Just speaking from personal experience.
I have 5 years experience in retail one of those in management, 4 years experience in banking, and 15 years experience as an electrician. I have been a journeyman for 8 of those 15 years and just recently became an administrator so that I could run my own business.
Running my own business was not my first choice. It became a necessity. Want to know why?
Because with all that experience, and hitting the pavement in every way I know how since the crash....I have found almost NOTHING. I got a two month job last June, a one week job in January, and another two day job earlier this month. (all construction. They needed help for one job, and then they didn't have another job after it was finished) And when I did get that job in June??? I hadn't worked at all (at anything except trying to find a freakin job) for *TWO FULL YEARS*!!!
Since June of '09, that is all I've been able to find. I even have a letter of recommendation from my previous manager at a bank. Nothing. In two and a half years I had *1* group interview that I never got a call back on.
I *WANT* to work. But telling me that you won't hire me JUST because I've been off for two years? That's pretty freakin lame. No...that's beyond lame. That's ludicrous....and stupid....and a few other words I won't repeat in public forum.