FOR UNEMPLOYMENT SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, THEY’RE FINDING
IT MORE DIFFICULT THAN BEFORE.
HERE’S MORE.
HERE’S MORE. >>> MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. >> THE ECONOMY IS BASICALLY
GRINDED TO A HALT.
>> FOR COLLEGE SENIORS, THIS
SHOULD BE A TIME TO MAKE
MEMORIES, CELEBRATE AND LOOK FOR
THAT FIRST REAL-WORLD JOB.
BUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
CHANGED EVERYTHING.
CHANGED EVERYTHING. >>> COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES PUT
THE ECONOMY ESSENTIALLY ON
PAUSE.
PAUSE. >> SHE’S A SENIOR AT ILLINOIS
STATE UNIVERSITY.
STATE UNIVERSITY. LAST NOVEMBER SHE RECEIVED
MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS AND ACCEPTED
HER FAVORITE ONE.
WERE YOU EXCITED FOR THAT JOB?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I WAS SO EXCITED.
I WAS TELLING ALL MY FRIENDS
ABOUT IT CONSTANTLY.
>> THEN CAME COVID.
>> HER OFFER WAS RESCINDED.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GET THAT
CALL LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THEY
JUST COULDN’T MOVE FORWARD?
>> I MEAN TO BE HONEST, I WAS
PREPARING MYSELF FOR IT.
I KNEW THAT I WOULD HAVE TO RELY
ON MYSELF AND BE SUPER PROACTIVE
IN ORDER TO GET MYSELF OUT OF
THIS SITUATION.
THIS SITUATION. >> SHE HAD TO GO BACK TO SQUARE
ONE.
ONE. HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT JOB HUNT
NOW AMID THE PANDEMIC?
>> NOW YOU HAVE TO DO IT AT TEN
TIMES THE RATE.
YOU HAVE TO REACH OUT TO DOUBLE
THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, APPLY TO
AS MANY POSITIONS THAT YOU’RE
INTERESTED IN BECAUSE IN REALITY
EVEN SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT
ARE POSTED AREN’T NECESSARILY
HIRING FOR A VERY, VERY LONG
TIME.
TIME. >> AFTER DOZENS OF APPLICATIONS,
SHE FINALLY GOT GOOD NEWS.
SHE ACCEPTED A NEW JOB OFFER AND
WILL START WORK MAY 11th.
ALINA IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
OVER THE PAST SIX WEEKS, 30
MILLION AMERICANS HAVE FILED
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS.
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS. THAT MEANS SOON TO BE COLLEGE
GRADUATES ARE LOOKING AT THE ONE
OF THE WORST JOB MARKETS IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. >> WHETHER IT’S GOING TO BE
DELAYED STARTS, REMOTE, I THINK
THERE’S A MIDDLE GROUP THAT
SAYS -- THAT HAVEN’T RESCINDED
OFFERS YET.
OFFERS YET. THEY DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR
THAT YET.
THAT YET. THEN THE THIRD GROUP THAT
DOESN’T SEE AN OPTION FOR THEM
AND THEY’RE GOING TO PULL THOSE
OFFERS NOW.
OFFERS NOW. >> WHILE MANY STUDENTS ARE LEFT
QUESTIONING THEIR FUTURE, FOR
SOME IT’S COME FASTER THAN THEY
EXPECTED.
EXPECTED. >> WHEN WAS YOUR CLASS SUPPOSED
TO GRADUATE?
TO GRADUATE? >> MAY 17, 2020.
>> KATHERINE JUST GRADUATED TWO
WEEKS EARLY FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF VERMONT.
OF VERMONT. HER ENTIRE NURSING CLASS WILL
NOW GET A TEMPORARY PERMIT SO
THEY CAN START WORK IMMEDIATELY
BEFORE TAKING THEIR BOARDS.
>> THERE’S A CALL FOR NURSES TO
GET INTO THE FRONT LINES, AS
PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
>> ON THE ONE HAND, YOU’RE NOT
STRUGGLING LIKE SO MANY OTHER
PEOPLE ARE.
PEOPLE ARE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FIELD YOU
ARE GOING INTO IS MAYBE MORE
CHALLENGING NOW THAN IT EVER
WAS.
WAS. HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
>> ANY NEW GRAD IS GOING TO BE
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS. THEN YOU PUT ON TOP OF THIS DIRE
SITUATION THAT IS CHANGING THE
WORLD, IT’S TAKEN ITS TOLL ON
ME.
ME. I’M TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE
WITH IT.
WITH IT. STILL, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
I’M GOING TO BE A NURSE.
NURSES ARE STRONG PEOPLE F
PEOPLE AND ARE RESILIENT.
IT’S A GOOD REFLECTION ON WHAT
I’M DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH MY
LIFE.
LIFE. >> A RESILIENCE ALL GRADUATES