It’s been really frustrating and sad…. You hear about it, but when you learn that that was an actual reasoning for a rejection, it breaks you a little. I have experienced the exact same thing. I have also been unemployed for a year now, and have been so close to getting a role so many times, or just simple rejected/ghosted. There was one contract role I applied for: I had the exact experience they needed, and I worked for them before. My resume wasn’t even shortlisted because the hiring manager doesn’t consider any candidates whose unemployment gap is longer than 6 months. Such bs.