Job opportunities available after hurricanes in SWLA

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) -After the storms, unemployment rates rose, and a number of businesses closed. If you’re looking for a job, it may seem like no one is hiring.

Crystal Scott, Local Area Coordinator for the American Job explained that isn’t the case, though there have been layoffs since the hurricanes.

“We as the employment office are notified when there are major layoffs in the area, and I know we’ve seen about three maybe four major layoffs,” Scott said. “Quite honestly, we have seen an uptick in the need for employment, both from the business side and the job seeker side. I find through our Freshjobs which is a listing of jobs that we put out on a daily basis; the traffic is still there. The need for trained employees is still there.”

CDL Truckers, banking, industry work, and the construction industries are all looking for people to hire, and with people leaving, there are jobs left to be filled.

“The need for those jobs are still there, so, I would say, if a person wants to work, then those employment opportunities are there,” Scott said. “The only difference is they made not be skilled in those occupations, so there may some need for retraining but I feel like everyone has those skills but they may be dormant.”

Retraining is something the American Job Center offers.

“We fund the tuition, books, we cover support costs,” Scott said. “We put people to work, we want to help SWLA get back on their feet financially or through training, so we’re all things employment and training and we’re here to help.”

To contact the American Job Center, you can call 337-721-4010.

To learn more about employment opportunities, click HERE.

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