According to the US Labor Department last Thursday, 542,000 people filed jobless claims last week. That's up over 27,000 from the week before. In Lane County alone, more than 43, 000, which is 12.4% of Lane County's population according to the 2008 US Census Bureau estimate of 346,560 people.
And unexpected casualty in these high Times of unemployment, is one of the local temporary services like so many other businesses in Oregon, has started laying off personnel themselves.
The story just does not end there for one of the individuals who recently lost their jobs at this temp agency. Sandy Harris now being faced with being unemployed herself, these cited to try something a little different.
She is going to try to make money by going green.
She contacted a California company which manufacturers bio-degradable paper products out of pulp from sugar cane and signed up to be a distributor and was sent samples of plates, napkins, and told the paper.
"I cringe if I go to a restaurant and they give me a 'to-go' box and my salad's in Styrofoam. I know it's never going to go away, so I need to get my product out there," Said Harris.
Bryan Rodney, local economist with the Oregon State employment Department sees money in going green.
"sometimes being laid off is an opportunity for people." Said Rodney, "business is the engine to the economy and if somebody is trying to get into green technology that's probably the way to go."
let's check back with him after he's laid off and see if he still feels the same way... remember Rodney, it's an opportunity
Although Harris has yet to require any clients, she said that she's not going to give up and is hoping to get her website up and running within the next couple days.
when you think about it, when things are so bad that a temporary agency starts laying people off due to the lack of demand for jobs in the area, then you really know things are bad.
But what is somebody to like Harris who used to work for temporary agency to do? Where do you go to look for work? Back to your own temporary agency?
Kudos to her for keeping a stiff upper lip and trying to find alternatives.
2 comments:
And advertising is a sin, to the eco crowd.
Pimpin'?
Cool.
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The situation just doesn't seem to get better any time soon. I just wish Mr. Obama was doing something to allay these fears and bring situation under control but he just seems to headed in other direction making situation even worse.
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