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Six month window for unemployed

Redundant workers only have a six-month window to find a job before the stigma of being unemployed kicks in, according to a new report.

A survey of more than 1,000 managers showed that many employers are less likely to hire someone they consider to be long-term unemployed.

The report, by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), was published ahead of this week’s unemployment figures.

According to the study, unemployment does not initially carry the stigma that those losing their jobs might fear. More than four out of five managers said the employment status of applicants was irrelevant as they did not consider it an indicator of ability or performance in the current climate of redundancies.

But after six months out of work the picture changed, with over a quarter of employers becoming less likely to hire someone they considered to be long-term unemployed. “With more people chasing fewer jobs this limited shelf-life will come as a concern to anyone recently made redundant,” said the report.

Penny de Valk, chief executive of ILM, said: “Unemployment isn’t necessarily an indicator of ability, especially in the current climate when hundreds of talented individuals are being made redundant through no fault of their own. The good news is that most employers will treat unemployed applicants exactly the same as other candidates.

“The research shows that it is important for job seekers to try and get back to work as quickly as possible. They should use their time not only job hunting but finding ways to put themselves in front of the competition.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .