Report says millions given up looking for work - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Reports say three million Americans have stopped looking for work.

"I just worked hard," said Toni Mathews of Toni's Hair Salon.

It didn't come easy to get where Toni is today. She's the owner of a hair salon.

But, she says it was worth all of the hard work.

"I don't know what I would be doing if I wasn't doing hair," she said.

And when it came time to hire on more help, there wasn't a lot of response.

"I think that has to do with this kind of job, where it takes a while to build," said Mathews.  "They don't have the patience for that."

It's been nearly two months and no one to hire.

The Labor Department has reported that over three million Americans want a job, but haven't searched for one in at least a year.

And, while Shelley Zeigler sees opportunities for registered nurses and other health care professionals all around southern Illinois, she says it's difficult to get applicants in the door for one reason.

"It's not like your traditional nine to five job," said Ziegler. "They are working seven days a week, 12 hour shifts weekends and holidays."

Still this is an industry with the largest job gains last month with over 4,500 positions open.

"Traditional students coming out of high school, but also non-traditional older adults, want to be in the nursing programs," Ziegler added.

The competition is competitive when it comes to getting in to those nursing programs because of the limited number of teachers.

"They give up on their dreams a lot of times," she said.

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