By Andrew Keshner and Jeffry Bartash
A low U.S. unemployment rate masks one of the worst times ever to look for a job
Finding a job was easy a few years ago. Now, Americans are worried about their job prospects, even though the unemployment rate is historically low.
More than 7.5 million open jobs are available across the country, and the unemployment rate is a remarkably low 4.2% - but Talon Abernathy is one of legions of unemployed Americans struggling to find work.
After a surprise layoff by a fintech company five months ago, Abernathy blasted out a bunch of resumes, but that didn't turn up much. Next, he adopted a more tailored approach that led to interviews, but no offers. Finally, even the interviews slowed to a trickle. So far, he has applied to approximately 250 jobs, and continues to apply selectively.
