Six employees of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services lost their jobs recently as the agency attempts to fill gaps in funding left by state budget cuts.
For the most part, the laid-off workers held administrative positions for various health care programs, said Nick Claussen, community relations coordinator for the department.
We tried to avoid cutting staff and programs
but at this point we didn't have much of a choice Claussen said. We have to make up more than $300 000 just to get through this fiscal year.
The department, which provides a variety of aid ranging from financial to health care assistance, has also cut programs in order to make ends meet.
One eliminated program, a component of the agency's Prevention, Retention and Contingency Plan that provides assistance to needy families while promoting job preparation, provided money for car repairs.
While every program is vital
we're trying to shift funding to provide for the more basic needs
Claussen said. We hope with time the necessary backing will come for all of our programs.
Various remaining programs were given stricter eligibility requirements.
People seeking assistance to pay heating and electricity bills will now have to be at 100 percent of the poverty level, Claussen said. Before, applicants could be at 150 percent of the poverty level.
These cuts come at a time when the need for health care and unemployment assistance is at an all-time high.
Job losses accelerated in December with Ohio's unemployment rate increasing to 7.8 percent from 7.3 percent in November, according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).
Athens County's unemployment rate was 7 percent in December with 2,200 members of the 31,000 civilian workforce unemployed, according to estimates from the ODJFS Office of Workforce Development.
This is an increase from the November rate of 6.3 percent when 1,900 of 30,900 civilian workers were unemployed.
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Amanda Liles
