How long can you be unemployed before being considered unemployable by hiring managers?

[hopefulone]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

And a willingness to do the kinds of work that most of us won't, especially if we have a degree and expect
a nice high paying office job.

I don't know about most and what most expect. In order to be willing to do the low paying jobs, you have to be OFFERED it first.

[sonetlumiere]

Originally Posted by STT Resident

This has been hashed out endlessly in various threads and there's no "one size fits all" answer. If your friend has been unemployed for three years and all she can say is that she's been looking for a job, the negative reaction from prospective employers is perfectly normal. Anyone who has been unemployed for six months plus should be doing some volunteer work, taking night or online classes to improve themselves - in other words demonstrating that they've been doing something other than sitting around. That stock response just doesn't cut it.

The longer the period of unemployment exceeds three months, the more it is viewed askance. I even saw one job post on craigslist not too long ago (Yeah, I know) that wanted someone to start immediately upon receipt of an employment offer BUT who was also currently employed.

[hopefulone]

Originally Posted by sonetlumiere

The longer the period of unemployment exceeds three months, the more it is viewed askance. I even saw one job post on craigslist not too long ago (Yeah, I know) that wanted someone to start immediately upon receipt of an employment offer BUT who was also currently employed.

Yeah they will word it as "must have recent experience" as a way to weed out long term unemployed people.

[sonetlumiere]

Originally Posted by hopefulone

Yeah they will word it as "must have recent experience" as a way to weed out long term unemployed people.

When I was interviewed for my current job (early 2013), one thing that most impressed them was that I had managed to work more or less continuously after getting laid off from a Wall Street investment bank in 2008. Sad.