County unemployment rate drops again

Jobless rates across the state continued to see a decrease in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, although Clinton and Highland counties remain at the top of the unemployment list for the month of May. 

According to the numbers released June 22, 86 of Ohio's 88 counties saw a decrease in jobless numbers. Clinton County still ranked with the highest in the state at 16.7 percent, and Highland County was second, with 15.9 percent. April numbers showed Clinton County with 17.7 percent, and Highland County at 17.1 percent.

In surrounding counties, Pike County had a rate of 14.2 percent ; Adams County had an unemployment rate of 13.6 percent; Brown County had a rate of 11.8 percent; Fayette County had a rate of 11.3 percent; and Ross County had a rate of 11.5 percent.

Debbie Robbins, director of the Highland County Department of Job and Family Services, said that the lower percentage rate is partially due to area people finding employment, and partially due to people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits without having found a job. 

"It is a combination of both," Robbins said. "I talked with someone in our One Stop resource room. They are the first line who see people looking for employment, and there does appear to be an increase in job availability and employment opportunities. However, I think also there are some folks who maybe are running out of unemployment benefits."

For people who can no longer receive unemployment, Robbins said there are still some options for assistance. 

"Generally what is available is the food assistance, which they may already have access to," Robbins said. "There is not a limit on food assistance. Basically if a family is under a certain income they are eligible."

Robbins said potentially a more accurate gauge of the unemployment rate in the county could come from looking at alternative numbers, such as the food assistance program.

"I think that you could go 5 percent higher," Robbins said. "There are some folks who say it is 10 percent higher. Even back when we were at 18-19 percent (unemployment), my guess was more like 25 percent. So we are probably around 20 percent, but that is just my opinion."

On a positive side, Robbins attributes general fluctuations in the economy and the seasonality of certain jobs for actual increases in employment. 

"Usually during the summer there are more job opportunities, more construction kinds of jobs, and people doing landscaping, and there is more farm work available. So there are some additional opportunities." 

Rick Thompson, the One Stop program manager, said that there appears to be a beginning trend of openings for skilled and specially trained jobs. 

"We are starting to see more and more of our folks get jobs in the home health care field," Thompson said. "Same with LPNs and RNs, primarily with nursing homes that are starting to hire again. We've also seen a good increase in production and labor jobs, primarily with Candle-Lite, which has had some sizable hires. I think maybe we are starting to see that sign - a good sign - maybe we are turning a corner."

The caseworkers at the HCDJFS face difficulties, according to Robbins, in keeping up with the volume of people and cases that go through the office, but they do a good job maintaining the "juggling act."

"One of the things that we face is trying to get folks' benefits established and authorized in a timely fashion," Robbins said. "There is a 30-day turnaround time for most benefits, and we try to get it sooner than that. If there is an issue going on, like needing additional documentation, that can hold things up. Folks get kind of irate with us and say our caseworkers don't return phone calls, but they really do try and do that within a 24-hour period, if people could just have some patience. They are trying to juggle phone calls with people asking questions, and processing new people, and applying changes to cases. It is really a juggling act. 

"Our people do a good job," she said. "Sometimes we stumble certainly, but all and all they really are doing a good job. They are very dedicated and they do as much as they can with what they have."