2 local communities lead in unemployment
Updated: February 1, 2013
DANVILLE -- A new report shows it might be a little tougher to find a job in two Central Illinois areas. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) put out new numbers this week. Danville and Decatur show some of the biggest jumps in unemployment. WCIA-3's Jessica Shaw has more.
The study looks at percentage of jobs lost. Those two cities have the largest drop for 2012. It's something students at Danville Area Community College are preparing for as they enter the workforce.
"I want to go to college and try to get that job. That way, I'm not depending on other people."
But, DACC sophomore, Jyoti Sills, knows she's got her work cut out for her. The economy is rough.
"I don't want to go and find a job and just end up having to be laid off after, like, six months."
Her odds just got a little slimmer if she wants to stay around here. The USBLS looked at unemployment in more than 300 cities.
When it comes to the biggest percentage of jobs lost for 2012, Danville and Decatur rank first and second followed by Brownsville-Harrington, TX, and Las Cruces, NM.
Danville went from 29,500 jobs in December 2011 to just over 28,000 jobs in 2012. That's a decline of 3.7%. In 2011, Decatur had more than 53,000 jobs. It dropped to 51,000 in 2012, a 3.6% decline.
"Will I be able to find a job in the Danville area? Or, if I go to Decatur?"
"Every student that comes in, they say, 'I want to pick something that I can get a job in.'"
Carla Boyd is DACC's Director of Career Services. She says jobs are out there.
"It could be that they have been trained in one area, but the opportunities are in another area."
Boyd says it all amounts to making sure you keep an open mind and have the right skill set. It's something students like Sills are working on in class.
"I make sure I go to classes. I'm on time."
DACC says a growing job opportunity in Vermilion County is manufacturing. They're seeing more and more openings in that field.
The study looks at percentage of jobs lost. Those two cities have the largest drop for 2012. It's something students at Danville Area Community College are preparing for as they enter the workforce.
"I want to go to college and try to get that job. That way, I'm not depending on other people."
But, DACC sophomore, Jyoti Sills, knows she's got her work cut out for her. The economy is rough.
"I don't want to go and find a job and just end up having to be laid off after, like, six months."
Her odds just got a little slimmer if she wants to stay around here. The USBLS looked at unemployment in more than 300 cities.
When it comes to the biggest percentage of jobs lost for 2012, Danville and Decatur rank first and second followed by Brownsville-Harrington, TX, and Las Cruces, NM.
Danville went from 29,500 jobs in December 2011 to just over 28,000 jobs in 2012. That's a decline of 3.7%. In 2011, Decatur had more than 53,000 jobs. It dropped to 51,000 in 2012, a 3.6% decline.
"Will I be able to find a job in the Danville area? Or, if I go to Decatur?"
"Every student that comes in, they say, 'I want to pick something that I can get a job in.'"
Carla Boyd is DACC's Director of Career Services. She says jobs are out there.
"It could be that they have been trained in one area, but the opportunities are in another area."
Boyd says it all amounts to making sure you keep an open mind and have the right skill set. It's something students like Sills are working on in class.
"I make sure I go to classes. I'm on time."
DACC says a growing job opportunity in Vermilion County is manufacturing. They're seeing more and more openings in that field.
