More people unemployed, out of benefits

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Angela Nyburg has been unemployed 22 months. When she first spoke with 24 Hour News 8 in December, her unemployment benefits were about to end.

Now they have. And she still doesn't have a job.

Though rates of the short-term (14 weeks or less) unemployed have gone down, those with long-term unemployment (15 weeks or more) are actually up at least 15 percent.

Nyburg has a college degree and 16 years of full-time experience in business administration, but even though she keeps plugging, "sometimes you just have to sit down and cry about it."

People out of work for extended time lose job skills and chances to network. It's also not always easy to return to school.

"I can't go back to school," she said. "I'm sitll working on a student loan from my bachelor's degree, so there's no need for me to get my Masters if I can't get a job with a bacherlor's (degree)."

Options begin to run out. She continues to check job postings and calling temp agencies. She's sold some of her belongings. Even the phone bill is under scrutiny.

"That's my only way of communication. I can't find a job if I don't have a phone and they can't reach me."

She has applied at "Target, Meijer, Barnes & Noble, basically the whole strip of Alpine," she said. Still, no offers.

But she's not giving up. She's hopeful of finding a job, and has faith someone can do something about it.

"There's enough people with the same problem that politics, government, they can't simply turn a blind eye to it."