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With the nation's unemployment remaining high, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of East Tennessee reminds people who have lost their jobs to continue paying their bills on time and managing their credit wisely during this difficult period.

Managing your credit during unemployment is critical since having good credit is a requirement for some jobs.

"Some people have the professional and education background for a new position, but may have an inability to pay bills on time," said Daru Burdge, president of CCCS. "Failing to manage your finances during unemployment could affect your credit report and hurt your chances of landing a new job."

As part of its education mission, the national nonprofit credit counseling agency teaches classes on money management. Below are some money management tips to help people through a period of unemployment, as well as long-term tactics to implement once they have a new job.

Short-term tips

People who have recently lost a job should determine if they are eligible for unemployment benefits from their state Department of Labor. While state laws vary, many people are eligible for unemployment benefits. Even people who received a severance package may be eligible after waiting for a certain period of time to apply based on the amount of severance received and the guidelines for the state where they reside.

Once you have lost a job, consider the following tactics: Make looking for a new job your full-time job and have an action plan that involves selling yourself to potential employers. Since sales is a numbers game, set a goal for the number of people you will contact, network with or jobs that you apply for a in a day or during a week. Striving to reach that goal is a way to motivate you that will lead to a job offer.

Assistance is available to help you manage your finances. For example:

Contact Angel Food Ministries to obtain food at the lowest possible cost. The organization can be reached at 1-877-366-3646 or angelfood@angel foodministries.com.

Call your local information and referral line, 211, to find out about other low-cost services, such as day care.

If you are paying off a student loan, contact the financial company servicing the loan to find out if you can defer or reduce your payments.

Contact the financial company servicing your automobile loan to see if you can make a similar arrangement.

Make at least the minimum monthly payments on your credit card accounts. If that isn't impossible, contact your creditor, explain your loss of income and advise them when you will be able to resume making payments.

If you cannot make your mortgage payment, contact a mortgage counselor at 1-800-251-2227. Consider downsizing your lifestyle by reducing expenses such as club and gym memberships, cable television, bottled water and movies. Find ways to reduce "everyday" expenses, such as telephone use and dining out at restaurants. For example, families with cell phones for each person may not need a land line and cooking all meals at home could easily save a family hundreds of dollars each month.

Long-term tips

Many people now unemployed formerly worked in high-income professional jobs, such as those in the mortgage, real estate or securities industries, and may not find a new job paying as much money. They should consider a change in their lifestyles to meet their financial obligations in the future. Here are some tips to do that:

Develop a new, realistic budget that will enable you to pay for essential expenses and bills before any extra or luxury items. Consider developing a budget so you can live on 70 percent of your new income, with the remaining 30 percent used for savings and investments.

Consider selling your car, especially if you have a high monthly payment, and purchase a less expensive model with smaller monthly payments.

If it's difficult to make your mortgage payment each month and you can live in a smaller home, consider putting your home up for sale. While home prices are depressed, it may be a better long-term solution to live in a home you can afford.

CCCS, headquartered in Knoxville, also has offices in Blount County and Johnson City. It is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, and is a member of National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Consumers can speak to counselors in English and Spanish 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by phone at 1-800-251-CCCS and on the Web at www.cccsinc.org and www.cccsenespanol.org.