Numbers inch down

By AMBER DILLEY
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW June 08, 2009 01:05 pm

— April’s unemployment rate has dropped a fraction nationally, statewide and locally according to numbers from the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training.
Kentucky’s not seasonally adjusted rate in April was 9.7 percent, compared to 10.3 in March.
Despite the unemployment rate dropping, the number of people with jobs is lower than in March.
A decline of 8,000 jobs in April brought Kentucky’s nonfarm employment to a seasonally adjusted total of 1,788,400. Since April 2008, Kentucky’s nonfarm employment has dropped by 72,500.
“This marks the 14th month in a row of year-over-year employment decreases and the largest year-over-year drop on records dating back to January 1990,” said Justine Detzel, OET chief labor market analyst. “Over the last year, consumers have been battered by job losses, financial turmoil and a plunging stock market.”
Barren County was the only county in the area to produce an increased unemployment rate, but it was only .1 percent.
The non-seasonally adjusted rate was 12 percent in April, compared to 11.9 in March.
Edmonson County posted a 12.5 percent rate, down from March’s rate of 13.6 percent.
Hart County had a rate of 9.5 percent, down from 10.1 in March.
Metcalfe County had a 13.6 percent rate, compared to 14.4. percent in March.
Monroe County posted a 13.7 percent rate, down from March’s 14.7 percent.
Despite the breaks being put on the skyrocketing unemployment rates, the list of jobs that are hard to fill has not changed in the last four years.
Manpower’s annual 10 hardest jobs to fill survey has found that in the four years the organization has been conducting the survey, the same trades have appeared on the list yearly.
“In the four years we have performed this research, the same positions appear on the list again and again,” said Jonas Prising, Manpower’s president of the Americas. “Despite the current economic instability and high unemployment, there are still skills that the U.S. workforce seems to lack.”
The 10 hardest jobs to fill for 2009 are engineers, nurses, skilled and manual trades, teachers, sales representatives, technicians, drivers, IT staff, laborers and machine operators.
Technicians, machine operators and sales representatives have been on the list all four years in various rankings.
Manpower’s research shows that even with record unemployment rates in many regions, employers are having trouble finding workers.
“While talk as slowed in the U.S. about the pending talent shortage, it is becoming more clear that there is a talent disconnect,” said Melanie Holmes, vice president of World of Work Solutions for Manpower North America. “Our workforce needs to be more open to retraining and upskilling for jobs that are in demand. And, our government, business leaders and educational facilities need to take action together to ensure students are being enticed to enter these fields.”
Locally, Western Kentucky University’s campuses offer programs through the Barren River Area Development District office to help people upskill.
The office provides a wide variety of programs that have retraining services for dislocated or laid off workers, said Helena Chase, local area representative response coordinator.
“WKU is one of many of the providers that service our dislocated workers,” she said. “As far as the specific careers, we do have a number of people go into nursing. People retain those jobs and make very good, self-sufficient wages. For engineering, they are definitely in demand. If you have a true degree and the experience to back it up — employers are looking for that.”
WKU-Glasgow has seen more people taking advantage of the two-year program or to continue their education.
“They are actually returning to school on these programs and continuing their education or beginning their education,” said Director Juanita Bayless. “We’re seeing them coming for the technology campus and for WKU’s programs. We are seeing more folks in our county and surrounding counties who are coming in to look at the programs and many actually enrolling in classes.”