10/16/09: Niagara Falls and Buffalo September Unemployment Stats Hit Double Digits

Buffalo’s Karen McLaurin uses the Buffalo Employment and Training Center to look for work. The unemployed medical assistance hasn’t gotten a job lead in two years.
“Either I don’t have enough experience, or maybe I’m too old. Or maybe they’re looking for younger people. And then by me having medical history myself, I’m limited to certain areas,” said McLaurin.
The breast cancer survivor had a lumpectomy that caused her to lose strength in her right arm back in 2005. She lost her job in 2007. This year McLaurin says she is hoping to get a fresh start.
“Well I’m here in Buffalo; I’ve been in Buffalo all my life. I’m familiar with Buffalo; maybe I can find a job here,” McLaurin added. She continues to come up dry here in the Queen City, but Karen has gotten a bite from a Maryland health care company. The visited her adult kids in Montgomery County and met with a recruiter from the National Institute of Health in Rockville.
“I told her that I was a native of Buffalo and she told me that if I decide to move down there to call her as soon as I got there because there was possibilities of employment.”
Karen may not be the only Western New Yorker heading south to look for work.
New York State Department of Labor statistics show Buffalo and Niagara Falls had double-digit unemployment rates in September. Lockport, Cheektowaga, North Tonawanda and Hamburg also reported high jobless rates.
NYS Dept. of Labor September Unemployment
11.3% Niagara Falls
10.8% Buffalo
9.2% Lockport
8.2% Cheektowaga
8.2% North Tonawanda
7.2% Hamburg
SOURCE: NYS Dept. Of Labor
Buffalo ranks third in the country for poverty among large cities. Job hunting has become tough around the Queen City. Area employment experts say Western New York’s skilled labor market has been hit hard by job losses and may be among the last in the nation to feel any economic relief heading.
“Unfortunately for Western New York historically we tend to lag the country going into these and coming out,” said John Slenker. He crunches numbers for the New York State Labor Department’s Buffalo Office. Slenker says the nation lost 4.9% of its employment this year, while Erie and Niagara counties dropped three percent. He says the latest jobless numbers include people whose unemployment benefits have run out.
“People collecting unemployment insurance, depending on the month only make up 30% to 50% of the people who are unemployed,” Slenker said.
Labor experts say people must constantly hone their professional skills.
“If you’re unemployed it’s a great time to pick up more training. If you’re currently working, it’s a great time to pick up more training,” added Slenker.
“Just me going on the computer and punching in something doesn’t work,” said Karen McLaurin. While she still uses a phone book and notebook paper to job hunt, Karen says she’s also using this time to improve her computer skills.
“If you don’t know exactly how to put things on and apply online then your application could be lost,” said McLaurin.