As people of faith, we continue to be concerned about our country’s slow economic recovery. With this month’s release of unemployment rates, we see yet another sign that while economists may say that the recession has ended, the reality of unemployment and under-employment remains true for millions of Americans—particularly those often left on the margins of the conversation about economic recovery. 

The unemployment rate in the month of June remained unchanged at 8.2%. While the total jobless number is 12.7 million, 80,000 jobs were created in June. Still there remains a startling 5.4 million who are long term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) — 41.9% of the unemployed population. Among specific worker groups the unemployment for adult men was 7.8%, adult women 7.4%, whites 7.4%, blacks 14.4%, Hispanics 11%, and Asians 6.3%. 

In our current economic environment it is hard enough for an unemployed worker to find a job when they have a college degree, an impressive resume, and a clean record. It becomes close to impossible for the members of our community that have a criminal record to find employment. 

According to a November 2010 Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), “In 2008, about one in 33 working-age adults was an ex-prisoner and about one in 15 working-age adults was an ex-felon.” It is estimated that in 2010, federal and state prisons held over 1.6 million inmates and released over 700,000 individuals back into their communities. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not keep track of the ex-offender unemployment number, but a January 2011 New York Times articles states, “various studies have found unemployment rates of 50 percent or higher for former prisoners nine months or a year after their release.”  

The recession has allowed hiring managers to be picky among their larger applicant pools. Anecdotal evidence suggests employers are choosing workers with a clean background and continue to hire ex-offenders, regardless of their offense, at a severely decreased rate. As an Arizona Republic articles states, “Even entry-level positions or manual-labor jobs that would be a typical workforce re-entry point for felons have dried up.” Many employers conduct background checks. In addition, in some states a felony conviction limits a person’s ability to apply for certain jobs including government employment and professional licensing. 

While states across the country are experiencing their own budget crises, they are choosing to release thousands of prisoners rather than deal with the increasing costs of keeping them incarcerated. At the same time, rehabilitation funding— including The Second Chance Act— is dwindling. Without the proper skills and support systems, ex-convicts are finding it increasingly difficult to find steady work, which directly affects a person’s ability to remain out of trouble and avoid criminal activity. 

The failure to find stable work is directly related to the recidivism rate. As Thomas O’Connell, deputy chief of administration for the Maricopa County Adult Program Department stated in a June 13, 2012 interview, “When someone maintains employment, this demonstrates stability, provides a source for positive social interactions and provides a means for financial stability, including the ability to support a family and meet their financial obligations.” Considering how beneficial a good job can be, the ex-offender and ex-prisoner population is facing an uphill battle at a time of stalled economic recovery 

As we consider these monthly reflections on our economy’s health, we remind our elected officials that they must soon create and debate legislation that aims to create jobs and strengthen our economy without forgetting about those who are at greatest risk of impoverishment and hardship, including ex-offenders.  

As scripture tells us, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3). 

As people of faith, we continue to be concerned about our country’s slow economic recovery. With this month’s release of unemployment rates, we see yet another sign that while economists may say that the recession has ended, the reality of unemployment and under-employment remains true for millions of Americans—particularly those often left on the margins of the conversation about economic recovery.

The unemployment rate in the month of May increased slightly at 8.2%. While the total jobless number is 12.7 million, 69,000 jobs were created in May.  Still there remains a startling 5.4 million who are long term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) — 42.8% of the unemployed population. Among specific worker groups the unemployment for adult men was 7.8%, adult women 7.4%, whites 7.4%, blacks 13.6%, Hispanics 11%, and Asians 5.2%.

While there seems to be steady recovery for certain subgroups of the worker population, specific groups, like older workers, continue to struggle to find work. Older workers are defined as 50 and older—a population that is rapidly increasing as Baby Boomers age. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, “The unemployment rate for people aged 55 or older rose from 5.9 percent in February [2012] to 6.2 percent in March [2012]. At the start of the Great Recession in December 2007, the unemployment rate for this age group was only 3.2 percent. Nearly 2 million people aged 55 or older were unemployed in March.” Older workers are also an increasing percentage of the unemployed population, “Older jobseekers were 15.7 percent of the unemployed in March, a somewhat higher percentage than in February (14.7).”

