SAGINAW, MI — With Michigan’s unemployment rate hovering around 15 percent in June, it may come as a surprise that there are thousands of jobs available in mid-Michigan.
That’s according to Michigan Works! offices in the Great Lakes Bay and Genesee County regions.
“What’s important to know is there are jobs available right now across the board,” said Diona McLaughlin, communications manager for GST Michigan Works, serving Genesee and Shiawassee counties, plus Michigan’s Thumb region.
The situation is the same at the Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works office, overseeing Saginaw, Bay, Gratiot, Isabella and Midland counties. The agency on Monday, Aug. 3, had more than 6,000 job opportunities listed within 50 miles of Saginaw.
“All that’s missing is the workforce,” said Chris Rishko, CEO of Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works.
The jobs aren’t just flipping burgers, either.
They include openings for attorneys, engineers, delivery drivers, corrections officers, sales managers, restaurant managers, nonprofit executive directors, on-air broadcasters, landscapers, housekeepers, cooks, and nearly every form of health care professional, according to the workforce development agency.
Sheril Tarrant, director of business services and community relations for Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works, said job seekers can find postings via Pure Michigan Talent Connect at www.mitalent.org.
In the Saginaw region, some of the most recent postings include care management nurse at Great Lakes Bay Health Centers in Saginaw, pharmacy technician at MidMichigan Health in Midland, game technician at Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, teller at Great Lakes Federal Credit Union in Bay City, youth care worker at Wolverine Human Services in Saginaw, and general carpenter at Lutz Brothers Custom Builders in Essexville.
There is always a need in the region for health care, hospitality, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades workers and that’s still the case today, Tarrant said.
“I have heard a couple employers say that they are not back to 100% not because demand is low, but because they do not have the workforce yet to reach those goals,” she said.
Coronavirus and COVID-19 are a factor for current job seekers, but employment can offer health benefits and other opportunities for workers that unemployment cannot, Rishko said.
“It’s okay to have some concerns about returning to work in the new norm. That’s a healthy reminder to remain safe in our daily activities and to follow the advice of public health experts as we go about our lives,” Rishko said in a statement.
Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works recently hosted a series of outdoor job fairs to give employers and applicants the opportunity to network while practicing social distancing. More than 300 job seekers and nearly 100 employers participated in the events, among them were Mobile Medical Response, McLaren Bay Region, Saginaw County Sheriff’s office, Michigan State Police, Ascension St. Mary’s, Beattie Master Pool & Spa, and Avalon and Tahoe.
Tarrant said it is a good time for job seekers to apply for jobs. And for those considering a career change, it’s a good time to reskill and Michigan Works may be able to assist with some of the costs associated with that.
“The best option is to reach out to us,” she said.
Michigan’s preliminary statewide unemployment rate in June was 14.8%, down from 21.3% in May and 24% in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In February, just before the state’s first case of coronavirus was confirmed and the World Health Organization declared the crisis a pandemic, the statewide unemployment rate was 3.6%.
In the Saginaw area, the numbers show a similar trend. The preliminary unemployment rate for the Saginaw area in June was 14.5%. It peaked in April at 25.2%, climbing from 4.3% in March. In Flint, the preliminary unemployment rate in June was 16.2%, down from 30% in April but up from just 4.1% in February and March.
To continue to meet the needs of employers and people looking for work, Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works officials plan to offer more pop-up, outdoor and virtual job fairs. One upcoming event is scheduled to take place from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at The Boardroom restaurant at SVRC Marketplace, 203 S. Washington Ave. in downtown Saginaw.
“With the fluid situation created by COVID, we are hosting them in an on-demand manor based on the needs of the employers and the status of the state’s COVID reopening plans,” Tarrant said.
And although Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works service centers are still closed for in-person appointments, staff are available via virtual appointments, phone and email. Other services offered include:
· Personalized “I need a change” chats with a Talent Expert
· Short-term retraining scholarships for job seekers who qualify
· Virtual resume review and mock interviews
· Specialized programs for youth job seekers
A search for jobs within 50 miles of Flint posted to www.mitalent.org within the last month yielded more than 24,000 results on Friday, July 31. Recently posted Flint-area jobs include occupational therapist at ResCare in Lapeer, billing specialist at Michigan Eye Institute in Flint, box truck driver at Super Flite Oil Inc. in Swartz Creek, branch relationship banker at Huntington National Bank in Owosso, and pharmacy technician at McLaren Health Care in Davison.
“There are a plethora of positions available in the Flint area, in all job sectors,” McLaughlin said.
GST Michigan Works service centers are also closed but help is still available.
“Our service centers are closed, but we help hundreds of people weekly over the phone. We can be reached by calling 1-800-285-9675. We have career coaches on standby ready to help,” she said.
Michigan Works officials acknowledge that some employers struggled to fill openings while unemployment benefits outweighed wages in some cases and that returning to work amid a pandemic may pose challenges for some workers.
Al Zehnder, CEO of Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, has job openings to fill. The company is looking for servers, cooks, bartenders, cashiers, someone to perform as the company’s chicken mascot “Drumstick” and more.
But he says the $600 per week federal unemployment benefit, which expired Friday, July 31, has made it difficult for employers to fill some jobs even as segments of the economy have been allowed to reopened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was just really tough to get employees back once businesses were allowed to open, and I certainly get that. I mean, people have to make a financial, you know, a financial decision based on their own situation,” Zehnder said. “But it’s difficult for many businesses to get employees back.”
Rishko implored job seekers to reach out to Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works to see what the agency can do for them.
“Now is the time to analyze your situation and make decisions for you. Call us, follow us on social media, type ‘I need a change’ in our web chat feature. Just connect with us. It’s free and we might even be able to help pay for training to advance you to the next chapter of your career,” he said. “At the very least, let us help you with your resume and get you prepped to rise above the crowd so our region’s employers see you.”
For more resources, visit michiganworks.com or gstmiworks.org.
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