By SHAWN PIATEK
When unemployment began to soar for the first time in years, contingency planning by Johnstown Area Regional Industries kicked into gear.
JARI, along with Penn Highlands Community College and United Way of the Laurel Highlands, have teamed up to meet the needs of a growing number of unemployed in the region.
The group will sponsor a Displaced Workers Community Outreach Services event from 1 to 4:30 p.m. March 6 at the Penn Highlands campus in Richland Township.
“Any time we see there’s a larger number of workers than normal being displaced we want to do something on a larger scale,” said Debra Balog, JARI’s director of workforce development.
“We’re usually working with one company at a time. But with the state of the economy, we’re seeing people being displaced from a number of companies, and we need to have a wider response.”
Unemployment in the region was up sharply in December, reaching 7.9 percent in Cambria County and 7.8 percent in Somerset County. Those numbers represent 12-year highs in joblessness for both counties.
Balog said that all indications are that those losing their jobs now will have a more difficult time finding work. Experts are expecting national unemployment numbers will reach 9 percent before the current recession ends, and the federal government has extended unemployment benefits by 33 weeks in anticipation of Americans having a more difficult time finding work.
Next month’s free event will help displaced individuals to find services that can help them to better weather their time without paychecks. Information on education assistance, health-care options, unemployment compensation, social service support programs and more will all be available.
“It can be very challenging if you have never used these services before and don’t know where to go or what to do,” Balog said. “We’re going to bring all of those agencies into one place to make it as simple as possible on the people who have the misfortune of going through something like this.”
Balog said that a large number of people currently finding themselves out of work have never experienced a layoff or downsizing or it has at least been years since they last did.
She said it is unlikely that those individuals know the kinds of programs and benefits available to them.
She also said organizers believe that because job cuts in the region during this recession are so varied and widespread, attendance for the event will be high.
“Our expectations are that we’re going to get a fairly big crowd,” Balog said.
“This isn’t just open to people from Cambria and Somerset, but people from throughout the region. With unemployment being up, there is a good number of people who can benefit from being there and we expect to see a large number of them.”
Balog added that those who aren’t able to attend can contact JARI at 535-8675 for assistance in learning about the benefits for which they qualify.
