News FeedCathy March is one of the many local workers affected by the economic crisis. She is the head cook at Brashear High School, but she also cleans 23 different businesses in the Kirksville area.
“I am basically a single mother with a daughter,” said March. “I also have two older sons that I try to help when I can.”
She tries to find as many businesses to clean as possible, because she knows businesses may soon eliminate her services.
“When businesses start cutting back, the first one hit is the cleaning people, because they can do without those,” March said.
“I have cut back on the number of helpers I hire,” March said. She used to employ four or five helpers through the week. Now, she only has two or three helpers. She and her 14-year-old daughter do most of the cleaning themselves. March also limits the amount of supplies she buys and uses.
On an average day, she spends nine hours cooking and another nine hours cleaning. The weekends are not much better for her, when she spends anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day cleaning. Even with all those jobs, March said she is still just barely getting by.
“If I had my two sons back home with me, I couldn’t feed them,” she said. “There is no way.”
March is not the only person struggling to make ends meet during this crisis. Truman State economics professor David Gillette said that some people have a difficult time finding a second job, because they no longer have one job. The national unemployment rate has increased from 6.8 percent to 7.2 percent in just a few months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“It’s probably easier to reduce some expenditures than it is to find a second job. That doesn’t mean you don’t quit looking for a job,” said Gillette.
For individuals who cannot locate another job, Gillette suggested limiting unnecessary spending.
“I would go through the budget and figure out what is a necessity and not,” said Gillette. “One of the main expenses people can live without is cell phones.” He suggested cutting cell phones and replacing them with a much cheaper land line, as long as they do not have a contract. This is just one way of eliminating additional expenses.
He said the key to staying afloat for someone who is unemployed is to just buy the necessities and do without some of the plush things of life.
There are also several resources for people who have recently lost their jobs. One major support for people around Adair County is the career center located at 2105 E. Normal.
“We try our best to help people find work. There are jobs out there. There may not be exactly what a person is wanting, but there is work available,” said Cathy Collop, Workforce Development Supervisor of the Missouri Career Center.
“We also have a system called Alchemy and we really like this program,” Collop said. “It’s short and brief, but to the point on how to look for a job. Anyone is welcome to use that.”
Once a month, the career center provides workshops for resume building, effective job searchers, interviewing tips, and how to maintain a job. Collop said it is important to keep looking and to avoid giving up hope.
Economists are unsure how long these conditions will last. According to Gillette, the best case scenario is the low point will occur sometime during the summer, before rebounding. Whether people are adding jobs, subtracting expenses or a combination of the two, there is still a great amount of concern on enduring until then. For more information on locating jobs visit www.missouricareersource.com.
