This Halloween, we asked MomsRising members to share their stories of the scary job market and the response was, indeed, frightening.  We received over a hundred stories from all across the country sharing the trauma of not being able to find work during a time in which there's only one job opening for every five unemployed workers.  Here are just a few of their stories that illustrate the great need for Congress to extend federal employment programs that are set to expire on November 30th.

CA MomsRising member

"I was laid off from my job for eleven months and three weeks now. When the first bill for unemployment insurance extensions were held up in Congress over the past summer, I lost my apartment and fell behind in all of my bills. I am thankful to God that the bill was passed, or I would be joining the ranks of the millions of homeless citizens sleeping in US streets right now. It is extremely critical to keep these extensions active. I've sent hundreds of resumes and applications all over the United States and some foreign countries as well. To date, I only received a few interviews, but no job, and more companies are leaving California where I currently reside. Without the unemployment insurance extensions, I and the other 12 million unemployed Californians would be hungry, homeless and destitute. Congress can ignore this problem no longer! Please keep the unemployment insurance extensions active for the sake of the US citizens and their hungry families!"

Texas MomsRising member

"I was RIFed from a company for whom I had worked for over 16 years as a highly compensated individual producer. I was shocked. The credit card industry closed in on me and my family was soon forced into bankruptcy. Being around 50 and in Chapter 13 made it impossible for me to find another job. Then the bottom fell out of the housing market. My house was worth $100,000.00 less than I owed on it. I kept thinking I might find a job and trying to get a modification. My husband still had his job and my ex-husband was still paying a significant amount of child-support. I exhausted my savings, including my retirement trying to keep everything going because it was so hard to believe that I would be unable to find another job either writing or teaching (I am also a certified teacher). Now my home loan has been modified but if I lose my unemployment I will lose my home. I am finally starting to get more interviews. Eventually I'm sure someone will hire me.

But if there is another housing collapse because people loose their unemployment, the economy will start to fall and everyone will stop hiring again. I am getting foreclosure sale notices in my email again. I am frightened. I have three children still in public school. They are in the gifted and talented program. Are we going to throw their futures away too.

This is just one story."

Arizona MomsRising member,

"My wife lost her job two years ago and is willing to do basic housekeeping duties, but they say that she is too over qualified for the job. I am also due to be laid off in January 2011 because the company I work for is moving their manufacturing facility overseas and I don't know how we are going to support our two children. We have paid taxes and have never asked anyone for any help. Please extend unemployment benefits."

Tennessee MomsRising member,

"I was laid off April 27, 2009 from a Fortune 500 company where I had worked for the past 28 years. I have a Bachelors degree in Business (Management Information Systems), and I took advantage of the education allowance of my separation allowance and completed Medical Transcription training. Guess what? I still have not found a job. My resume seems to go into a black hole, usually with NO responses from the companies with job postings. I keep looking, but it is very discouraging. My COBRA insurance runs out at the end of October, and I have had a lot of difficulty procuring private insurance due to pre-existing conditions. I consider myself fairly healthy, but that does not matter. If I now lose my unemployment, I will be at risk of losing everything else. I am talented, educated, and experienced, but I can't find a job. Don't punish me further by taking away my unemployment benefits."

See this link for hundreds of other stories from our members:
http://www.momsrising.org/mrstory/economic_security/thankyou+