9 Investigates: Economic Downturn Frustrating For Job-Seekers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Unemployment in North Carolina is up for the third month in a row, and some economists expect it will rise again.

Eyewitness News reporter Jim Bradley offers a personal look at how the uncertain economy is taking its toll on people now trying to find jobs.

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Since before Christmas, Deb Hart has made daily trips to her upstairs office -- not to work, but to look for work, a numbingly difficult process that's been harder than she ever imagined.

“I've been caught up in layoffs before, but I never had a problem. I always had a job within six weeks and that's not the case this time,” she said.

Soon it'll be six months since she lost her job as a system administrator, supporting software for a major health care company.

Since then she's pursued so many leads that she has a computer spreadsheet to keep track of them all.

“It's been 175 different positions,” she said.

She’s filled out 175 applications and had lots of first and second interviews, but still no offers.

“The competition is just very, very intense out there. Employers can be so selective in who they put in their positions because they're getting hundreds of applications for one opening,” Hart said.

Hart is hardly alone. Thousands of people in Charlotte are out of work and the region's unemployment rate, while better than the national average, is climbing.

Financial planner Wayne Dewar, who has led support groups for people out of work, warns against running up credit cards or tapping into retirement accounts. But he said you should stay active, keep a schedule and consider taking a part-time job to bridge the gap.

“There are things you can do to bring in revenue that's not necessarily going to be your career. But it can be something that would maybe give you exposure to other people so that you can network with them,” he said.

Hart is already feeling the financial pinch.

“You can only go and meet friends for lunch every so often without any income coming in. Window shopping gets boring,” she said.

There's an emotional toll, too, as rejections pile up -- especially when she's told she's overqualified.

“Because it pays less than half what I'm used to making,” she said. “That doesn’t make any difference to me. I just want a job.”

A lot of people are going through the same search for a job. Experts say when you've lost a job, it's critical to have a financial plan to get through the loss of income.

They say the first thing is to have an honest conversation with yourself or your family about the need to make sacrifices.

Don't forget, too, that unemployment insurance is available to many, but that it takes two to four weeks to get going, so apply right away.

Also, treat your search for a new job like a full-time job.