SENTINEL WATCH June 9, 2003 Issue

One job at a time

By Marilyn Jones Senior Writer

A FEW WEEKS AGO I was talking with a professor from a nearby university. He mentioned that his students were stressing out because their field—communications—is over-saturated and jobs are scarce. And according to a recent article in The New York Times, "this spring's college graduates are entering the worst job market in 20 years" (Robert B. Reich, "Get a Job," May 19, 2003). The article goes on to say that even enrolling in graduate programs doesn't offer much hope for a better career.

But college graduates aren't the only people facing unemployment. The statistics for America's inner cities indicate that joblessness is endemic. Still, that's not new. Nor is the unemployment rate in countries around the world. In every sector, jobs can seem elusive, and many people feel desperate. Maybe the panic bell is finally ringing loudly in the United States because it's now white-collar jobs that are slipping away because of corporate layoffs, bankruptcies, and a sluggish economy.

I think most people, regardless of training and education, have faced unemployment at some time in their adult lives. I know I have. And scanning newspaper ads, or going online to send out a résumé to places that don't even provide a company name or contact person, pretty much seems like firing a shot in the sky when you're starving, hoping something will fly by at the right moment to become your dinner. Not likely. Hopelessness can become a familiar feeling.

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