Job hunting can often lead to feelings of discouragement when one is faced with the reality of limited opportunities. Such is the case with 35-year-old Chelsea Kidd who was laid off five months ago from her position at a financial technology company. She has since applied to between 50 and 100 jobs, a endeavor which she likens to throwing her resume into the nearest trash can due to lack of fruitful results. Kidd is just one of the 6.8 million people who were officially unemployed in September according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics The BLS reports that the official unemployment rate was 4.1% last month, indicating a modestly healthy labor market, compared to historical standards. However, these statistics do not account for discouraged workers who have halted their job hunt due to perceived lack of opportunities. Roughly 445,000 out-of-work Americans were classified as discouraged workers in the previous month, showing that many seem to feel stuck in their circumstances. This becomes especially clear when pooled together with marginally attached workers, an umbrella term for those desiring employment but haven’t actively searched in the past month. Together, these categories grow to a striking 1.6 million individuals. Studies indicate that marginally attached workers are predominantly male, less educated and older than the officially unemployed.

Despite the discouraging statistics, there are resources available to assist individuals in their job hunt. One such option for California residents struggling with unemployment and job hunting could be the Employment Development Department (EDD). One way to get through to EDD can be through their official website or contacting the customer service via the provided phone number. Another suggestion is to try EDD’s web portal eddcaller.com which specializes in ensuring users’ calls are connected to a live customer service representative. It’s an effective way in terms of speedy results, bypassing the need for individuals to wait on hold for extended periods of time while trying to reach an EDD representative.