Jobless Rates Soar to 10.2 Percent

by Shannon Moriarty

category: unemployment

Published November 06, 2009 @ 10:41AM PT

The number one cause of homelessness has gotten worse, according to October unemployment numbers. For the first time since 1983, the jobless rate in the U.S. has reached the double-digits. Although experts claim that the recession has ended, the trickle-down effects of our economic woes are far from over. As more Americans lose their jobs, they will come closer to losing their homes.

Many of the jobs shed over the past several months are in industries that tend to be lower-paying, such as service, manufacturing, retail, and construction. In other words, job losses are affecting those who were probably living paycheck-to-paycheck.

The cause-and-effect relationship between unemployment and homelessness has been well-established by the upward trends in homeless numbers over the past year. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, unemployment remains one of the most frequently cited reasons for homelessness. Thus, it may be simply a matter of time before those without income to pay for housing run out of options.

At the community-level, it's likely that service providers won't have time to bat an eye at these new numbers. Already, shelters are scrambling to meet rising need for services, which many predict will become even worse when temperatures dip.

So many grim numbers, so many things to be concerned about. But here's what worries me the most: it's throwing the "economically-challenged" homeless into the same pool as the "chronically homeless." I worry that the easier-to-serve individuals will be brought to the front of the line, while those who are most vulnerable - but also the most expensive and challenging to serve - will be forced to wait.

Although homelessness tends to make the news when the economy is bad and unemployment numbers are high, homelessness is not a new phenomenon. While we scramble to meet the needs of those impacted by the economy, it is imperative that we do not forget about those who were suffering on the streets while our economy was thriving. These are the individuals who are most vulnerable to being lost in the shuffle as demand for services continues to rise.