They call themselves the 99ers and with each new week their numbers grow by the thousands.

There are so many of them — nearly 3,000 in Western New York alone — they have

their own statewide Facebook page.

"Nobody is hiring, and I can't afford to lose my place to live," said Mike Papay, one of

the hundreds of jobless who have told their story on Facebook. "I've already had my vehicles

taken. This is crazy! Somebody please help!"

Papay is one of the new faces of America's jobless, the first wave of people to exhaust 99

weeks of unemployment benefits and still not find a job.

And he's far from alone.

At last count, the number of Western New Yorkers cut off from benefits had reached 2,948,

about two-thirds of them in Erie County.

"We don't count anymore!" said Pete Moss, another unemployed Facebook contributor. "We are

no better than illegal immigrants!"

For many of these people, getting cut off from their benefits is the latest in a series of

setbacks.

They may have spent the past two years looking for work, going for interviews and

undergoing training, but many of them still can't find a job.

"There's a lot of hardship and pain out there," said Cesar Cabrera, head of the regional

office of the state Labor Department.

The magnitude of the problem is evident in the number of people who already have lost

benefits.

The first wave, about 46,000 people statewide and 2,500 here in Western New York, saw their

unemployment assistance end on March 28. Those numbers have increased each week since then.

Western New York's unemployed

Who is losing their benefits?

Week ending

CountyMarch 28*April 4April 11April 18

Allegany50733

Cattaraugus12711118

Chautauqua181201317

Erie1,758164100110

Niagara422463429

Source: State Labor Department

Cabrera said the problem is not the quality of the job candidates but rather the lack of

opportunities.

And because of that, he thinks Congress should act quickly to extend benefits beyond the

current 99 weeks.

"We've never seen anything like this in at least 30 years," Cabrera said. "The jobs just

aren't there."

Unlike previous downturns in the economy, this one is sticking around, at least in terms of

unemployment. Here in Western New York, the jobless rate is 9.2 percent.

"There's a lot of frustration because the jobs just aren't there," said Terry Chatfield,

assistant director of the Buffalo Employment and Training Center. "These are people with

families. It's not like they're not out there looking for a job."

For many, the frustration has turned to desperation.

It's not uncommon to hear horror stories of $85,000-a-year professionals taking minimum

wage jobs, or of fathers and mothers fearful of losing their homes.

And the tales of lost jobs are common. A recent Zogby survey found 27 percent of adults

nationwide say they or a family member have lost a job in the past year.

"Many of them are so desperate they're taking jobs that make them underemployed," said

James Finamore, executive director of the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board.

Finamore said the environment is so bad there are now an average of six applicants for each

new job. The norm is about two applicants for every opening, he said.

One of the odd consequences of this ugly economy is that younger people are finding it even

harder to land a job. Finamore said youth participation in the work force is at its lowest

level since 1948.

"Adults are taking the kids' jobs," he said. "In the past, you went into a fast food

restaurant and saw a kid behind the counter. Now, you're seeing someone in their 50s."

For many, even the experienced, highly skilled worker, the alternatives are limited if they

exist at all.

"We're seeing a different type of worker," said John Krytus, president of CPGworks, a local

employment firm specializing in construction. "It's the professional, the middle manager, that

has been downsized. They're coming to us and saying they'll do anything."

Krytus says the construction industry, which is seasonal by nature, is showing signs of

growth, and that workers with skills, experience and a positive attitude are finding work.

"People have to be willing to do something different," he said.

Chatfield thinks the answer for a lot of people is, quite frankly, a career change. He

suggests people evaluate their skills with an eye toward getting a different type of job.

He also thinks people should focus on networking, and not just the more traditional avenues

for finding a job. They also should be using the region's numerous one-stop career centers,

experts say.

Those services range from career counseling and computer access to job listings to one-on-

one skills assessments and classes on interviewing and resume writing.

In the eyes of Cabrera and others, the short-term solution is another extension of

unemployment benefits. Without it, they say, a lot of the people getting benefits will end up

on food stamps or public assistance.

Congress, which was debating the need for an extension, adjourned last month without making

a decision.

Hence, tens of thousands of people are losing their benefits each week.

"I have exhausted my unemployment," said Mellissacq Street, an unemployed Facebook

contributor. "Is there any hope for us? I have two kids and am a single mom. I need help now!"