Across the nation, as the country shed nearly 3 million jobs during the year, the health care industry has managed to add 369,000 new jobs, according to the Labor Department.
Over the past year the U.S. economy has shed 2.7 million jobs, with more than a half-million lost in November alone, but according to Workforce Solutions of East Texas things are not that bad in Palestine..
With the nation’s unemployment rate at 6.7 percent, the outlook for the Palestine area is looking a little better with the local unemployment rate standing at 6.3 percent for the month ending in November. Those numbers were confirmed by Workforce Solutions of East Texas Area Director Ray Williams.
“We are insulated from a lot of what goes on in the rest of the country because of the oil and medical industry,” Williams noted. “In fact, most places around here are actually hiring right now.”
Another bright spot for the Palestine area are the Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities in Tennessee Colony.
“Right now, I think there are about 600 openings at the prisons in the Tennessee Colony area,” Williams estimated.
Workforce Solutions of East Texas Communications and Marketing Director John Valent said the labor situation in Palestine is much the same in all of East Texas.
“We’re not near as bad off as other parts of the country,” Valent said. “The jobs are out there, you just have to go find them — and that’s why we’re here.”
Much of the unemployment problem the country is experiencing right now can be traced back to the financial industry and a steep loss in manufacturing jobs. Some East Texas cities, like Tyler, also have lost manufacturing jobs, Williams noted, but overall the area is still doing well.
“The major manufacturers have been hit the hardest,” Williams said. “Tyler has had quite a few layoffs with (the closing of) Goodyear and layoffs at Tyler Pipe and Trane.”
The U.S. Department of Labor, in its November report released earlier this month, reported there are 10.3 million unemployed people in the United States.
Unemployment rates were highest, according to Labor Department statistics in the construction field, which saw a non-seasonally adjust unemployment rate of 12.7 percent in November.
Underscoring those numbers, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that construction of new homes fell 18.9 percent in November, which pushed construction down to an annual rate of 625,000 homes.
Other job fields seeing high unemployment rates include those in leisure and hospitality, with unemployment rates nearing 10 percent.
There are sectors of the economy doing well and even expanding.
The health care industry reports the lowest unemployment along with education, and also government jobs, the Labor Department Reported.
“A lot of little ‘Maw and Paw’ operations have shut their doors because of the financial situation and the difficulty in getting financing and loans,” Williams said, but there are other opportunities available locally, including an abundance of health care jobs.
Across the nation, as the country shed nearly 3 million jobs during the year, the health care industry has managed to add 369,000 new jobs, according to the Labor Department.
Here locally the demand for certified nurses aides has gone through the roof, Williams noted, saying those positions at retirement homes and assisted living facilities are open in abundance.
“With our aging population, the medical industry is really strong right now,” Williams continued. “A lot of the nursing homes are willing to pay for CNA training for the right person, maybe even to the point of getting RN (registered nurse) certification.”
While there may be a lack of high paying jobs around East Texas, Valent said if people are willing to make an effort they will find a job.
“People just need to look,” Valent stressed. “You don’t have to flip burgers to get a job. You may have to go to Tyler, but there are good jobs out there that can be found if you are persistent.”
As for the future for the community, Williams said while there will be cutbacks here and there, he doesn’t foresee anything major on the horizon.
“We haven’t had any major layoffs in the (Palestine) area,” Williams said. “We really don’t expect any either.”
Valent and Williams both urged people looking for work to utilize the services of Workforce Solutions, located at 500 E. Murchison in Palestine.
“We are here to help,” Valent said. “Our goal is to get people back to work.”
To learn more about what Workforce Solutions offers, give them a call at 903-729-0178.
For those still in school and looking to enter into the labor market soon, Williams offered this bit of advice.
“Stay in school as long as you can,” Williams said. “You need to get as much education as you can these days.
“We are to the point now where even a high school diploma is not going to help you. People really need to focus on math and science because that is where the future is. This is a global economy and you are competing with the rest of the world for jobs.
“For vocational training, you need to get certified,” Williams added. “Whether it’s a welder or plumber, you need to be certified.”
For the people who have the proper training, Williams said there will be jobs out there. source
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