Worcester Business Journal

26 Worcester Business Journal | May 29, 2017 | wbjournal.com MECHANICS HALL 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 Bookings: 508-752-5608 . Tickets: 508-752-0888 Fax: 508-754-8442 . info@mechanicshall.org . www.mechanicshall.org Built in 1857 ~ National Register of Historic Places Proud to Serve Our Community as the "Best Venue for Corporate Events!" Thanks for the votes of confidence! MECHANICS HALL 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 Bookings: 508-752-5608 . Tickets: 508-752-0888 Fax: 508-754-8442 . info@mechanicshall.org . www.mechanicshall.org Built in 1857 ~ National Register of Historic Places Workers still need jobs, and companies still need workers, as career officials try to match supply to demand Filling employment needs A t Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, the college and career navigator, Dawn Kiritsis, runs a workshop for those looking to change careers. "I say, 'OK, you're interested in this position. How viable is it for you?'" Kiritsis said. People are matched most often with jobs in the greatest demand, like tech- nology or engineering. It's Kiritsis's job to help those looking for new work no matter how much the economy is humming along. "There's always going to be a transi- tion because of the fact that we have such a wide range of clients," she said. "The workplace is so volatile, and it's ever-changing." Even as unemployment rates in Worcester (4 percent in March) and across Massachusetts (3.9 percent in April) near their lowest levels in more than 16 years, the real picture of employment is more complex. More than 4,000 Worcester and 150,000 Massachusetts residents are still looking for work, but their skills don't align with needs of companies willing to hire. "There's a real concern among man- ufacturers in Central Mass. that they're not finding enough people to fill their needs," said Christian Reifsteck, direc- tor of manufacturing programs at BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal Digital Editor Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. The unemployed An unemployment rate below 5 per- cent — it dipped last fall nearly to 3 percent for Worcester and below that statewide — would suggest that nearly everyone who wants to find work has done so. That hasn't been the case. Only 67 percent of Massachusetts workers are participating in the labor force, according to March data com- piled by Alan Clayton-Matthews, public affairs professor at Northeastern University in Boston. Among the more than 4,000 Worcester residents still looking for work is Benetta Kuffour, who is work- ing at the Workforce Central Career Center on Main Street in Worcester thanks to a state grant. At 67, she said she feels like finding a permanent job is nearly impossible. "I get burned out by the process," the former teacher said. "I get tired of send- ing out a resume with no response. You might go on three interviews a week, and none of them you hear back from." Figures beyond the simple unem- ployment rate show the rate of people working hasn't caught up to where it was before the Great Recession. For certain segments of the population, the rate is that much worse. Of those without a high school diplo- ma, 42 percent in Massachusetts are in the labor force, Clayton-Matthews found. Of those who did graduate from high school, the rate is still 62 percent. Even among college graduates, 77 per- cent are participating in the economy. Clayton-Matthews found participa- tion rates to be lagging for minorities (66 percent working) and those 55 and older (47 percent). Another Worcester job-seeker, Eddi- Dawn Kiritsis, the college and career navigator at Quinsigamond Community College, talks job training at a Worcester Community Connections Coalition event in May. 0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Less than high school High school Some college Bachelor's degree Unemployment rate by education '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 Note: Numbers are from March of each year The more education, the better Unemployment rates in Massachusetts vary greatly based on a person's educational attainment, based on data compiled by Alan Clayton-Matthews of Northeastern University.

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