The Latest Disturbing Unemployment Statistic

  • Share
  • Read Later

Right now, there are six times as many people who have been unemployed for at least 99 weeks as there were three years ago.

Provided courtesy of a Washington Post story that states it doesn’t look likely that Congress will be passing an extension of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless anytime soon. The current count of Americans unemployed for at least 99 weeks is 1.4 million, up from 221,000 three years ago. In June 2010, 9.2% of unemployed Americans had been without jobs for at least 99 weeks, compared to 3% in June 2007.

It is probably no coincidence that in recent years there has also been a sharp rise in aggressive debt-collection tactics, and consumer complaints to go along with them, according to CNNMoney.com:

Complaints of harassment by debt collectors surged 50% to 67,550 in 2009, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And they are on track to jump 13% this year, based on the number of FTC complaints filed in the first six months.

Related:
Top 10 Signs of a Troubled Economy and/or the Apocalypse

Unemployment by the Numbers

How to Outsmart a Debt Collector