invisible

Another from the series of the wake of the recession: Note: the images is taken through a screen door, creating the soft, streaking effect.

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“We're the invisible people,” says Pat Bitter. “We need jobs just as much as the younger ones do.”

Bitter, who is in her 60s, is in search of a job. She's one of tens of thousands of older people who are struggling to find work.

“I feel like older people are just getting brushed off from employers, and even though it's illegal, they won't tell you that's why.”

She's been told she's not qualified enough, and she's also been told she's too qualified for jobs. It's hard for Bitter, of Norfolk, who has worked since she was 16.

She has looked for work since September of 2008, when she lost her last job. At first she said she applied to around 10 positions per week. Over time her job application pace has slowed down, but in all, she says she's applied to more than 100 jobs.

She says she feels she's not alone in her struggle.

“It's not just my story, there's a lot of people in the same position.”

The months of unemployment, however, are beginning to take their toll.

“Employers start asking what's wrong with you (when they see the employment gap), and the bad part is...” she trails off, then says: “You start believing there is something wrong with you.”

Bitter adds, “To get the American Dream, you have to work for it. If there's no work to be done, there's no dream.”