Record-Journal (Meriden, CT)
September 11, 2012 Section: Local and State Page: 11 By Russell BlairRecord-Journal staff
WALLINGFORD – Tom DeCicco has spent the last three years seeking full-time employment after the job he held at AT&T for 14 years was outsourced.
“You keep hearing everyone say the economy is getting better, but I don’t feel it,” he said. “I don’t think the economy is much better than it was before.”
DeCicco, 37, of East Haven, was one of hundreds who came looking for work at a job fair at the Spanish Community of Wallingford Monday. Maria Harlow, executive director of the organization, said she was pleased with the turnout and knew a job fair was something needed in the community.
“We get people looking every day for work,” she said. “This is part of our mission.”
While many of the companies on hand were looking for bilingual workers, the fair was open to the entire community, with many people coming from across the state for a chance to meet with potential employers.
East Haven resident Stephen Wade, 23, was laid off by DirecTV about a year ago and said he has applied for more than 50 jobs since.
“It’s been tough,” he said. “Anywhere you go they want two or three years’ experience. How are you supposed to have experience if you can’t find a job?”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent in July to 8.1 percent in August. During the height of the economic downturn in October 2009, unemployment reached 10 percent, its highest point since the recession in the early 1980s. The most recent state data show Connecticut’s unemployment rate in July was 8.5 percent.
Christopher Caban, of Waterbury, heard about the job fair on the news Sunday night so he came down with his father. Caban does some work with a moving company but it’s only seasonal. He’s seeking a job in sales.
“It’s hard,” Caban said. “Even the low-end jobs you’re competing with people that have degrees and experience.” Fourteen organizations were present at the fair, including Masonicare, Nucor Steel, Ulbrich Steel, Verizon, the YMCA and the town of Wallingford. Linda Fernandes, director of recruitment at Masonicare, said her company was hiring for a number of positions, ranging from nurses to housekeepers.
“I think the health care field has been pretty steady,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to reach out and meet the candidates.”
James Hutt, Wallingford‘s assistant personnel director, said the town wasn’t currently hiring, but he was there to tell people about where to look for jobs with the town. He said the town caps applications at a certain number for each position, and that job postings have been closing faster in recent years.
“Some of these jobs close within a day as opposed to five days,” he said. “They’re closing faster because of the number of applications.”
Gricelda Avila, of Wallingford, has a job but stopped by Monday to pick up information for people she knows in the community. She said it can be hard for those in the Spanish– speaking community to find employment.
“It’s tough because of the language barrier,” Avila said. “Some of the workers need more education first.” But she was pleased with the turnout and the jobs offered by the companies present. “It’s encouraging to see that they have positions available,” Avila said. “Positions for all people.”
DeCicco, the former AT&T programmer, has been teaching night courses at Branford Hall, an independent career college, but makes less than half of what he used to make. He has more than a decade of experience and a college degree but still has had difficulty finding work. “A lot of times you feel like your resume just goes into a black hole somewhere,” he said. “There’s so many people out of work. I’m just one of many.”
rblair@record-journal.com (203) 317-2225 Twitter: @RussellBlairRJ Dave Zajac / Record-Journal
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