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A report from the U.S. Labor Department released Friday said that 1.9 million jobs were lost in the last four months, and the unemployment rate climbed to 7.2 percent nationally, a 16-year high.
In North Carolina, the state jobless rate climbed to 7.9 percent in November, but here at home things looked even worse. Halifax County topped out well above the states unemployment rate at 11.4 percent. Warren County followed closely behind at 10.7 percent and Northampton at 9.1 percent.
It’s important to look at statistics, but they only show one small slice of what happened in the past and there were several industries that actually showed growth in 2008. According to a statement released by the ESC, educational and health services experienced the largest employment increases, followed by government, leisure and hospitality services. Computer and electronic products also showed increases.
“We always have job openings,” said Tommy McKnight, manager of ESC for Halifax County. McKnight has been with ESC for over 20 years. Yesterday he said that he expects things to pick up, “It will start to pick up in the spring and summer; maybe not as much as we’d like but it will be picking up.”
McKnight said that Halifax County is fortunate in that even though there have been some recent layoffs there have been no mass layoffs with factories shutting down.
In the meantime, McKnight said that his office is doing what it can to help people make the transition into new positions and new employment. “We’re always contacting employers to find new job listings. That’s our job, to find jobs for people,” he said.
ESC is also holding a job fair Jan. 21. The Lowe’s Warehouse Distribution Center will be recruiting. ESC also offers online services including unemployment claims and job listings at www.ncesc.com. You can also call his office at (252) 537-4188. McKnight said he expects the new North Carolina Automotive Research Northampton County to be recruiting soon as well.
According to McKnight, employers are looking for individuals with education and “skill sets” and that being the best employee you can be can ensure that you hold on to the job that you have. “If you have a job, continue to get your education and learn new skills. Try to get all the training you can. Try to make yourself indispensable on the job.”
If you’re presently out of a job, McKnight said, “Don’t give up hope. Keep looking. My opinion is that it will improve … it always gets better.”
Frince Williams, Rose Motley and Sandra Wood agree with McKnight. They work with Turning Point Workforce Development in the ESC office at 945 Park Ave., in Roanoke Rapids. The vision of Turning Point is that the counties of the northern Interstate 95 corridor will have a highly skilled workforce that will assist local firms with competition in technologically advanced global market place and that the region’s workforce will have wages and educational attainment levels above the state average.
They suggest that if you don’t have a job right now, in the interim one might look at one of their programs for dislocated, adult or handicapped workers. Their programs can provide on the job training or schooling to retrain workers in new areas of expertise. Their number is (252) 443-6175.
“Don’t give up because of a slow economy. Do something to help change it,” said Motley. “If you need training in a different field, get it. And don’t let age be a stopper. People of all ages graduate from the community college. You can learn, and we encourage everyone to try it.”
Cassi Gutterson is the Work First manager for the Halifax County Department of Social Services. Her office is at 260 Premier Blvd., in Roanoke Rapids in the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce. One can sign up for her program through the Halifax County Department of Social Services.
Gutterson said that her services include “soft training” in how to do resumes, and pre-employment reinforcement. “Our purpose is to help people become self sufficient and we use that as a broad term because you never know what that entails … but that’s our goal,” she said. One can also sign up for weekly e-mails of all area job listings by contacting her at joblink@halifax.c.c.
Gutterson encouraged people to be the best employee to ensure that they keep their present job, or to make themselves more employable should the unthinkable happen. “They need to make sure they have the upper hand on other potential employees. They should continue with their education and make sure they go the extra mile to impress potential employers and play that out. There are so many qualified unemployed people that employers know they can pick the best. Strive to be the best employee you can be.”
Gutterson said that the Small Business Center of Halifax Community College provides many low and no cost seminars and courses that provide certification that can go on your resume. Things like learning a second language, effective communication, or hospitality can put one over the edge with potential employers, and put one in a higher wage bracket. “Take classes, it will help in the long run,” said Gutterson.
Though North Carolina’s labor statistics do show increases in unemployment and the jobless rate, it is important to remember that the Roanoke Valley has shown substantial growth in the recent past, and has continued potential to grow through the hospitality and entertainment industries.
Meredith Norris, in an article published in the Carolina Business Journal in September, 2007 entitled “Halifax County Flourishes,” she described Halifax County as being in an economic renaissance only one year ago. Of the 14 major employers mentioned in her article, all but one are “still operating steadily,” according to McKnight. This economic indicator alone gives one cause for hope. The infrastructure built over the last several years is still in place to build a strong economic future, if we continue to work together and make our own reality a bright one.
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