I've been lucky that I've never experienced long-term unemployment, but I've had friends who are extremely qualified in their fields, struggle with *years* of unemployment. I was recently briefly unemployed of my own choice and I recently went back to work ona part-time basis because I'm attending school full-time. But, one of the supervisors said something to me that stuck out to me that alluded that I was getting old for a career change! I'm 36! I didn't catch it at the time, but when I was thinking about the conversation with the supervisor later on (she is older than me) I felt somewhat offended. What does age have to do with it? If anything, I find life experience to be very beneficial to one's job. I've never been accused of being overqualified, but sheesh, sometimes you just need a job to pay the bills. Some of these employer should take a chance on those people because should a higher position come open later on, then you could have a person who's already familiar with the organization in there. Seems like these employers are not thinking ahead very well and not thinking in their own best interests.