Yet most of the evidence suggests there is little that distinguishes the long-term unemployed apart from bad luck. Certain characteristics do make people more likely to become unemployed in the first place: The unemployed tend to be younger and less educated than the overall workforce; they are significantly less likely to be married and are more likely to be racial or ethnic minorities; they are more likely to have worked part-time at their prior job and to come from high-turnover sectors such as hospitality, or, particularly since the housing bust, construction. fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-biggest-predictor-of-how-long-youll-be-unemployed-is-when-you-lose-your-job/