“Job seekers fight uphill battle”

Posted: 23 Dec 2010 08:55 AM PST

After losing his job as an accountant over a year ago, Rich Grycz has been spending his days scouring online job listings, taking workshops at the Norwood Career Center and interviewing wherever he can.

But 13 months after being laid off from Murata Power Solutions, Inc., in Mansfield, the job search struggle has taken a toll on Grycz, 45, and his family. His wife is looking at going back to work to help support their three daughters after nearly two decades out of the workforce. Like many who have been laid off, he's happy Congress passed extended unemployment benefits last week, but staying positive is getting tougher, especially around the holidays.

"I had put away a lot for savings but that only lasts so long," said Grycz, of Walpole, at the Norwood Career Center last week. "I definitely couldn't have survived without the extensions. Twenty-six weeks wouldn't have covered me."

After weeks of debate between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, President Barrack Obama signed the Middleclass Tax Relief Act of 2010 into law on Dec. 17. The bill extends jobless benefits to the 9.8 percent of Americans who are out of work beyond the 26 weeks of benefits that states cover. Congress voted last July to extend long-term unemployment benefits from the initial 26 weeks to 53 weeks, but it was set to run out Nov. 30.

Not a happy season for everyone

The bill will save an estimated 60,000 Massachusetts residents like Grycz from losing benefits before Christmas, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. However, because of the state's lower unemployment rate - 8.2 percent in comparison to the nation's 9.8 percent - unemployed state residents will qualify for a maximum of 93 weeks of unemployment benefits, instead of the previous extension to 99 weeks.

The vote came just in time for people like Grycz who has to buy Christmas presents for his three young daughters and his wife. Now, entering his second year of unemployment, the holidays are a little bleaker this year for Grycz and his family.

"I think it's tougher this year because I had an outlook that I was going to get another job (last year)," said Grycz. "How long can you keep that going?"

Grycz started out looking for jobs on his own, but found little success. Now as part of his routine he regularly searches for work at the Norwood Career Center and takes some of the center's 28 workshops. So far he's landed about 15 interviews and he's hoping for more.

Don, a Boston resident who did not want to give his last name, was laid off 11 months ago from his job in finance. He is also finding it hard to stay hopeful, especially during the holidays.

"I found my wife's gloves and I was going to rewrap them and give them to her for Christmas," he said. "There's a lot of sleepless nights. I don't even have a damn Christmas tree."

Now that the extensions have gone through Don said he's a little less worried about paying his mortgage and buying groceries "That's what I was looking at," he said. "Right now, I'll make my mortgage for December and (for) January I'm still scratching my head."

Coping with the hard times

Don said he sends out his resume and applies to jobs constantly but he's finding it hard to even get an e-mail acknowledging his submission.

"It's a loss of dignity," the 50-year-old said. "I've sent out probably hundreds of resumes and applications and I'm lucky to get 'we've received.' I had one where they asked for a phone interview and I'm hoping to use that as a foot in the door."

Don comes to the career center daily and spends hours taking part in whatever workshops he thinks can help him improve his skills, from "What's new in Office 2007" to "Using Age to Advantage."

But, he says the center's "Coping with Stress" class has helped him and now he uses humor to get through what he says are long restless nights pacing his hallway and wondering what bills he can afford to pay.

He said the Career Center has helped train him to be a more attractive candidate in the workforce after holding the same job for 14 years.

"They have some great classes and great resources and it's a very helpful and involved atmosphere," he said. "I haven't met anyone I haven't liked here."

On the upside

Despite the slight increase in the state's unemployment rate from 8.1 percent in October to 8.2 percent in November, experts say things are improving and people are getting jobs. According to statistics from the state's Office of Labor and Workforce Development, over the past 12 months the state's unemployment rate is down 1 percentage point with 52,000 more residents employed and 34,200 fewer residents unemployed.

But Ellie Rose, the director of the Marlborough, Newton and Norwood one-stop career centers, said this time around the recovery isn't coming in one main industry.

"Back in the '90s people were looking toward IT. Right now that's not happening, we're not seeing one industry (improving) over another," said Rose, who has been working for the state's Office of Labor and Workforce Development for 35 years. "So it's a little more difficult to direct people."

But Rose and state officials recommend that people use the state's 37 career centers immediately after they are laid off.

Experts say while some people can find jobs on their own, the centers offer the necessary training to get back into the workforce and often function as a support system for the unemployed.

"I've definitely heard of individuals and many career centers reporting that they have customers coming in everyday saying that it's their home away from home and it's like their job," said Jennifer James, the state's undersecretary of workforce development. "I think career centers have an opportunity to offer a sense of community. People need to know that they aren't alone and that people really care."

The workshops and support from the Norwood Career Center worked for Alison Lotes, of Norfolk, who is starting a new job at IDG in Framingham after being unemployed since February.

"I really owe it to this center," she said. "The classes alone were fantastic. The last time I did a job search I made a 100 copies of my resume and that was it, now it's so different."

Staff writer Chloe Gotsis can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at cgotsis@cnc.com.

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

“Job seekers fight uphill battle”

“Job seekers fight uphill battle”

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