Long-term unemployment becomes normalized as job seekers turn to gig work and lower expectations
By
rustoo
Crisp on the outside, thoughtful on the inside. A keeper.
Summary
The article examines the growing phenomenon of long-term unemployment in today's job market, focusing on the experiences of job seekers like Tequila Turner who lost her six-figure IT job and now relies on gig work. It explores how extended unemployment is becoming normalized, forcing workers to lower expectations, take on freelance or delivery jobs, and reconsider their career paths. The piece highlights the psychological toll of prolonged job searching and the economic realities facing experienced professionals struggling to re-enter the workforce.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledTequila Turner collected her last regular paycheck in October 2024. Since then she's traded her steady career in corporate IT for freelance projects and gig work, like delivering for DoorDash.
Her income plummeted from six figures to a fraction of that last year, she tells me over the phone between making deliveries.
Turner, 47, says she lost her job over a year ago when her contract role with a bank ended.
Long-term job seekers say they're lowering their expectations, taking on gig work and reconsidering what to do with their careers.
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