The national unemployment rate hovers around 8 percent. Nearly 23 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Of these, 4.8 million have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks.1 Even if the economy were to add 208,000 jobs per month — the average monthly rate for the best year of job creation in the 2000s — it would take until March 2020—eight years—to close the current jobs gap.2 As sobering as these statistics are, the unemployment picture is graver for youth; minorities; individuals with disabilities; those without a high school diploma or equivalent; or with other barriers to employment, such as a criminal record. Many of these job seekers were chronically unemployed long before the recent recession and face challenges to getting and keeping a job even when the economy is healthy.