Particularly concerning for this population is how long they remain unemployed. According to a March 2012 issue brief on older unemployed workers from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) , “Older unemployed workers were the most likely to be unemployed for one year or longer—about 4 in 10 (41.6%) jobless workers age 50 and older.” The AARP also found that the long-term unemployment rate among older workers only increased as the recession and recovery moved forward, “Average duration of unemployment for older jobseekers first exceeded one year in March 2011.”

Long-term unemployment opens this population up for a number of ongoing problems. In her May 15^th testimony to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, NELP Executive Director Christine Owens stated, “Prolonged periods of unemployment may have a severe impact on older workers’ retirement prospects and later-life well-being generally. A national survey of workers who lost their jobs during the recession at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University found that a majority of respondents age 55 and older experienced a decline in savings while unemployed.” In addition, older workers have less time than younger workers to replace lost savings because they are closer to the traditional retirement age. Many people have ended up delaying retirement because their savings became so severely depleted. And still others found themselves in forced early retirement because they went so long without finding a job.

The AARP reports, “The long-term unemployed are at risk of skills erosion and weakening labor force attachment, which further undermine the probability that they will find work.” Older workers are more likely than younger workers to have been laid off from industries, like manufacturing, that had already been experiencing a decline prior to the recession and then worsened when the economic downfall hit. Those older workers will require new skills and training in order to transition into a new filed in order to find employment. Employment experts have also been tracking the serious issue of hiring discrimination, especially among older workers and the long-term unemployed. According to NELP, “Compounding the effects of a weak labor market on older workers, evidence shows that employers are explicitly excluding the unemployed from hiring consideration. Because this kind of discrimination is more likely to affect those who have been out of work for the longest amount of time, older workers are more likely to be its victims.”

As we consider these monthly reflections of our economy’s health, we remind our elected officials that they must soon create and debate legislation that aims to create jobs and strengthen our economy without forgetting about those who are at greatest risk of impoverishment and hardship, including older workers. As scripture tells us, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11

The nation’s middle class has been shrinking over the past three decades because of “misguided policies” in Washington making it harder to remain in or to enter the middle class, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said on the monthly Faith Advocates for Jobs call May 10.

Harkin, who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced the Rebuild America Act—a comprehensive bill that creates jobs and rebuild the economy. The bill would modernize the nation’s infrastructure creating millions of new jobs, expand manufacturing, provide more job training for workers and strengthen economic security for working people.

The bill also would raise the minimum wage, require paid sick days and expand overtime pay coverage, three of the top priorities for FAJ and IWJ.

Jen Kern, minimum wage coordinator for the National Employment Law Project (NELP) said raising the minimum wage is critical to reviving the economy because low-wage workers would spend the increase. The economy needs an increase in consumer spending, she said.

Kern said 18 states and D.C. have raised the minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour and seven states have eliminated the paltry $2.13 minimum wage for tip workers (like waiters and parking lot attendants). NELP is organizing the latest research, media coverage and campaign news on action to raise the minimum wage.

Both Harkin and Kern urged those concerned about creating good jobs to make their voices heard, especially in an election year. Responding to a caller’s question, Harkin urged people of faith to attend congressional town hall meetings and make sure their representatives know that people are watching to see what they do to create jobs. He called on the faith community to include issues on jobs in congregations’ newsletters and group discussions.

“Let’s link our arms together and make our society more fair and more just for all,” Harkin said.

Check out a fact sheet on the Rebuild America Act.

Joe Bova is part of the Unemployed Support Group at All Saints Catholic Parish in Milwaukee, WI. Here he shares stories from the group:

All Saints Catholic Parish serves diverse group of 560 families in the northwest side of Milwaukee. Our faith community is noted for its outreach to the broader community. In November 2010, our pastor, Fr. Carl Diederichs, initiated the Support Group for the Unemployed, which I now facilitate. As a retiree, I am currently unemployed by choice, but I had experienced droughts of unemployment three times in my career lifetime.  

Through weekly meetings over the course of a year and a half, our small support group of five unemployed adults has evolved into a family of sorts. Together each week we pray, review resumes, share job leads, resource information and other job-hunting tips. Since the group started, at least 25 other people have joined at one point or another.

