Long-Term Unemployment's Hidden Cost in Stagflation

In this episode of Stagflation Conversations, Lucas and Luna examine the surge in long-term unemployment, which recent data shows is climbing even as the headline jobless rate holds at 4.3 percent. They break down why workers unemployed for 27 weeks or more face a uniquely punishing dynamic in a slow-growth, high-inflation environment: skills erosion that accelerates faster than normal cycles, a shrinking pool of employers willing to hire gaps, and a deterioration in real earnings that outpaces short-term job seekers. The discussion anchors on the latest JOLTS data showing 7.6 million job openings alongside 225,000 initial claims, and how these numbers paint a deceptive picture of labor market health. Lucas drills into the government's role through extended unemployment benefits, the political pressure to tighten eligibility, and the perverse effect where benefits themselves can lock workers into poverty traps. Luna challenges whether current retraining programs are fit for purpose. This is a focused, data-rich look at the structural scar that stagflation leaves on the workforce. #LongTermUnemployment #Stagflation #LaborMarket #JOLTS #Unemployment #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Inflation #SlowGrowth #SkillsErosion #ExtendedBenefits #JobOpenings #InitialClaims #StructuralUnemployment #Retraining #Policy #HiddenCosts Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo