Hillsdale ranks 12th for unemployment in state
Marieke van der Vaart
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News
"And that's probably a low number," Vanlerberg said.
The non-profit Community Action Agency of Hillsdale sponsors aid programs for families and individuals. Working with federal, state and local governments, the agency also publishes reports assessing communities.
Vanlerberg said department of human services numbers show more than a hundred people losing unemployment benefits each month; a trend that will continue into at least the next two periods.
"Those are the people we are seeing now," Vanlerberg said. "The people who have not been working. They can't pay their light bill, they can't pay their grocery bills."
As for the future, the Community Action Agency 2009 Poverty Report's employment prospect in the Hillsdale area is grim.
"The predicted job growth in the three county region has been scaled back from forecasts made five years ago," the report said.
The Michigan Department of Career scaled down their 9.6 percent job increase estimate to 6.5 percent last year. Most of those jobs will be in the service industries, the report said.
Even if the jobs in those areas come through, they won't be able to lift people out of poverty, the Community Action Agency report said.
"[O]nly one job of the predicted top growth jobs for the three county region has an hourly wage that meets a families' basic needs," the report said.
The non-profit Community Action Agency of Hillsdale sponsors aid programs for families and individuals. Working with federal, state and local governments, the agency also publishes reports assessing communities.
Vanlerberg said department of human services numbers show more than a hundred people losing unemployment benefits each month; a trend that will continue into at least the next two periods.
"Those are the people we are seeing now," Vanlerberg said. "The people who have not been working. They can't pay their light bill, they can't pay their grocery bills."
As for the future, the Community Action Agency 2009 Poverty Report's employment prospect in the Hillsdale area is grim.
"The predicted job growth in the three county region has been scaled back from forecasts made five years ago," the report said.
The Michigan Department of Career scaled down their 9.6 percent job increase estimate to 6.5 percent last year. Most of those jobs will be in the service industries, the report said.
Even if the jobs in those areas come through, they won't be able to lift people out of poverty, the Community Action Agency report said.
"[O]nly one job of the predicted top growth jobs for the three county region has an hourly wage that meets a families' basic needs," the report said.
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