Group meetings provide a safe space for our community's unemployed. What is said in the room – the weekly personal ups and downs – stays in the room. Beyond our personal stories, our conversations in general range from what’s happening in the resource world, the economy, Catholic social justice teaching, and all forms of injustice at the workplace.   

Collectively, group members submitted hundreds of resumes, but very few have had luck finding employment.

 Seeing how applying for jobs and sending resumes wasn't enough, two group members helped create the Garden Homes Neighborhood Jobs and Competitiveness Panel in June 2011 to address our community’s 28 percent unemployed rate. We convinced 12 corporations and entities that serve the unemployed to collaborate on unemployment issues. The Jobs Panel has since devised a program to link 200 neighborhood unemployed with family-supporting jobs and job training programs. Our support group has three seats on this 15-member panel and collectively we are taking steps to launch the program.

Through our meetings, we also soon realized that there are plenty of companies that clearly do not adhere to the principles of distributive justice or to the paradox of “sharing your blessings returns in receiving more blessings.” Still too many are making money by having fewer people do more work. Hiring was just not a priority.  

We asked ourselves what we could do to change the situation? Here's an idea: if our Catholic leader could convince Catholic business owners/leaders to each hire one additional person, then x-number of unemployed people would get jobs. We realize that those jobs may be few, but it's a start. We've discussed this idea with the director of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Office of Social Ministry, and we are hopeful. We are in process of formulating our plan of action.   Although our future remains uncertain, our faith is alive. We keep going.

(For comments and questions about the support group, please contact Joe Bova at joebova7@aol.com)

The Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs, which includes Interfaith Worker Justice, released this statement on the April 2012 unemployment statistics:

As people of faith, we continue to be concerned about our country’s slow economic recovery. With this month’s release of unemployment rates, we see yet another sign that while economists may say that the recession has ended, the reality of unemployment and under-employment remains true for millions of Americans—particularly those often left on the margins of the conversation about economic recovery.
 
The unemployment rate in the month of April decreased from last month to 8.1%. While the total jobless number is 12.5 million, 115,000 jobs were created in April.  Still there remains a startling 5.1 million who are long term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) — 41.3% of the unemployed population. Among specific worker groups the unemployment for adult men was 7.5%, adult women 7.4%, whites 7.4%, blacks 13%, Hispanics 10.3%, and Asians 5.2%.
 
Much attention has been given to the unemployment rate in politics and the media. And while warranted, sometimes the unemployment numbers overshadow another large problem in the United States—the underemployment rate. Gallup, who has been tracking unemployment and underemployment since January 2010, defines underemployment as people who are, “either unemployed or are employed part time (fewer than 30 hours per week) and wish to be employed full time.” Their definition of unemployment is similar to that of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics where people “don’t have a job, and are actively looking for work and available to begin work.”
 
According to Gallup, nationally 18.6% of Americans were underemployed in 2011. And as with most jobs numbers, there are seasonal variations throughout the year with 2011 underemployment reaching a low of 17.8% in October and a high of 19.9% in February, right after the holiday rush in part-time hiring.
 
When the recession hit, many companies were forced to scale back on labor in an effort to remain afloat. During that time they learned to become more efficient on less money. Now, when the so-called recovery is occurring, businesses, especially small businesses, are planning not to hire back as many full-time employees. A January 2011 Bloomberg.com articles stated, “While past rebounds were led by companies with fewer than 500 people adding full-time workers, some owners say they’ll rely on part-time help and push their staffs to be more productive as they wait as much as a year for demand to improve.”
 
While it is true for many people that a part-time job is better than no job at all underemployed workers are still struggling to make ends meet on both lower wages and oftentimes times reduced or nonexistent benefits like health insurance and paid sick days. Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research was quoted in the Bloomberg.com article as saying, “[Part-time workers are] in trouble in terms of paying the bills even though they are still going to work day to day. Underemployment is a big part of the picture if we want to get a full sense of whether we’re fully utilizing our resources.”
 
The high underemployment rate will mean the recovery will continue to move at a slow pace and economic growth will be weakened. Without the guarantee of full-time employment, many underemployed workers will hold off on making major purchases and will continue to be conservative about their household budget, only further harming the growth of local economies.
 
As we consider these monthly reflections of our economy’s health, we remind our elected officials that they must soon create and debate legislation that aims to create jobs and strengthen our economy without forgetting about those who are at greatest risk of impoverishment and hardship, including those workers who are underemployed. As scripture tells us, “One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts the Creator; one who cares for the needy honors God.” (Proverbs 14:31)
 
You can find DHN’s Jobs Statement of Principles here,

Click here to learn more about the Faith Advocates for Jobs campaign, and find out how you and your congregation can get involved.
 

Join the Faith Advocates for Jobs Campaign this spring and summer on a nationwide Jobs Tour to educate the public about the unemployment crisis. Participants will learn information on how individuals and congregations or organizations can support the unemployed and push for necessary public policy changes.

The tour will kick off in Little Rock, Ark., on May 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the New Millennium Baptist Church, instead of the original date of April 25. The tour then moves to Los Angeles on May 24 and to Detroit on July 18. Other events are being scheduled, including one in Nashville, Tenn.

The main speaker at each of the scheduled events will be the Rev. James A. Forbes, senior minister emeritus of the Riverside Church in New York City. Forbes also is president of the Healing of the Nations Foundation.

FAJ is building a non-partisan network of individuals, congregations and organizations committed to support the unemployed and the underemployed and to advocate for the public policy changes required to address the unemployment crisis.  

You can learn more about FAJ and join us on the tour by emailing the Rev. Paul Sherry, coordinator of Faith Advocates for Jobs.

The Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs issued this analysis of the March 2012 unemployment report. Interfaith Worker Justice an d Faith Advocates for Jobs are members of the Working Group.

As people of faith, we continue to be concerned about our country’s slow economic recovery. With this month’s release of unemployment rates, we see yet another sign that while economists may say that the recession has ended the reality of unemployment and under-employment remains true for millions of Americans—particularly those often left on the margins of the conversation about economic recovery.

The unemployment rate in the month of March went down from last month at 8.2%. While the total jobless number is 12.7 million, 120,000 jobs were created in March.  Still there remains a startling 5.3 million who are long term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) — 42.5% of the unemployed population. Among specific worker groups the unemployment for adult men was 7.6%, adult women 7.4%, whites 7.3%, blacks 14%, Hispanics 10.3%, and Asians 6.2%.

Though economic signs indicate that the U.S. is slowly starting to recover from the most recent recession, the public sector is still struggling tremendously with job loss. People are slowly starting to find employment, yet there still is only 1 job for every 6 unemployed job seekers. While we have seen increasing growth in the private sector, federal, state, and local governments are still slashing programs in order to balance budget and create deficit reduction. This results in massive job loss in the public sector—including teachers, firefighters, nurses, and the employees that administer all the various programs carried out by federal and state governments.

Massive job losses in local and state governments are deeply affecting local economies and are offsetting gains made by rising private sector employment. In 2011, 181,000 jobs were lost in local governments, according to MarketWatch, falling by 14,000 jobs in December 2011 alone. State government jobs fell by 63,000 jobs throughout 2011. According to a November 4, 2011 Washington Post article, "Public-sector jobs now account for the smallest share of the nation’s employment since the 2008 financial crisis." The slashing of public-sector jobs did not occur until more recently in the recession when federal stimulus dollars ran out in 2010. Since then the job loss has been persistent.

According to a US News and World Report article in July, 40% of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas that have gained government jobs have made stronger recoveries from the recession than those that lost government jobs. 

Jobs in the public sector used to be considered safe, good jobs. These jobs came with good benefits, pension plans, and were dependable. According to a New York Times blog from January 6: "Since the federal government started tracking the statistic in 1955, there have been only six years when local government employment declined." Now government and public-sector emplyees live in a state of  anxiety, not sure if their job will be cut, and if so, how they will find full-time employment in the future.

Labor experts also fear that because of the recent decrease in unemployment numbers, policy-makers could become complacent and not see the need for job creation legislation that targets job growth in the public sector. This type of legislation is still desperately needed since certain populations (communities of color, women, young workers, and workers with less education) are employed in higher numbers in public-sector jobs.

Weaknesses still exist in our labor market and there are still people greatly suffering from long-term unemployment. As the January 6th MarketWatch article stated, "The persistent and long-running weaknesses [in our labor market] require continued policy attention with extended unemployment insurance benefits, support for states and localities to maintain employment in education, health care, and other critical services, and infrastructure investment to buttress the blooming recovery in construction and manufacturing. Millions of Americans will continue to experience enormous economic pain without such policy steps."

