http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slate...r_workers.html
this was linked by one of the commenters below the paul article on slate.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articl...1.html?page=1#
and for those who think people just aren't trying:
Those looking for work face some of the worst odds in the past 13 years, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers released Tuesday.
The bureau's monthly survey tracking job openings and labor turnover was a little less robust than the agency's better-known unemployment report that was released on Friday. According to the new report, there are more than three unemployed people competing for every job opening in the country, and people are quitting their jobs far less than they should be.
The survey showed that there were 3.8 million job openings in the U.S. in May. That's up from about 2.3 million at the worst of the recession, but still well below the peak of 4.7 million openings before the slowdown. In the jobs report on Friday, the BLS said there were 11.8 million people still looking for work.
When both reports are considered together, that means
there are 3.1 unemployed people competing for every one job.