CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. - The troubled economy is forcing college graduates with years of experience to take temporary jobs, or worse.

Job seeker Eugene Leach has years of experience in the workforce, but said finding a temporary job to pay the bills is now harder than ever. "They're asking that you make a salary like $8 an hour... [it] isn't worth it," he said.

With a higher supply than demand, more Americans are taking on jobs they wouldn't traditionally turn to and many are being turned away because they're "overqualified."

"Finding jobs you qualify for is just not happening right now," said Capitol Heights resident Samantha Leach.

Temporary staffing companies are getting a boom of applicants who are accepting lower level jobs that pay less than half their typical salaries. Also, with the unemployment rate on the rise, places like fast food chains are attracting a wider range of applicants from different professional backgrounds. Store operator Keith Singletary said that having more qualified people in the workforce is good for business.

This holiday season, retail employers say they're seeing a noticeable difference in the number of overqualified applicants hoping to take on temporary jobs.