The basic story is as follows: Permanent reductions in employment in declining industries require workers to search for new jobs, a process made difficult and more time consuming by the likelihood that the skills these workers acquired on their previous jobs may be ill-suited to sectors of the economy in which labor demand is rising.
Although some workers may accept whatever job is available - whether or not it meets their longer-run expectations for wages, benefits, or stability - our unemployment insurance system provides enough protection that many will search longer for a good match and thus remain out of work longer.