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Oct 7, 2008 7:47 pm US/Central
Economy Taking Toll On North Texas Job Seekers
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Many people are looking for work, unemployed, laid off, or just out of college. With the economy as it is, it's more difficult than ever to find a job, but a workshop in Fort Worth is offering help.
In the month of September, 159,000 Americans lost their jobs. In Tarrant County the unemployment rate is actually lower than the national average, but with unemployment on the rise the number of jobseekers is surging.
At a job expo held in Fort Worth Tuesday, there was clear evidence that the unemployment demographic is changing dramatically.
"I've been unemployed for about three months," explained college graduate Dorenda Johnson. The 24-year-old is hoping to get her foot in the door, to put some money in her pocket.
Johnson admits that the current state of the economy scares her and she's not alone.
There were more than 1,000 people at the Fort Worth job fair. There were plenty of applications, résumés, and information being handed out.
What's interesting is most of the job seekers in attendance were over the age of 35. "We've noticed that there are more, older, applicants than the younger ones," said Patty Revis with the Jobing.com Career Fair.
With rising prices, retiree Tana Grubb says she's forced to supplement her income. While she has more than 30 years experience, she's cautious of giving away her age on her résumé. "Age is obviously, even though nobody will admit it, it's an issue in the workplace," says Grubb.
Jim Moore was a manager for a major manufacturer, but after decades on the job was laid off a year and a half ago. "I've just completed some computer training, trying to get back into production management," he said.
Jobing.com holds several job fairs throughout the year. There were some 60 employers on hand at the Fort Worth fair, offering on average five jobs each.
"The employers can definitely see what they're looking for and for the job seekers it's great information they can attend free," Revis explained.
Job seekers say considering that time is money and with gas prices on the rise, the face-to-face one stop "job" shopping, helps. "It's that connection with people that actually gets you in the door," said one applicant. "It helps a lot."
Some tips for job seekers –
Update your computer skills if you're rusty.
Don't overload your résumé with bold or italicized items and be sure to spell check.
Be open-minded about employment and don't turn down a job, because it's not what you're "looking" for.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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