'It's like group therapy:' Workers find community in digital unemployment groups
The past five months have been lonely for Taylor Clifford.

The 29-year-old moved to Phoenix a few years ago for work. Most of the friends she'd made in the area, she says, were her coworkers, which suited her just fine. But in March, like tens of millions of other Americans, Clifford was furloughed from her job as an events planner and confined to her apartment, where she lives alone.

Without coworkers to talk to in person and with no work to keep her occupied, the months of isolation have been difficult, Clifford says.

"I've been trying to stay positive, but it does start to wear on you after a while," she tells CNBC Make It. While most of her furloughed coworkers have families to lean on during tough times, she does not. "If I can't pay my rent, it's my fault. I can't reach out to people and ask for help."

Adding to her stress is the fact that Congress has not extended the enhanced unemployment benefits that were helping her stay afloat. Receiving the extra $600 per week in federal aid at the beginning of the pandemic was a "saving grace," she says. Now, she's used up her savings and is worried about how she will pay her bills going forward.

A Facebook group for unemployed workers has helped keep her sane. The group, Unemployed Action, which has over 15,000 members, is one of dozens that have sprung up in recent months to help members make sense of states' antiquated UI systems and keep up with news on whether the benefits will or won't be extended.