Unemployment numbers rise nationally and locally

Unemployment numbers have shot up to a 16 year high.

Last week, new claims rose by 27,000.

More than four million Americans are currently getting unemployment benefits, another six million have been out of work so long they’ve fallen off the rolls.

Congress is working to push through legislation that would extend unemployment checks for an additional 13 weeks.

Thursday the White House said President Bush would sign the bill, but the unemployment lines keep getting longer an estimated 1.2 million people nationwide have lost their jobs this year.

In the Pee Dee there’s also not much relief, within the past year several companies like Wellman Inc. have closed or laid off workers.

“It’s not a good time for job seekers right now,“ Connie Ford, Employment Security Commission Area Director, said.

Connie ford’s office is often times a true refection of the economy and the job loss or gain.

The more people the Employment Security Commission assists, the worse our economy and job market is.

Right now Ford said it’s at an all time high and the worst she’s seen in thirty years.

“We have been extremely busy and it’s a sad situation. We see people from all environments with different stories and it does affect us,“ Ford said.

Take Sandino Moses, he was recently laid off by Invista and is now one of about 300 people that walk through Ford’s doors each day searching for the same thing—employment.

“The unemployment agencies are flabbergasted with a bunch of people in here. We’re just trying to take a number and see what we can find,“ Moses said.
Moses is hoping for an opportunity along with a career change.

“Because the economy is doing bad right now actually that might be a blessing in disguise, making people expand their horizons and find something new,“ Moses said.

Despite losing his job, Moses said he hasn’t lost everything.

“Everybody’s got a sense of hope now. You know maybe a change is gonna come. We know the change isn’t going to come just like that, but with time hopefully we’re going in the right direction,“ Moses said.

Hope for a better future is one thing Sandino Moses said no one can afford to lose, especially in these troubling economic times.

The Employment Security Commission in Florence said that from July-September they’ve seen almost 16,000 job seekers, which is about 3,000 more than last year.

They’ve also seen a drop in job openings by 25% along with more people not returning to work as quickly.

This means what jobs available will be more competitive, so when there’s an opening they said job candidates need to have good resumes, good interviewing skills and good references.