BUENA PARK, Calif. — Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recessioncontinues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits.
“There are no bad jobs now. Any job is a good job,” said Jean Eisen, who became unemployed more than two years ago.
Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to create jobs in sufficient numbers to absorb the record-setting ranks of the long-term unemployed.
Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come. For more …
