Looking at the unemployment rate table below which is from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics you can logically conclude that our unemployment rate has been in the “unacceptable” range for over a decade now and, as of today,  the outlook for the future is not very encouraging.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.7 | Â |
| 2002 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 6.0 | Â |
| 2003 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 | Â |
| 2004 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | Â |
| 2005 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | Â |
| 2006 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | Â |
| 2007 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.0 | Â |
| 2008 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 7.3 | Â |
| 2009 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 9.9 | Â |
| 2010 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.4 | Â |
| 2011 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.2 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Source: http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
In almost all of the cases,the person who is now looking for a new job bears no responsibility whatsoever for being in this situation. However, there are provisions under the existing income tax laws that will allow you to deduct some or all of your job search expenses.
From the IRS website:Â You can deduct certain expenses you have in looking for a new job in your present occupation, even if you do not get a new job. You cannot deduct these expenses if:
- You are looking for a job in a new occupation,
- There was a substantial break between the ending of your last job and your looking for a new one, or
- You are looking for a job for the first time.
Keep accurate, detailed records (including receipts and documents) for all of your expenses including the dates, purpose for the expenses, and the person or persons with whom you met. Your job search expenses are reported in the “Miscellaneous Deductions” section of Schedule A (“Itemized Deductions”). Additionally, to receive a tax benefit for these expenses the total deductions in this section must be greater than 2% of your total adjusted gross income.Â
Additional information and details are provided in IRS Publication 529, “Miscellaneous Deductions” which can also be obtained using this URL: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p529.pdf . If you can not obtain the information that you require, or if you need to have specific questions answered, call the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040.Â
Seven Tax Tips for Job Seekers
Many taxpayers spend time during the summer months updating their résumé and attending career fairs. The Internal Revenue Service reminds job seekers that you may be able to deduct some of the expenses on your tax return.
Here are seven things the IRS wants you to know about deducting costs related to your job search.
- To qualify for a deduction, the expenses must be spent on a job search in your current occupation. You may not deduct expenses you incur while looking for a job in a new occupation.
- You can deduct employment and outplacement agency fees you pay while looking for a job in your present occupation. If your employer pays you back in a later year for employment agency fees, you must include the amount you receive in your gross income, up to the amount of your tax benefit in the earlier year.
- You can deduct amounts you spend for preparing and mailing copies of your résumé to prospective employers as long as you are looking for a new job in your present occupation.
- If you travel to an area to look for a new job in your present occupation, you may be able to deduct travel expenses to and from the area. You can only deduct the travel expenses if the trip is primarily to look for a new job. The amount of time you spend on personal activity compared to the amount of time you spend looking for work is important in determining whether the trip is primarily personal or is primarily to look for a new job.
- You cannot deduct job search expenses if there was a substantial break between the end of your last job and the time you begin looking for a new one.
- You cannot deduct job search expenses if you are looking for a job for the first time.
- The amount of job search expenses that you can claim on your tax return is limited. You can claim the amount that is more than 2 percent of your adjusted gross income. You figure your deduction on Schedule A.
For more information about job search expenses, see IRS Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions. This publication is available from the IRS website www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).