L.,
I don't know what field your are in, or what you're qualified to do, so answering this is a little hard.
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that more than half of all job openings in America are never advertised. They are filled within companies, or people are hired because somebody knows someone. Your first step should be to tell EVERYONE you know that you are looking for a job, and what you want to do. Networking is the single best way to find what you're looking for. Call your friends, family members, old school friends, etc. Second, put together a quality resume. If you are not good at this, there are services that will do a great job for you. A good resume is worth the price you pay to have it prepared.
From what you have in your question, it looks like you have not worked a full time job since you were 21. That means that either you worked out of high school and don't have a degree, or you got training, but didn't get to use it for long. I'm guessing that means you are looking for something entry level. If you went to college or business school, go to your school's career center. They'll still help you. With May coming up and graduation time with it, most schools will be having career fairs and recruiting events on campus. If not, google "job fair" and your area. These are great places to find jobs and meet people, and you can hand out your resume there.
Have you been asnwering ads in the classified and online, and getting interviews? If you're answering ads but not getting interviews, then your resume is probably the culprit. If you're getting interviewed but not hired, then you need to work on how you present yourself at the interview. Talk to someone older than you, who has gone through this and succeeded. Go to your parents, or older siblings, or someone you know who you consider successful, and ask them to practice with you, and give you help with how to do it well. Interview skills are very important, and even small things can get job hunters into trouble. Make sure you are wearing a suit, that your shoes are polished (some interviewers look at shoes specifically believe it or not), that you have copies of your resume with you. Keep makeup conservative, jewelry minimal or gone, etc. Learn about the company you are interviewing with before you go. Know what they produce, how long they've been in business, etc. It shows that you are interested in this job, not just the paycheck, and that you have good research skills.
After your interview is over, make sure to send a thank-you letter to the person you met with. This is absolutely key. Address the letter to the person by name, to show you remember who it was. Thank them for their time, mention how much you enjoyed meeting them, and how excited you are about the opportunity to work for their company. Put your contact information in there, and that you look forward to hearing from them. Thank you letters remind the interviewer of you specifically, show proper businees etiquette, and let the person know that you understand how the corporate world works.
Best of luck L.. Keep the faith. It's that first job that's the hardest. Once you get yourself in and build your skills and experience, it gets easier. After some time, you'll be nicely surprised when the job offers start calling you!
J.