the use of narratives to contextualize the experiences and needs of unemployed, underemployed, and displaced workers

The author examined the role of narratives used by unemployed, underemployed, and displaced workers seeking job training assistance through a government-funded One-Stop Career Center. Interviews with employees of a One-Stop Career Center provided insight on client rate of disclosure of personal narratives and how client narratives are used to facilitate the job search process. Specifically, data from the interviews suggest that narratives give career center employees insight on job seekers' background, barriers, and reemployment mind-set. Furthermore, the act of listening was seen as legitimizing job seekers' experiences. Implications of the findings are discussed.