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Skye Hendricks
English 12
Cindy Rogers
15 October 2015

The Rising Unemployment Issue in the United States

Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable
to find work; often used to measure the health of the economy ("Unemployment Definition |
Investopedia"). Today, the concept of unemployment has spread from a small group of people, to
a large portion of citizens throughout the country. There was a time when the idea of being
unemployed was uncommon. People felt secure in their occupations without the threat of being
laid off. As time went on, the concept of unemployment expanded vastly. Regardless of a
persons status or occupation, unemployment has developed into a seemingly inescapable aspect
of life in America. With the threat of unemployment on the rise, many wonder: has
unemployment always effected citizens within the United States?
Unemployment has been an issue long before the development of the United States.
Throughout Americas history, laws and amendments have been upheld to prevent
unemployment from flourishing. In 1932, the United States Congress passed A BILL to...
[relieve] the hardship and suffering caused by unemployment (Unemployment in the United
States, 1932). According to this document, the government authorized the sum of
$375,000,000, to be immediately available for allocation to the several States by the Federal
Emergency Relief Board (Unemployment in the United States, 1932). This bill would ease

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citizens load of hardships resulting from unemployment through donation to states with high
unemployment rates (Unemployment in the United States, 1932). Although these amendments
temporarily relieved people of the 1930s, unemployment continued throughout the years.
Recessions, or periods of economic decline, began to occur as a result of the rise of
unemployment.
During the early 1960s, in response to a brief recession, President John F. Kennedy
expanded Social Security and unemployment benefits (A Brief History of U.S.
Unemployment). In doing so, unemployed Americans were provided funds to care for daily
necessities as they searched for work. This resulted in a slight decrease in unemployment rates.
Unfortunately though, the temporary relief ended during the 1970s when oil embargos
triggered an economic slump [as a result,] Inflation rose and the economys growth began to
slow, a trend known as stagflation (A Brief History of U.S. Unemployment). Due to the risks of
stagflation, employers were forced to let go of staff, in hopes of avoiding bankruptcy. The
increase in lay-offs resulted in yet another rise in unemployment. In 1990, unemployment rates
began to drop in response to President Clintons efforts to reboot the economy (A Brief History
of U.S. Unemployment). Clintons efforts made a dent in unemployment rates, but the issue is
still in effect today. Though unemployment has impaired Americas economy, greater damage is
done those personally victimized by unemployment.
The effect of unemployment on the nation is evident, but what are the effects of
unemployment on unwaged individuals? A recent study conducted by researchers at the Urban
Institute concluded that families become far more unstable and prone to dissolution -- when
one parent loses a job ("New Evidence of How Unemployment Wrecks Families"). Being one
of the leading causes of family instability, unemployment has a large negative effect on not only

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that of the unemployed individual, but those in their family as well. Children of unemployed
adults are said to experience a destabilizing change in family arrangements in subsequent
months, irrespectively of the initial family arrangement ("New Evidence of How
Unemployment Wrecks Families") examples of these changes are listed in the following chart:

("New Evidence of How Unemployment Wrecks Families"). Sadly, many youths today have
found the need to commit crimes because of their guardians unemployment. A source suggests
that one source of motivation may be the frustration that results from people being unable to
obtain or to maintain employment at the same time they want to maintain or to improve their
standard of living (Britt). The rise of unemployment puts families, especially youths, at great risk
of corruption. Low income causes stress upon unemployed citizens, at times causing illness or
irrational actions. Diagnoses of depression and anxiety have increased to high levels as a result
of unemployment.With such negativity related to unemployment, it is common to question, what
efforts are currently being put forth to decrease the rate of unemployment?

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Currently, President Obama has put forth many efforts to lower unemployment. Soon
after Obama took office, Congress passed a nearly $800 billion stimulus designed to jump-start
the economy and lower unemployment. But high energy prices and the overhang of the housing
market have brought economic growth to a virtual halt (A Brief History of U.S.
Unemployment). Regardless of this slight recession, small improvements have been made to
lower unemployment levels. Evidence of these improvements can be seen in the following graph:

("Unemployment rate in the U.S. 1990-2014 | Timeline"). This graph displays the substantial
drop in unemployment rates over the past four years (2011-2014).
This decrease resulted from a surge of openings in specific industries. For example:
occupations within the social assistance [industry] provided 16,000 jobs for people willing to
work with children, the elderly, and the disabled. Over the year, employment has risen by
457,000 in health care and by 107,000 in social assistance (US Employment and
Unemployment Situation). Each year, new jobs are being created, providing unemployed people
opportunities to find work, therefore decreasing unemployment rates greatly.

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It is evident how damaging unemployment has been to American society throughout

time. Economically, unemployment has acted as a decimator, causing recessions to rise,
increasing the need for lay-offs. Unemployment has affected the personal lives of the majority of
American citizens. The increase of unemployment throughout the country has forced youths to
turn to negative influences in hopes of getting daily necessities. Depression levels have increased
due to unemployment, leading the nation as a whole to be irritable and impatient for change. It is
true, the current president, like those before him, has made efforts to decrease unemployment
levels. Although there have been many vast improvements to the issue of unemployment, there is
no permanent solution at this time. With enough determination, effort, and faith, the issue of
unemployment may diminish.

Works Cited
"A Brief History of U.S. Unemployment - The Washington Post." Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/us-unemployment-rate-history/>.
Britt, Chester L. "Crime and Unemployment among Youths in the United States, 1958-1990: A
Time Series Analysis." American Journal of Economics and Sociology 1994. Print.
"Causes of Unemployment in the United States - Buzzle." Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-of-unemployment-in-the-united-states.html/>.
"Employment Situation - Bureau of Labor Statistics." Web. 14 Sept. 2015. <
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm >.
Growth of Labor Law in the United States. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Labor; [for Sale by the
Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.], 1967. Print.
"New Evidence of How Unemployment Wrecks Families." The Fiscal Times. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/09/29/New-Evidence-How-UnemploymentWrecks-Families>.

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Reardon, Jack. "Defining Unemployment ... (Book Review)." Monthly Labor Review 1 July
2011. Print.
Reducing Overpayments and Increasing Quality in the Unemployment System Hearing before
the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second
Session, May 25, 2010. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2010. Print.
Regional Economic Patterns in the United States, 1990-1999 Mapbook. Washington, D.C.: U.S.
Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2001. Print.
The U.S. Economic Outlook: Hearing before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, on the Current
Economic Outlook in the Short- and Long-term ; Predictions concerning the Ro. Washington:
U.S. G.P.O. :, 2003. Print.
"US Employment and Unemployment Situation." Web. 14 Sept. 2015. <
http://www.hrmguide.net/usa/employment_situation.htm >.
"Unemployment Definition | Investopedia." Investopedia. 27 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unemployment.asp>.
Unemployment in the United States Hearings before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Labor,
House of Representatives, Seventy-second Congress, First Session, on H.R. 206, a Bill
Authorizing an Appropriation for the Relief of Destitution in the United Stat. Washington: U.S.
Govt. Print. Off., 1932. Print.
Unemployment Insurance in the United States, Benefits, Financing, and Coverage a Report to
the President and Congress. Washington, D.C.: Council, 1995. Print.
"Unemployment Rate in the U.S. 1990-2014 | Timeline." Web. 14 Sept. 2015. <
http://www.statista.com/statistics/193290/unemployment-rate-in-the-usa-since-1990/ >.
"United States : Unemployment Rate Drops to 6.2 Percent." Mena Report 24 Jan. 2015. Web. 14
Sept. 2015. < http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-398657916.html? >.
"United States Economy at a Glance." Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm>.

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