Figures released Wednesday show Kern's unemployment problem has gone from bad to worse. Countywide, the unemployment rate is 17.1%, the highest in 16 years. It's even worse in some parts of the county.
You don't have to tell the folks who showed up at this week's job fair, finding work is difficult.
"I've seen at least six that I'm applying for. I'm doing a quick walk through to find out what the prospects are," said Granville Lee, who has been looking for work for almost a year. Organizers of Monday's job fair, hosted by U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy, said more people than expected showed up.
Numbers released Wednesday by the Employment Development Department may reflect why.
Kern County's unemployment rate for January was 17.1%. That's considerably higher thah the state and nation.
Hardest hit is Arvin, with an unemployment rate of 41.1 percent. Delano was next highest at 39.8 percent and Bakersfield is at 12.1 percent.
Most of the job losses come from the agricultural industry, oil and mining, construction, and government.
"The state's budget is well-known," said John Emery, CSUB School of Business Dean. "And unfortunately, the budget tends to make things worse. State revenues are down we're laying off government employees," said Emery.
Emery says nationwide, we are coming out of the recession, but it will be later than sooner before the workforce builds back up. "The last time this happened, early in the decade, we were nine months from when the recession turned until unemployment peaked," said Emery.