As we consider these monthly reflections of our economy’s health, we remind our elected officials that they must soon create and debate legislation that aims to create jobs and strengthen our economy without forgetting about those who are at greatest risk of impoverishment and hardship, including those workers in the public sector. As scripture tells us, "One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts the Creator; one who cares for the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:31.

You can find DHN’s Jobs Statement of Principles at

^{http://domestichumanneeds.org/uploads/DHN-Jobs-Statement-of-Principles.pdf.}

The Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs, which includes Interfaith Worker Justice and Faith Advocates for Jobs, released this statement on the February 2012 unemployment statistics.

As people of faith, we continue to be concerned about our country’s slow economic recovery. With this month’s release of the February 2012 unemployment rates, we see yet another sign that while economists may say that the recession has ended, the reality of unemployment and under-employment remains true for millions of Americans—particularly those often left on the margins of the conversation about economic recovery.

Read the full response on Interfaith Worker Justice's new blog.

Thanks to your emails, calls and other actions, this week President Obama signed a bipartisan bill that continues federal emergency unemployment insurance. This new law gives unemployed workers in hard-hit states up to 73 weeks of financial support while searching for work –a far better deal than UI legislation the House passed last December. 

The bill also rejects the extreme proposals in the original House bill that would have changed the essential character of the UI system that has provided financial assistance for 77 years to workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

The House-Senate conference agreement, however, provides fewer weeks of UI benefits to the long term unemployed (only 63 weeks in most states) than they received between late 2009 and the end of 2011 (up to 99 weeks). Because of the shorter duration of benefits, the bill provides a smaller stimulus to the economy than it would have received if Congress had just continued the program in its current form. Though, Congress does target UI more toward high-unemployment states. We also must remain vigilant so that unemployed workers are not subjected to unnecessary and costly drug testing under provisions in the act. 

The overall package, which continues the payroll tax holiday and reimbursements for Medicare doctors is ‘paid for’ in part by cutting pension benefits for new federal employees. On the other hand failure to reach this deal would have had severe consequences for both American workers and our economy.

Today Half in Ten started the clock on its goal of cutting poverty in half in 10 years with the release of its inaugural annual report, “Restoring Shared Prosperity: Strategies to Cut Poverty and Expand Economic Growth.” The report establishes a baseline to cut poverty in half in 10 years, tracking progress along levers to achieve the target, including: good jobs, strong families and communities, and economic security.

As the report shows, cutting poverty in half is possible if we build the political and public will to do so. Our nation cut poverty in half from 1959–1973 and reduced it again by 25 percent from 1993–2000 as a strong economy combined with public and private initiatives lifted millions of Americans into the middle class.

Each year Half in Ten will provide an update on our progress that will include the latest available data, analysis of the changes on the indicators from year to year, and policy solutions to move the indicators in the right direction.

We urge you to read the report and check out the fact sheet for your state to see where your state stands on key indicators for poverty and opportunity. Take a look at the links below to learn more about the report’s findings, how you can use the data for advocacy, and action steps to hold elected officials accountable for progress:

• For the  full report, the introduction and summary, and to download individual chapters, click here.
• Click here to download a fact sheet with your state’s data.
• For a one-pager summarizing national trends and for advocacy resources, visit our resources page.
• Click here to see the report’s top 10 findings.
• Support our goal to cut poverty in half in 10 years? Join thousands of advocates and sign the Half in Ten pledge today.

Here are some sample social media posts you can use to spread the word!

Check out this new report from @halfinten on #poverty and prosperity! Explore the data for your state here #p2 http://bit.ly/uvQVWN

#halfinten just released a new report tracking progress toward their goal of cutting #poverty in @halfinten years! http://bit.ly/uvQVWN

Sample Facebook post:

Today Half in Ten released a new report that shares strategies to cut poverty and expand economic growth. This is Half in Ten’s first annual report and will be released every year so we can track our progress toward cutting poverty, hold elected officials accountable, and build the movement to reduce poverty. Check out the report and data for your state here! http://bit.ly/uvQVWN