A recent rise in unemployment led out-of-work Athenians to seek help finding employment and living assistance from local organizations.
As of December 2009, Athens fared better than surrounding counties with an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent, which is 79th out of the 88 counties in the state, according to a report released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. This is a 0.5 percent increase from November.
Increases in unemployment have led to more visitors to The Work Station, 70 N. Plains Road, The Plains, said Nick Claussen, communications relations coordinator for the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services.
The Work Station, run by the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, provides job-finding services to citizens. It is financed with state and federal funds and has a budget of more than $500,000, Claussen said.
We have more people coming in to ask about job training programs
funding for college and other programs that provide assistance he said, adding, We do know that the demand is up and that it is tied to the rising unemployment.
Four of the six counties surrounding Athens are among the 20 counties with the highest unemployment rate. Morgan County leads the pack at 17.5 percent, according to the report.
Unemployment numbers for January 2010 will be released March 5.
More people are applying for cash and food assistance programs with the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, Claussen added.
Depending on congressional decisions, Ohioans who are currently claiming unemployment benefits might or might not see them extended after July 2010.
The Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 allowed for federally extended unemployment benefits to last for a possible 53 weeks, said Jeff Long, the assistant deputy director of the Ohio Office of Unemployment Compensation.
State and federal unemployment compensation is meant to be a stopgap measure, Long said.
The state provides for 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, with a weekly check for about half of a claimants' weekly wage, he said.
To qualify for unemployment compensation, a worker must earn at least $213 each week, which equates to working full-time at minimum wage.
The average claimant in Ohio receives $320 (a week) in unemployment benefits he added.
As of January 2010, Athens County had about 1,900 active unemployment accounts.
This number includes accounts that are taking both regular unemployment compensation and extended unemployment compensation, Long said.
If Congress does not pass the federal extension, then the last day for the state to pay extended unemployment benefits is July 31.
Still, in comparison to the rest of Southeast Ohio, Athens is better off than surrounding areas, Long added.
However, the area does have high underemployment in which a worker has a job, but not in the capacity he or she wants. About 17 percent of Americans are underemployed, according to statistics released Friday from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The unemployment rate in Athens County is generally lower because of the university
but Athens has an issue with underemployment
Claussen said, adding that numbers for Athens' underemployment are unavailable.
Athens has a high concentration of service industry jobs that are (frequently) part-time only or paid minimum wage
he explained. We're happy to have those jobs
but they don't provide for a person easily.
Service industry jobs make up 25.7 percent of Athens County's work force, according to a 2006-08 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Manufacturing jobs compose just 5.5 percent of Athens County's work force, according to the survey.
Every job is important
but it's very hard to sustain a family on minimum wage
Athens County Commissioner Larry Payne said.
The county's Economic Development Council is working on retaining and expanding existing businesses in Athens, he said.
You want to have as many new jobs as possible
but if you have existing businesses
you want to help them grow and remain in the community
