With unemployment at 10.2%, no one can afford to sit idly

Well, the numbers are in, and no one needs an expert to interpret them. The Department of Labor reports that the month of October saw 29 states with increasing unemployment rates, and over the year, jobless rates have increased in all fifty states. In the month of October, unemployment set new record highs in California, Florida, and Delaware. The national unemployment rate is 10.2 percent.

According to the Department of Labor’s statistics, 15.7 million people are out of work; 15.7 million people are looking for work, able to work, ready to work, but are not working. Take everyone from New York City and combine them to the entire population of Los Angeles. Add Chicago. Then, throw in Philadelphia. That’s 15.7 million people.

With so many people seeking work, this rough recession sets the job market on a course to becoming highly specialized with employers at the helm and room for only the most qualified job seekers onboard. Fierce competition surrounds every position, and openings will be filled by candidates with a set of skills specific to the job. To have an edge, the labor force—new job seekers and seasoned professionals alike—will require the career skills, computer software knowledge, and financial strategies that employers seek.

The business cycle is in the midst of a trough, and every recession is followed by an eventual upturn, but until unemployment is shaken from its perch, the economy will continue to operate below potential with many unlit furnaces while dictating a specialized workforce. More than ever before, career training is essential to remaining an asset and staying afloat to avoid becoming a statistic.