Unemployment has been on the minds of many people in our nation
since the economy nearly collapsed in late 2007, ringing in the
Great Recession.  There are always some unemployed people in the
economy due to various natural circumstances. But the long-term,
elevated level of unemployment we currently face impacts society
in many negative ways. Unemployment is a drag on wage growth,
trade balances and the human psyche.  The Great Depression of
the 1930s saw severe unemployment globally. By 1933, 25 percent
of all American workers were unemployed. Canada experienced a 27
percent unemployment rate, while Germany's and the United
Kingdom's reached 25 and 22 percent, respectively.  By contrast,
during our Great Recession of 2007-09 unemployment almost
reached 13 percent. Those effects are still being felt today as
our unemployment rate remains stubbornly stagnant at about 7
percent, as compared with the 4 percent rate of 2006.  All too
often, though, the other elements of unemployment are overlooked
because they a