Posted at: 10/02/2009 10:54 AM | WHEC.com
Updated at: 10/02/2009 8:41 PM
By: Ray Levato

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Rochester unemployment figures lower than national average

There are sobering numbers out today about unemployment. The nation’s jobless rate for September hit 9.8-percent. That's the highest rate in more than a quarter century. 

Although our area is faring better, the numbers here are at an historic high. The unemployment rate in greater Rochester for August stands at 8.1-percent. Today's national numbers are the highest since 1983.

The labor department reported the unemployment rate rose one tenth of one percent in September. When you break it down, it means 263,000 people lost their jobs last month alone. That was far less than the 700,000 a month rate earlier this year.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the report saying he is not shaken by today's news. “Here will be peaks and valleys in this process. This is not a straight line to recovery, but we are recovering.”

Although things are expected to turn around for our area in the next few months, hundreds, even thousands of people are working hard to find work. These were people who normally have not had to look for work until now.

Joanna Stoica, Samantha Davidson, and Greg Siegelman are all career executives and all looking for a job.

They were part of a five-day class called the Career Navigator program at Rochester Works -- the local career training center.
  
“I haven't searched for a job in quite some time. The ways you go about finding a job is a lot different. Samantha Davidson has discovered there's a lot more avenues, but also it's a lot harder because there's a lot more people out there looking for work right now. “Knowing how to be prepared with your resume and marketing plan. Have some directions you think you may want to go in.”

Greg Siegelman  lost his job as a marketing executive eight months ago. He's looking for the right opportunity, both in and outside of Rochester. About the class he said, “Very informative, lots of great interaction, lots of great people to meet and talk with. I'm a pretty hard grader and I give this about an 11 out of 10.”

Stoica said, “And I learned a lot. And it's great too to see other people in the same situation. You get very isolated and you forget other people are going through it and to get the support and hear the stories is wonderful.”

Samantha has a plan A, a plan B, and even a plan C - going into business for herself. “I've had a job where I worked for money and now I'm at a point of my life where I kind of want to work for myself, enjoy what I'm doing, and feel like I'm really giving back in some way shape or form.”

Greg Siegelman, an out-of-work marketing executive, gave this advice for job-seekers. He said keep your head up. There are jobs out there for everyone. Try everything because there are no rules anymore.

Rochester Works is the lead agency in Monroe County for job re-training. If you're out of work and collecting an unemployment check, you're referred to Rochester Works to find a job.

Rochester Works is not a job placement agency. They give you the tools to land a new job, or go into a new career. And they received $5-million in federal stimulus money to help. The average person gets about $2,000 for re-training or going back to school. The maximum is $7,500 over two years.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.