FROED One Government Center Fall River, MA 02722-7700 Tel 508-324-2620 Fax 508-677-2840 info@froed.org		UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINES, BUT JOBS HARD TO FIND The Herald News, Wednesday, December 23, 2009 - Page B1 FALL RIVER — As the city’s unemployment rate continues to show little signs of improvement, many unemployed people continuing to battle for jobs are finding one key hurdle in their way: a lack of experience. The state saw its jobless rate drop for the second month in a row from 8.9 percent to 8.8 percent after two straight years of increases. Fall River experienced the same decline in its November unemployment rate, registering 13.9 percent, a tenth of a point lower than October’s 14 percent rate. Joseph Viana, director of the Fall River Career Center, said there are still jobs out there, as November saw 308 new positions posted in the area, including assistant payroll clerk, diesel mechanic and equipment operator. But available jobs are down significantly this month. “December is definitely a slower job month then November, with seasonal jobs becoming harder to come by,” said Viana. “But we expect it to go back up in the first quarter of the new year.” There are 1,700 fewer jobs in the state then there were a year ago, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. While 36 states saw a drop in unemployment rates, the number of people jobless for at least six months rose in November to 5.9 million, with the average exceeding 28 weeks for the first time in more than 60 years. Many jobseekers are finding education is available, but the jobs they hope to gain from it are not. “I just finished school as a professional medical coder and I hope to secure a job in a medical billing or office field, but the search is not going that great,” said Lorie Mateus, 43, of Fall River, who has been unemployed for 14 months. “The jobs are there but everyone’s looking for someone with experience and they are not giving people right out of school a chance.” Mateus said after losing her job last year, her husband lost his job a month later but found a new one, which has kept the family above water while she awaits her chance to show what she has learned. “The Career Center has provided me with a ton of resources and my outlook is good. I’m trying to stay positive,” said Mateus. “There’s a silver lining out there that people are finding jobs, but its hard for some of us to gain the experience we need when we don’t get the opportunity.” Patricia Cabral, 38, of Fall River, who has been unemployed for more than six months, has been taking the Career Center’s computer lab course, which she hopes to parlay into a new career in the office management or medical fields. “Its tough out there. I scan the newspapers, and go on the computers, but there’s nothing out there,” Cabral said. “I’ve been hearing about the need for experience out there with employers now, so I’ve held off on sending out my resume until I finish this course in another week. It sure beats getting your hopes up that a business will call you back and then get shut down when they don’t. I hope this course completion on my resume will help that.” Laid off from the Fire and Safety Field 17 months ago, 53-year-old Tiverton resident Michael Bouchard has tapped into the Career Center and Veterans Affairs resources to become educated as a dental assistant. While the jobs are there and the interviews are going well, there has yet to be a job offer. “I’ve been on 10 interviews, and I’ve gotten good feedback in all of them ... but that they are looking for more experience,” Bouchard said. “I can’t get the experience if I can’t get the job. I mean, I graduated tops in my class and have completed an externship but I guess its not enough. I’ll keep trying. That’s the best I can do is keep trying.” Back