Employers struggling to find
and keep workers

On April 19, Governor Rendell said Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped to a level not seen since the 1970s and its economy continued to add jobs, setting a record high for nine consecutive months. 

With a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, Pennsylvania is below the national average, currently at 4.4 percent—also the current unemployment rate in Carbon County according to Garry Wentz - Administrator for CareerLink in Jim Thorpe. “A year ago, it was over 6 percent. When the unemployment falls below 5%, it starts getting hard to fill positions.” 

CareerLink, the “One Stop Shop” for career services is a cooperative of Federal, State and County service providers that have placed unemployment, job training, vocational rehabilitation, and related services at a common location. The location is on Susquehanna Street in Jim Thorpe. It will soon be relocating to the former YMCA building on Broadway. 

According to Wentz, there is a high demand for workers and the demand is expected to skyrocket as increasing numbers of Baby Boomers enter retirement. Demand for skilled workers, such as welders and commercial truck drivers is high, and growing with up to an additional 800 CDLs required in the coming years, and CareerLink as well as the Carbon Career & Technical Institute are struggling to attract adequate numbers into these fields. “All employers are nervous because they are wondering where the people in the pipeline are going to come from,” said Wentz. ”Are they going to be able to attract skilled people?” 

According to Wentz, Carbon County has been faced with high unemployment since the clothing factories began closing in the 1970s. Now most of these mills are closed and large closings and the resulting layoffs are no longer a significant factor. 

Still, in spite of the low unemployment, 60 percent of Carbon County’s workers travel outside the county to work. Employers within Carbon County have told Wentz that it is more difficult to keep workers than to hire them. Local employers find that after they train new employees, these workers leave for higher wages in the Lehigh Valley. 

Wentz said that at any time there are hundreds of jobs in Carbon County in their computer base. He estimates that the database contains 10 to 20 percent of the available jobs. Most larger or more familiar companies receive so many direct applications, that they have no need for CareerLink’s services. Blue Mountain Health, for example, accepts applications 24/7 and has a backlog of resumes waiting when a position becomes available. 

Many of the jobs in CareerLink’s database are either in high turnover businesses such as restaurants, resorts, housekeeping, maintenance, and hospitality, or in jobs that require shift work such as foundry, trucking or warehousing—jobs are often unsuitable for single parents and young families because of the difficulty of finding childcare and attending to a child’s schedule. Some warehouses have switched to Flextime, allowing workers to come and go. This attracts both single parents and college students. 

CareerLink attracts both the employed—looking for a better job, and the unemployed. Those out of work can collect for up to 26 weeks, from about $150 to $400 per week depending on how much they earned in the past. 

Once a “client” registers, he or she can access the jobs database from a home or library computer. CareerLink offers classes in Use of the Computer, Resume Writing, and Interviewing Tips. 

Wentz administers a Federal Job Retraining program called the Workforce Investment Act. “We work with individuals that might need retraining and may help with the cost of training,” said Wentz. “If they have a training request, they may qualify for financial aid to return to school for training.” Qualified programs include:  Certified Nurse’s Aid, LPN, or truck driver’s CDL. 

Eligibility for training follows income guidelines and family size. Dislocated or permanently laid-off workers get special dispensation if they lack high demand skills. Training availability is also subject to budget limitations. 

What was previously the Job Center or Unemployment Center became CareerLink in 2000. The Federal Government asked each state to streamline its employment system to reduce costs and improve service. By locating all the employment-related services under one roof, it made it easier for those requiring the services convenient access. It also made it easier for the various staffs to get to know one another. 

“The CareerLink concept is working out very well,” said Wentz. “Customers are finding it very easy. It allows us to coordinate services easier than by telephone contact. A person may come in looking for work and we find the person needs training, certification, or a CDL. They can be referred the same day. We can determine whether they will be eligible for help from us and then we can help them put together a training plan and set about getting approval.”