ROCKVILLE, MD — While the current U.S. unemployment rate remains almost unchanged at 9.1 percent, the median length of time it takes the people without jobs to find employment has increased sharply from five to 10 weeks since the economic recession. The longer people remain unemployed, the less likely they are to find work and the more likely they are to quit searching for employment. For those who are unemployed more than 27 weeks, only 10 percent are likely to be successful in their searches.
That is why more and more people are turning to Goodwill Industries International for skills assessment, training and job search assistance, giving them a leg up in a depressed economy where job creation is stagnant. In 2010, Goodwill® agencies across the United States and Canada provided job training services to more than 2.4 million people, a 26 percent increase over 2009. Of those, 170,000 accessed employment, an almost 7 percent increase over the previous year.
“While most of us see Labor Day as a time for picnics and celebrations, 13.9 million of our neighbors are still without work and some have remained so for many months,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “Goodwill remains the pivotal link between skills development and employment. We’re doing what we’ve always done — helping people learn the skills they need to find jobs.”
Goodwill’s expertise in workforce development and its strong linkages with local businesses make it the logical first choice for employment assistance for both the newly unemployed and those who’ve struggled to find work for many weeks.
“In essence, we’re labor market experts,” said Gibbons “By identifying fast-growing career paths, we can help individuals access specific training that is more likely to result in a positive job search and higher wages.”
