9.7%

9.7% unemployment is the new number.

Is it just a number? Or does it mean that some 13mm people are out of work (based on 132mm in the workforce)? Or does it mean that another 5mm have basically stopped looking? Who knows what the real numbers are or for that matter who is really helping your local customers to find jobs?

The people who got hurt the most are in the manufacturing and construction industries; however, there are thousands of white collar employees, especially between the ages of 35 to 54, who got bumped also. They are the "forgotten people", inside the unemployment number, currently in the news.

For those of you in hard hit communities, why not establish a "network night" and see if you can get local employers to set up a few tables on your concourse, at 930pm, and interview locals for jobs. Or can you get with some local politicos and ask for their help to establish a support group where locals can come and speak to other people who are in the same boat?

You can do something. And when the economy picks up, the community will remember what you did and reward you with loyalty and business.

If you care, do something. Just be authentic.