Indiana’s Unemployment

Lydia | Dec 08, 2010 | 0 comments

by Lydia Johnson

Indiana’s unemployment rate is higher than the United States.

The U.S. unemployment rate edged up to 9.8% this month.

At 9.9%, Indiana has the 10^th highest unemployment rate in the nation.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics

There are 309,637 unemployed people in the state, according to Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development.

The recession that began in the fall of 2007 caused many companies to shut down or lay off employees.

Biggest areas of job losses over the last 3 years include: education, construction, business, government and manufacturing.

Between August and October of this year, 12,300 government jobs were lost and 6,200 manufacturing jobs, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Kekonna Watkins was a surveillance monitor for Marion County Department of Correction. She was laid off on Feb. 26, 2009. Since then Watkins has applied for multiple jobs but has not been hired yet.

“I’m still looking for a job,” she said. “Sooner or later my unemployment is going to run out, my last little bit. So I’m still looking.”

But competition is fierce.

“I’ve had so many interviews,” Watkins said. “When you don’t get hired after you’ve had your interview, you feel like ‘What are you doing wrong?’ ”

What the state is doing

The state partners with WorkOne, an agency that provides job services such as workshops, training and mock interviews. Many people use WorkOne’s computers, scanners and fax machines to apply for unemployment benefits and search for jobs.

As the unemployed population increases more people use the agency, according to Lisa McNeely, a training liaison for WorkOne.

“I can’t tell you what percentage, but with the unemployment rate as it is, there are a multitude of people that go through that had not gone through in the past,” she said.

McNeely said more than 14,000 people a month go through the WorkOne East site.

That means close to 700 people a day are in the facility, filling out forms, taking classes and using computers.

People’s excessive use of the computers causes the system to freeze and disrupts the filing process.

“I don’t like it when I have to come up here and then there’s a problem with the check or their computers are down,” said Travis Armes, a seasonal construction worker.

If a form doesn’t get sent correctly, no check or voucher will be received. That means some people don’t have the means to pay for rent and utilities.

“Delayed payments,” Armes said. “That’s the only problem I’ll probably have.”

Even with the assistance of WorkOne, people are still having trouble finding work. There are few open positions.

“Everybody’s kinda saying well, ‘We might be able to use people,’ but the way things are, you know, they’re kinda just hanging with what they have,” said Harry Turner, who used to do auto body work.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” he continued. “Never. Never in any kind of way.”

He went to WorkOne to turn in a list of places where he has looked for jobs. That’s part of the process to receive unemployment benefits.

In the state of Indiana, the minimum amount a person can receive weekly is $50, the maximum is $390. The amount received depends on how much money received depends on how much a person earned.

Until Turner finds a job, depending on unemployment checks from the state is something he will have to do.

“Well I’m pretty frustrated, but the thing of it is, you gotta deal with what’s out there, you know?” Turner said.

Assistance programs

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development has programs to help unemployed people.

“When you’re unemployed and you’re out there looking for work, it can be very hard,” said Valerie Kroeger, communications director.

Unemployment checks often do not cover all expenses, which include food, childcare and healthcare.

“A lot of people are unemployed for the first time in their life and they’re not really quite sure of the assistance programs that are available to them,” Kroeger said.

Assistance programs include Hoosier Healthwise, a state sponsored health program for children, and the Healthy Indiana Plan for adults. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program provides cash assistance to families with children under the age of 18. They also offer food stamps and childcare.

“We just do our best, and every day we try to help as many people as we possibly can,” Kroeger said.

However, some people fall through the cracks.

“I don’t qualify, actually, for unemployment,” said Amy Jackson, who was laid off from her job in the field of education.

Without a job or unemployment benefits, Jackson said she has little funds available.

“I have absolutely no money to pay for my mortgage, my utilities,” Jackson said, “and basically my parents pay everything for me until I can get a job.”

She benefits from food stamp assistance because she has a daughter, but does not qualify for TANF.

“I just need something full time to get insurance and get other things that I haven’t been able to get, especially being single,” Jackson said.

An uncertain future

Many people might be in the same situation as Jackson near the end of this year.

Congress made a decision in July of 2009 to extend unemployment benefits. The proposal is scheduled to end in November, which will leave people who have been unemployed for more than 6 months without any government assistance.

This will place even more Hoosiers in tough situations.

“We’re all in a bind right now,” Watkins said. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”