A new report from Rutgers University shows that one in five U.S. workers - or nearly 30 million people - were laid off in the past five years, and of those who lost their jobs, 22 percent still haven't found another one, highlighting the lackluster employment conditions still present in the wake of the Great Recession.
Almost four in ten laid-off workers reported that they searched for another job for more than seven months before landing a new one, according to the report. One in five never found a new one, and one in four said it was only a temporary position.
Yet even those who did find a new job, it was rarely a financial improvement upon their previous job, with two-thirds (46 percent) saying their new jobs either paid less or the same.
The very concept of what being American means was even re-evaluated by some, according to the survey.
"The foundation of what Americans regard as essential elements of the American Dream of upward mobility was eroded by the Great Recession and its aftermath. Approximately one-half of employed Americans and 61 percent of the long-term unemployed do not expect their finances will improve in the next few years. More than 4 in 10 employed Americans - and 55 percent of the long-term unemployed - say that hard work and determination do not guarantee success in America."
The study was conducted by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, and found that two-thirds of all adults polled, including ones who were laid off and ones who never lost a job, said the recession had an impact on their standard of living, with 26 percent saying it had a major change.
The survey was conducted online between July 24 and Aug. 3, 2014 among a sample of 1,153 U.S. residents, including 463 currently employed, 394 unemployed and looking, and 297 long-term unemployed.
