent – felt they would find a job in six months or less. Is that a realistic assessment? In a healthy economy, a successful job search might take two to three months. In a tight job market, such as now, it is not unusual to see even high-quality candidates take four to six months.

Job seekers have reason to be more optimistic about the labour market and their chances of finding a new job this year. He notes that private sector layoffs are down and that hiring is on the rise.

Indeed, according to the unemployment report the U.S. Labour Department released last Friday, employment increased by 200,000 in December, and the number of unemployed Americans, along with the unemployment rate, continued to tick downward. The unemployment rate is now at 8.5 percent and 13.1 million people are counted as unemployed, down from 9.4 percent and 14.5 million a year ago.

Let's look at the numbers! Organisations need to hire nearly four million people every month just to replace the 2 million people who quit their jobs each month, plus the 250,000 to 350,000 workers who retire, transfer to new locations, or otherwise can't work, and the "hundreds of thousands" of others who get fired for cause.

Identity Theft and Job Search Scams

In difficult days like these, ones filled with higher unemployment rates and desperate people, new to the job hunting market, it is easy to see how the ever watchful and predatorial scavengers that are the Identity scammers can easily proliferate and prosper.

Their net area increases exponentially and at the same time the virtual mesh size decreases, and the bate varies, just so they can catch the little guys too. In this case we are talking of job search scams. The posting of fake jobs or sending out fake enquiries from non-existent recruitment companies, all in an effort to make you part with your identity details.

1. Phishing Scams - Job Candidates
Currently, two types of job search scams are most common. One is a phishing scam, where identity theft perpetrators e-mail would-be victims to tell them about potential jobs and opportunities to make extra money. The e-mails direct recipients to credible websites that the identity thieves have created specifically to gather personal information. The overall appearance is contrived to make it look like a genuine job site where you would be willing to submit your genuine job application info.

These fake applications request all the information job seekers would expect to provide, such as their name, address and phone number, but in addition, they also ask for information that you would not expect to provide. Certainly not so early in the process. Beware of sites that make unusual requests and ask for Social Security numbers, permission to conduct a background check and /or bank account information.

They may tell you they need your bank account information so they can make sure your salary can be direct deposited. Some may even sweeten the request by saying that they'll place money in your account and then remove it just to make sure it works. Do not allow this. No professional company will do this. It is simply step one (1) in a trick to fool you and the bank into giving the criminals access to your bank account.

Step two (2) is to empty your bank accounts and Step three (3) is to sell your details to other scammers and criminals. Step four (4) is yours and it's the biggest and most difficult one of all, trying to convince your bank, your family and your creditors that you lost all your money by trusting someone you did not know, had never met and had not even spoken to.

Oh yes, and it goes without saying that you never will receive any information about jobs, because it is not what these people do, it is simply what they say they do.

Identity thieves buy e-mail addresses from legitimate businesses who don't care if they are selling people's information to the Internet black market. It's a bit extra cash for them. So don't expect them to protect you, that's your priority.

2. Phishing Scams - Fake Employers
In the second scam, identity thieves pose as genuine employers on legitimate job search sites. They post a generic job that would appeal to a large number of people (phishing with a wide net, small mesh), and in the course of talking to applicants (online or via phone), they carefully ask for more and more personal information.

They are professional con people (men and women). So they will take it slowly, and spend time 'romancing' you. So as not to spook you, they will sound as credible and plausable as a 'real' employer would but probably more positive about offering you a position, just to draw you further in.

Despite the efforts of the owners, there are identity thieves on all valid and existing job search websites who are posing as employers.

Remember that, in these cases, there is no job to be lost. There is no career path to join. There is only the long road to the Police station to report the loss of your money. Be cautious, question any 'strange' requests and above all good luck with the job hunting.