FORT WAYNE – Walter Brunson knows these should be his golden years, but the 67-year-old Fort Wayne truck driver says he can’t afford to retire.
So, losing his job two months ago is no vacation.
“I’ve been driving trucks for 40 years, but the company I worked for moved to Missouri,” he said, after checking on his unemployment benefits at WorkOne offices Friday in Fort Wayne.
“My wife and I, we’re making it, but I’m more worried about my kids. I got two in college and one in high school. I don’t know what they’re going to do.”
As the nation celebrates the Labor Day weekend, Brunson would rather be doing what the holiday suggests: working. The Labor Department on Friday reported the unemployment rate rose slightly to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent in July. The economy also lost 54,000 jobs and for the first time this year; manufacturing saw 27,000 vanish for the month.
Even with a job, Joy Maassel is anxious as she considers herself underemployed.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I have a job. I just wish it paid more and had health insurance,” Maassel said.
The 56-year-old lost her position last year at a New Haven manufacturing plant. The company cut 130 workers.
“I’m working for a non-profit right now, but it’s tough. It’s very, very discouraging. I’m looking for something clerical. I’m trainable and catch on to things fast, but a lot of companies want you to already know their systems.”
Maassel also was among the dozens who filed in and out of the WorkOne offices Friday, either seeking employment, training or jobless benefits.
Emmaline Blakely didn’t bother to visit the unemployment assistance center. She said her times there have been filled with frustration.
“I’m kind of self-employed right now and going to IPFW to be a pharmaceutical technician,” the 22-year-old said.
Blakely enrolled in college after losing her job at an auto supplier in Columbia City about a year ago.
“Man, it’s just hard out here, and even the people with degrees ain’t getting jobs. It’s like there’s nothing out here.”
Maassel can attest to that. She has a bachelor’s degree but sometimes feels her age hurts her chances.
“They don’t say anything in interviews, but you can just sense how they feel about you,” she said, wiping away a tear.
“It’s tough out here.”
Kathleen Randolph, president and chief executive officer of WorkOne Northeast, said many employers are “still testing the waters” when it comes to hiring.
“There are jobs out there, and we are heartened by the numbers that are available in advanced manufacturing, health care, retail and hospitality,” she said. “But employers are risk-averse, so they are being really slow about hiring.”
As a result, more companies are tapping temporary agencies, which Randolph calls an early indicator that businesses may begin to beef up their ranks.
Increases in companies using temp services “usually are a precursor to employers hiring people full time,” she said.
“They are holding back, but there are some positive signs.”
