People aren’t working hard enough to find work

By: Darrell Castle

Only 18.9% of unemployed Americans spend time searching for jobs and interviewing on an average day according to a 2009-2013 survey done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.


What did the survey say they were doing?

  • 40.8% – shopping in a store, by phone or online
  • 22.5% shopping for items other than groceries, food and gas

When looking at this survey, it’s important to note what “unemployed” really means. It’s defined as individuals who are jobless, available for work and actively looking for a job. So these numbers don’t account for stay-at-home moms or dads and they don’t account for retired people. These are people who WANT a job, but their actions say everything but.

Let’s dive a little deeper into these stats…

Of the 18.9% of people who say they were looking for jobs the previous day they were surveyed, they only spent an average of 2.48 hours a day doing so.


What else?

Of those unemployed people surveyed, 96.7% spent, on average, 5.93 hours on socializing, relaxing and leisure. That’s more than two times the amount of time they spent actively looking for a job.


There’s more…

Only 71.9% of the unemployed people washed, dressed and groomed themselves on an average day. You have to dress for success.

As of June 2014, the unemployment rate in Memphis sits at 9.7%. Are you a part of that 9.7%?

If you actually had a job, how much time per day would you dedicate to it? On average, you’d probably spend 40 hours a week working that job.

Knowing that, why don’t you spend at least 40 hours a week LOOKING for a job?

It’s easy to see why the unemployment rate locally and nationally are both so high. Jobs are out there – I see job fairs, new companies and new openings in the news every week. People just aren’t trying hard enough.

Losing your job also tends to lead to missed payments on your bills, causing major debt. If this is you, there are two important steps you can take.

  1. Work full-time to find work. Don’t spend the majority of your unemployed days relaxing, shopping and not grooming yourself. Instead, spend the majority of your days searching, applying, grooming and interviewing for jobs.
  2. Speak to an experienced attorney about filing for bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy can give you that fresh start you need by clearing your debt and offering you a new foundation to begin spending the right way.

When filing for bankruptcy, you need an attorney who’ll care for you and who you can trust. My firm has received multiple Client Distinction Awards from Martindale-Hubbel for client satisfaction so I can assure you that you’re in good hands.

We want to help you with your credit, too! That’s why we offer 7 Steps to a 720, a 14 week online course that will teach you the tips and tricks the banks don’t want you to know that’ll help you re-establish and rebuild your credit the RIGHT WAY. This program is free for our clients.

Call (901) 327-2100 or fill out one of the contact forms on this page to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced bankruptcy attorneys.