A new report by the California Budget Project finds that Californians are still bucking under the weight of unemployment. According to the study, many California counties still face double-digit unemployment rates, and more than two out of five unemployed Californians have been looking for a job for at least half a year.
It also found:
- 1.3 million workers (or eight percent of all employed Californians) are only able to find part-time jobs.
- Over the past three years, employment for men ages 25-54 has increased, but decreased for women in the same age rage.
- 34 out of 58 counties have an average unemployment rate that stretches into the double digits. Of all counties, the lowest unemployment rate is 5.1 percent in Marin County, and the highest is 24.5 percent in Imperial County.
The nation’s youth are faring just as poorly. The June 2013 Millennial Job report data found an increase in unemployment among youth ages 18–29, from 11.1 percent in April 2013 to 11.6 percent in May 2013.
What’s happening throughout the country is also happening in our own community. Recently, El Tecolote reported on rising rates of youth unemployment nationwide, and its reverberations in the Mission.
To help mitigate the impacts of rising unemployment, local job-training programs have sprouted up throughout the neighborhood. One such program is Plaza Adelante’s Tech Center. The center trains Spanish-speakers in a wide range computer literacy classes; including basic digital literacy courses, intermediate Microsoft Office classes, and a track that prepares students for the Microsoft Office Specialist Exam. Other courses include website design, social media, and QuickBooks.
In six months, 70 students earned industry-recognized Microsoft Office specialist certifications and over 20 families gained access to low-cost internet.
If you know of any other job-training programs that are making an impact on the community, let us know! Leave a comment or email us at mission local@gmail.com
This is the right solution. If you have useful skills, it is easy to find work. As has been pointed out here many times, there are many easy and free ways to gain those skills, if you are motivated and willing to put the effort in.