CHICAGO, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A quarter of long-term unemployed U.S. workers in a recent poll indicated they have had trouble feeding themselves or their families.
CareerBuilder's Nov. 6-Dec. 2 survey of 300 workers who lost their full-time jobs more than 12 months ago paints a picture of the hardships endured by the group now struggling to make ends meet.
A quarter of those surveyed indicated there were times when they did not have enough money for food. A quarter also indicated their close relationships had suffered as a result of unemployment.
One in 10 indicated they had lost a home or an apartment due to the inability to pay, CareerBuilder said.
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Moreover, 30 percent indicated they had not had one job interview since becoming unemployed.
The survey indicates it is not for a lack of effort that former full-time workers are having trouble finding a job.
CareerBuilder said 44 percent of respondents indicated they were looking for work every day. Forty-three percent indicated they looked for work every week.
While nearly a third have not had one job interview, three out of 10 indicated they have had five interviews or more and 14 percent indicated they have had 10 interviews or more.
A tenth indicated they had turned down a job offer while unemployed, the survey found.
"There are many talented people in the U.S. who are having a tough time finding a job -- not because of a lack of ability, but because of ongoing challenges in the economy," Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder, said in a statement.
"While our study explores the struggles they are facing, it also brings to light the resilience of these workers who remain optimistic, look for jobs every day and take measures to learn new skill sets to open the doors to new opportunities."
In the survey, 66 percent indicated age or experience was working against them and 63 percent indicated as the length of their unemployment grew, the more employers became unresponsive.
The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive. The survey has a 95 percent confidence level with a margin of error of 5.5 percentage points.
