I am a single, self-supporting woman. I will be 54 years old in June. For the second time in less than 4 years I am unemployed. The first time was for 18 months. This time its going on 6 months. Unfortunately, I currently live in an area in Pennsylvania that has the highest unemployment rate in the state. For most of my work life I had done accounting and clerical work. When I began working in the 1980's no one asked for a degree when I applied for office jobs. Now they want a bachelor's degree to do the same accounting work I've done for decades. For a while after my first stretch of joblessness I had been able to get temporary office work. Now that temporary work seems to be held against me when I do get the occasional interview. It looks as though I'm a job hopper. None of the interviewers seem to understand that I've taken whatever work was available to pay my bills. Although I have the advantage of looking much younger than I am, the companies can obviously obtain that information when they do any sort of background check. I can't even get a job in one of the many distribution warehouses and production facilities that dominate this area, because I have no experience doing that type of work. I own my house free and clear, cut can no longer afford maintainence and upkeep. My "investment" is quickly becoming a liability. I am surviving on $768 a month in UI and have had to apply for SNAP, which gives me $115 a month. In 2 weeks I have to re-apply for UI because my initial claim has run out. I shudder to think how much less this new claim will give me. I am quickly losing ground as unexpected bills such as medical costs come up, since I have not had health insurance in 4 years. I have 2 dogs who have not been to a vet in 3 years. I have definitely begun to panic and am hardly sleeping. The news media is not reporting on our situation at all, especially now that we're being told that the economy is "recovering". And what happens to those of us who have been totally left out of this suppsed recovery?

I am 60 years old and have entered my 18 month of unemployment. In the beginning people told me you will have a hard time getting a job because of your age. I did not believe it. I believe it now and have given up and have become depressed and bitter regarding this state of unemployment. I get called for more interviews than most due to my excellent experience and credentials. But I always get the "we are going in another direction" or "you are over qualified" crap. I am convinced now it is my age and I am complete disillusioned.

You're not alone. It's only a failure if you quit trying. Don't quit.

Dear Jessica & Brian ~ I wanted to let you know guys that I felt deeply touched not only by the scope and honesty of your heart aching story but, most importantly, by your unique human dimension courageously exhibited in your discourse. Only two weeks went by since I started to gradually envisioned some palpable light at the end of the tunnel, having myself been living a 'hand to mouth existence' for well over four years. Perhaps you may have heard similar stories all the time, but I would like to humbly point out that I am a professional actor originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina who has amassed a consistent body of work mainly in the USA, Europe and obviously in Latin America who's still struggling to make ends meet. Having earned my MFA and toured the USA many times over doing Regional Theatre as well as being part of the International Theatre Festival arena over the course of three plus decades, I also feel nothing but disheartened by the sour reality that we performing artists -as workers of all walks of life- live in. I devoted my entire existence to the Arts, always in the hope of giving the audience (local and international) my very best as a creative spirit eager to be challenged artistically speaking. Little did I know that this marvelous journey was about to be excruciatingly painful, unfair and by all means unpredictable to put it mildly. Lastly, I wanted to also express something that at this stage it might sound somehow unrealistic or ungraspable if you will, and is the following: YOU WILL OVERCOME THESE HOURS OF UNCERTAINTY AND SOUL PAIN. MARK MY WORDS...! Don't you EVER quit the good fight, guys! I know what I'm talking about. I went downhill miserably and started from the ground up all over again. Trust me on this one. My heartfelt regards! Salud! Long Life & Theatre! JUAN SALVATI Actor, Multicultural Artist

Thanks a lot for your life-video....although not from the US ,I can so wholesomely relate to the story of both of you! Counting myself to the"lost generation " from just before the internet,I really recognized when Brian said "i've never been able to prosper"despite all my qualities. The difference being that the road my partner and myself together have gone has lead us from the Netherlands to Germany to New Zealand to Switzerland back to the Netherlands. I recognize the wit mixed with disilusion and anguish in your body language. We had an extremely fragmented carreer,and ended up self employed in Holland.By one way or another we have managed to save 1100.000 eur by virtue of ultra frugal rational attitudes towards litteraly everything.We have never ever made any choice of the heart, always of the mind though. We had to learn fluent German and learn to understand Swiss German with all its antics.But our minds have transcended fear. Although I always felt an inherent dismay of my work (dental surgeon) I excell in it in the work place.I do what my parents selected for me. Life can be so unexpected,we also ended up in my mother's appartment, and had to take care of her til she died of cancer. At 47 I have taken up a loan and have started from scratch my practise in Holland....but now also we are caught between a house that doesnot sell and a dramatic change in market conditions for the practise..so about to sell all under the price....the only thing that has saved our heads is "consciously saving as much as you can, systematically and against all odds" Now facing the thread of losing it all because of the whole euro-incertainty. What I want to express is that there are similarities in people's situations many places of the world, all falling victim to the market forces that have taken over control of our deepest personal wishes. Gerard, Netherlands 53 years and probably relocating to Sweden (the US does not want us, sniff!)

Given all the current 'chatter' about the deficit, ergo, the economy, this video puts a face to the dillema facing the nation. When you multiply this story by 15,000,000,000, these people come out of the shadows and shake the reality that is ours. This should go beyond a viral video/blog and to the hearts of our congressional leaders and the President. Congratulations for an enlightening piece of journalism.

Laurie, thank you very much for posting on our site and letting us know about your situation.

I'm am 52 yrs old and unemployed. I'm a registered nurse and never dreamed I would be out of work. I would make comments at work about how blessed I was because my career could not be touched by the mess our country is in . I now am starting to believe I was let go because of my age. The Facility Administrator is now a 25 year old man and from what I'm hearing through former co-workers is that most of the staff over 40 years old are gone for one reason or another. The new staff being brought in are mostly under 40. (Way under 40). The company I worked for is a multimillion dollar company and none of the employees let go would be able to prove it was because of age discrimination. I have been looking for work for 7 months. It is funny that I saw the video of Brian King and Jessica because just the night before it dawned on me that maybe the reason I'm not finding work is because of my age. The panic rises in my throat just typing this.