20 Unemployment Crisis Responses

The uncertainty of the international economic climate has seemed to create plenty of concern around the unemployment crisis facing many in the US, Canada and Europe. While youth unemployment remains of specific concern to many developed nations, many organizations and projects have emerged to address such issues.

Many organizations like Good Nature Groundskeeping and the Healthy Hub help to provide employment for individuals with learning disorders, disabilities or mental health issues by creating stable environments that suit the needs of the employees, many of whom have trouble maintaining employment otherwise.

Unique community programs have also emerged, including Portland, Maine's Hour Exchange Portland, which addresses the issue of the city's 50,000-strong unemployed work force by creating a system in which services and skills are traded. Services that have proved popular for the service, which has been in operation in 1997, include pet grooming, web design and even healthcare services such as dental cleanings.

An additional response to the unemployment crisis in the US specifically is a recently premiered unscripted television on the Sundance Channel 'Get to Work,' which details two high intensity workshops for the "hopelessly unemployed." The news series will provide an interesting perspective into a relevant issue that has not yet been brought to light by reality television.