African-American unemployment leaves black mark on nation

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November’s unemployment rate edged up to 9.8 percent, up from 9.7 percent in October. However, the unemployment rate for African-Americans is nearly double that rate, at just under 17 percent, the highest of any ethnic group in the country, based on recent reports. Why is that?

While many may speculate why this number remains so high, the fact of the matter is that regardless of race, if you are one of the 15 million Americans who are unemployed, it matters not what the obstacle is. You just want a job, for yourself, for your well being, so you can take care of your family, so you can maintain a measure of self-esteem and dignity in a world where having a job matters.

For so long I have helplessly watched as friend after friend has been adversely affected by the economic recession. Over and over again, and usually through no fault of their own, each was released from jobs they thought were not in jeopardy because their performance was not an issue. Several of them have experienced catastrophic events as a result of their unemployment. As a result, their way of life has been changed in ways they never could have prepared for.

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In recent months, I have heard stories that would break your heart from people who worked so hard to secure what they have and lost everything so fast that if you blinked you would miss it. From liquidated 401k plans to exhausted savings plans to welfare programs to stories to hard to tell, I have heard them and cried with them.

One person even told me that after a life of hard work, it is painful to feel like a prisoner in your own home, unable to take advantage of even simple pleasures like a lunch with friends. These are things most people take for granted.

Isn’t the American dream about achieving success through hard work and building your assets so that you can live a better life and secure retirement? That’s not how it’s working. These days, our money buys less than ever before and most people don’t have the confidence in being able to retain their jobs to the extent that they did in years past.

Many are fearful about losing their jobs, again, through no fault of their own. Occasionally, the fear is paralyzing and represents a working stress that is hard to appreciate unless you experience it first hand. It’s a persistent stress that affects your interactions with others as well as your willingness to spend money on yourself, on your family and on others.

This is certainly no way to live and a fate most would not wish on their worst enemy. With unemployment benefits cut, tax increases looming and gas prices climbing, the pressures of daily life are overwhelming.

My heart is full these days for a number of reasons. I don’t necessarily count myself as a sensitive person, but there is no way you can continue to be exposed to this degree of stress and sadness and not be affected by it. It also reminds me personally how deeply and inexplicably blessed I am — even now.

The good news is that, despite the persistently high unemployment, there seem to be glimmers of hope on the horizon. Thirty-nine thousand new jobs were added last month and I am hearing more and more stories of people securing work. This makes me hopeful for everyone who finds themselves unemployed and looking for work.