GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — A southwest Oregon employment agency is cutting nearly half its workers.
The Job Council helps connect unemployed people with job training and services in Josephine and Jackson counties. Executive director Jim Fong tells the Daily Courier his staff is expected to shrink from 89 to 50 employees — a 44 percent reduction.
Fong says that of 17,700 people who collected unemployment benefits in the two counties last year and more people who are underemployed or gave up their search for work, 14,500 got help from the Job Council.
Fong says he’s talked with state representatives in an effort to keep the Legislature informed on the value of the employment programs. Aside from helping job seekers find work, the Job Council helps companies locate workers with skills appropriate to specific jobs.
By Linsay Cathey of the Daily Courier
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EMPLOYMENT AGENCY LAYOFFS
GRANTS PASS — A local agency that helps connect unemployed people with job training and employment services in Josephine and Jackson counties is in the process of laying off 39 of its own employees.
Jim Fong, executive director of the Job Council, expects his staff will shrink from 89 to 50 employees — a 44 percent reduction — resulting in corresponding cuts to programs that serve low-income job-seekers.
“We don’t have solid numbers yet in terms of budget reductions of state and federal funding,” Fong said, but he expects federal funding to decline by nearly 40 percent and state funding to decline 60 to 70 percent.
“We are still in the process of giving layoff notices, but we won’t have a final picture until July 1, the start of the new fiscal year,” he added.
The Job Council has two “one-stop career centers,” one stationed in each county. Fong said he has yet to determine how many employees from each location will be laid off.
“I think it’s a real indication that it’s incredibly challenging,” Fong said. “We feel like we are first responders in an economic and job crisis, and what’s in fact happening is they’re cutting back the very program that is helping people find jobs.”
More than 17,700 people collected unemployment benefits between the two counties in 2010, and even more people are underemployed or gave up their search for employment, Fong said.
“Out of those, 14,500 came into one of our one-stop centers to get help. And out of those, close to 10,000 had actually gotten jobs,” Fong said.
Fong said he’s talked with state representatives in an effort to keep the Legislature informed on the value of the employment programs. Aside from helping job seekers find work, the Job Council helps companies locate workers with skills appropriate to specific jobs.
“Employers continue to tell us even in this down economy, they struggle to find the skilled workers,” said Fong, adding that the Job Council works together with economic development agencies to help “grow our way out of the recession.”
“We just have to do the best we can with what we have,” Fong said. “It’s a very challenging time.”
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Reach reporter Linsay Cathey at 541-474-3722 or lolesak(at)thedailycourier.com
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Information from: Daily Courier, http://www.thedailycourier.com
