YUMA, Ariz. – It’s the end of agriculture season and according to officials at the Goodwill Career Center that has a lot of people looking for work.
“We’ll probably see the unemployment go up a little bit more in April but then go down again,” Employer Experience Partner Rebecca Drabent said.
Right now the unemployment rate is at 12.5% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. That’s about the same as it was this time last year. Several residents we talked to said they have been looking for work for awhile.
“I hope to at least get a job I filled out several applications. I was looking at the job boards here. I noticed that a lot of places are hiring,” Yuma resident Isaias Lerma said.
Lerma says he’s been looking for work for two years now. Another resident we talked to says he’s employed but looking for a better paying job to support his family.
“A job that I could also be with my family and not work to much and not always be out all day from when I wake up till I go to bed. Not being able to spend time with my family,” Yuma resident Jose Rivera said.
If they do not have the skills to get into administrative work or retail they could have a tough time.
Drabent says that’s why they offer classes to help with technical skills.
“Prove their skills and learn more about how to get a year around full-time job,” said Drabent.
For those who like more labor intensive work, she says it’s now sea food season.
“We do have a lot of sea food companies coming into Yuma next month to hire for summer jobs,” said Drabent.