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Show moreUnemployment is rapidly becoming an American epidemic of social, political and economic crisis, even more so for ?at risk? groups such as older workers. This study focuses on issues and factors surrounding chronic under-employment, unemployment and even un-employability of our older workforce in America. As the American ?social contract? i.e. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are under enormous strain; much will be at stake as America deals with how social, societal, political, educational, legal and economic institutions handle this very complicated and multi-facetted issue? answering the question? ?Will Americans over 50 be our next lost generation?? This study analyzed qualitative data through grounded theory techniques. Respondents reported the importance of family as well as the utilization of relational networks to help bridge the gap between the trauma of unemployment and the successful attainment of replacement occupations. Participant?s data also reported that time out of work had a significant impact on the likelihoods of job search success, with one year out of work being a particularly important temporal event. Additionally, respondents reported that a significant amount of trauma was associated with the sudden and many times irreparable separation from the ?work family?. Not surprisingly, the impact of ageism on the job search was reported as being a substantial concern among those over 50. Key implication from this study point to the need for individuals to refocus on maintenance and even reestablishment of family and relational networks; as the hectic pace of our lives and the distance from our families grows, many times these networks are strained and even severed. In particular, there is a need for individuals to establish a modern and evolved framework (Promethean Life Engagement Practices) to serve as the foundation for managing the ?new reality?; a reality involving near constant economic disruption, convulsion and upheaval that will surely face national and global economies in the decades to come.
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