Unfortunately, many Americans are unemployed in today's declining economy. Unemployment can be defined as a person who becomes unemployed involuntarily and not by choice. These people are looking for a job and are available to start working. Being unemployed can be daunting and deciding what your next step is can be difficult. Underemployment can be described as inadequate employment, for example a low-paid job that requires fewer skills than one possesses. (Daly, Hobijn, and Kwok 2015) Making ends meet can be difficult for someone who has been affected by this economy in recent years. America still experiences high unemployment since the decline of the current job market. And many Americans struggle to learn the skills needed to find a job, or the underemployed are forced to downskill to turn a profit. America's economic situation has forced the underemployed and unemployed to make ends meet with the jobs currently available. And finally, some have also taken advantage of these difficult times to venture into new discoveries and make life hassle-free. So we wonder, are Americans giving up in today's economy or are they settling for low-end employment to establish a stable income and survive. While it is imperative to have the right skills for the job to get a decent job. Displaying your professional skills in the competitive American job market can be a challenge. One of the stigmas may be that long-term unemployed people sit around and don't really want to work. (Daly, Hobijn, and Kwok 2015) Or the perception that they would not accept a lower-paying job and that if they do, they will leave it as soon as they find a higher-paying one. Some companies have clearly barred the underemployed or long-term unemployed from certain associates you can think of and let them know you're looking for a job. And ultimately, surviving in today's U.S. economy might be at least a little more difficult than before. Works Cited Daly, Mary, Bart Hobijn and Joyce Kwok. 2015. “Jobless Recovery Redux? FRBSF Economic Letter 2015-18 (June 5). http://www.frbsf.org/publications/nomics/letter/2015/el2015-18.html Daly, Mary, Bart Hobijn and Rob Valletta. 2011. “Recent developments in the natural unemployment rate.” Working document FRBSF 2011-05. http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economys/papers/2011/wp11-05bk.pdfKahn, Lisa B. 2010. “The Long-Term Labor Market Consequences of Obtaining a College Degree in a bad economy. Labor Economics 17 (2), pp. 303-316Stewart, Joshua. “American Teen Unemployment.” Home GPB. Internet. April 6. 2011. .