6A • SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 J O B L E S S : W H AT R E C O V E R Y ? SALISBURY POST

independent contractors, orthe people looking forwork.”

And more of those whoare being counted havebeen out of work a longertime.

According to the U.S.Department of Labor, near-ly 46 percent of thosecounted on the official un-employment rolls in Aprilhad been jobless for morethan six months, up from27.5 percent in April 2009.

Yastremski is one of thelong-term unemployed.

Beginning his career withNASCAR in 1992 after grad-uating from college with adegree in automotive tech-nology, he spent 16 yearsworking for various racingteams. In 2008, he was work-ing for driver Kevin Har-vick’s team.

“They made 15 to 16 cutsthat year,” he said. “I knewit was coming, but I didn’tknow it was going to be me. Ihad a pretty good resumé. Ihad won a lot of races.”

Even when he was laidoff, Yastremski said, he did-n’t think it would be thathard to find another job. Andhe had a couple of offers, but“figured a better door wouldopen,” he said.

But a better door neveropened, and others closed.Yastremski has been lookingfor work since.

“You name it, I’ve beenthere and done it,” he said ofhis job search. He has beenon six or seven interviews,but says the companies he’sinterviewed with are reluc-tant to hire him.

“They are thinking that ifthey spend the time trainingme, what makes them think Iwon’t go back to racing if anopportunity presents itself?”he said. “Right now, I’m justlooking for somethingsteady — something that willbe there every day.”

Yastremski is discour-aged.

“Every time you look atwant ads, they want peoplewith experience,” he said.“There’s no one willing togive people a shot anymore.”

Yastremski’s wife, Amy,is an emergency room nurseat Rowan Regional MedicalCenter. To save money, theyhave refinanced their homein Salisbury and taken theirchild, 2-year-old MckenzieGrace, out of day care.

“It’s daddy day carenow,” he said. “My child isn’tgetting the social skills sheneeds.”

Yastremski calls his wifehis “backbone,” but says he’sworried about his family.

“Not having a job makesme feel like I let my familydown,” he said. “But I don’tknow what else to do. I hatelooking at my daughterknowing I can’t provide forher.”

Yastremski receives un-employment, but he doesn’tknow how much longer itwill last.

“The little bit they giveme is a big help,” he said.“But every day is a struggleto survive.”

“When I was making mon-ey, I wasn’t saving it toowell,” he said. “Now when Iget behind on a car payment,I wonder if they’re going tocome take it in the middle ofthe night.”

Yastremski said he does-n’t have a clue what else hecould do to find a job.

“It just gets depressingafter a while,” he said. “I’vethought about going back tocollege, but how do you startsomething new at 40? I justwant to keep a roof over myhead, to have something formy daughter.

“I would take anything, Ireally would. Just somethingto bring money home to myfamily.”

Adria WorthAdria Worth has been out

of work for two years and 10

months.After a month being

homeless in 2008, she nowlives rent-free in a three-room apartment owned byher mother, surviving onfood stamps and assistancefrom family and friends.

She looks for jobs everyday.

“It’s really frustrating,”she said. “It makes me feellike I’m kind of a burden oneveryone else. They helpme, and I know they want tohelp me, but it still bothersme.”

Worth eats supper atTrading Ford BaptistChurch on Tuesdays andWednesdays. If she’s run-ning low on food, she eatslunch at the Rowan HelpingMinistries soup kitchen.

Worth doesn’t get unem-ployment benefits but visitsthe Employment SecurityCommission more than twicea month.

“Each time I visit I applyfor at least three jobs,” shesaid. She also applies forjobs listed in the newspaperclassifieds and others shelearns about throughfriends. She faxes resumésto companies across RowanCounty.

What keeps her positive,she says, is her church fami-ly.

“They pay for my utili-ties, food when I need it, andprovide transportation forme,” she said. “These arehard times, and they knowknow if I could do any bet-ter, I would.”

When she is not lookingfor jobs, she is a small groupleader at Celebrate Recov-ery, a ministry at herchurch.

“We focus on hurts, habitsand hang-ups,” she said. “It’sa tremendous blessing.”

Worth has had her ownhang-ups in the past, servingtime in prison for past addic-tions. She takes her experi-ences and applies them toothers’ lives and her own re-covery.

“I can go there and tellthem how I feel, whether I’mdisgusted or discouraged,”she said. “Others there arenot working, and we encour-age one another.”

Worth started a cleaningbusiness. But so far, she hasonly one client and worksonly one day per month. Shehopes to expand that busi-ness in the next year andsays it she’d like to tie it intoher ministry work.

“I’ll be helping the churchstart a halfway house, andwill be able to help the resi-dents by offering them part-time work when I get thecleaning business going,”she said.

Meanwhile, Worth is look-ing for anything, but wouldlike to be a caregiver.

“I’ve worked as an inde-pendent caregiver in thepast,” she said. “I’m lovingand dependable, honest andhard working.

Still, she says, neither ofthose is her dream job.

She wants to be a coun-selor for women coming outof drug rehab or prison.

“I’ve been there,” shesaid. “I have a passion forthose people, and a lot oftimes you just can’t catch abreak.”

Tamara ThrockmortonTamara Throckmorton,

43, says she belongs behindthe wheel of a tractor-trailer.

“My dream job would begoing back and driving mytruck,” she said.

A veteran truck driver,Throckmorton says she losther job in April 2009 for be-ing on medical leave toolong.

“I can’t get unemploy-ment, even though I was ter-minated,” she said. “Thecompany put it on my recordthat I had quit.”

Throckmorton was out ofwork three weeks due toemergency surgery whenshe got the phone call fromher employer. At first, shewondered why she hadn’tjust dealt with the pain, buther doctor had insisted onthe operation.

“I feel cheated” by thecompany’s decision to fireher, she said.

Throckmorton said shehas “made phone call afterphone call after phone call”trying to find a job.

“I’ve filled out more appli-cations than I can count,” shesaid. “It’s been one disap-pointment after another. I’vehad thousands of disappoint-ments.”

Among those disappoint-ments, Throckmorton hashad to move out of her apart-ment and now lives with herfiance. She has had to gethelp paying bills fromRowan Helping Ministriesand food stamps from SocialServices.

“I’d rather be making myown money,” she said. “Forthe better part of 15 years, Imade it without all of that.Having to go back on assis-tance, I feel lower than dirt. Idon’t like it, I really don’t.”

She’s not giving up. Somedays, she spends 10 hours onher computer looking for ajob.

“I get so bored sitting athome watching four walls,”she said. “I’m ready to getback into the workforce, andI’d love to stay in the truck-ing field.”

She’s not limiting herself,though, to the dream of driv-ing again. Throckmorton hasworked as a 911 dispatcher,in retail and fast food, as acashier at gas stations andtruck stops, and as a newspa-per carrier.

“There’s not very manythings I haven’t done orwon’t do,” she said.

And she keeps lookingevery day for something todo, something that will giveher a paycheck and pride.

“I try to keep a smile onmy face at all times, my headup, and my shoulders back.It’s really hard,” she said. “Ijust need someone to giveme a break, give me achance.”

Coming Monday: Some sayit’s hard to believe they’llever find a job.

JOBLESSFROM 1A

BY SHELLEY SMITHssmith@salisburypost.com

Carol Loncar hasn’t hadto look for a job in morethan two decades.

The 55-year-old Concordresident worked as a secre-tary for the world’s third-largest advertising agencyand also has experience inbanking. For the past 20-plus years, she’s helped herhusband manage his con-struction company.

“Being in the pits thatconstruction is, he’s nowout of work, too,” Loncarsaid. “For the past year, hehas been trying to keepthings rolling, but he could-n’t anymore.”

A few weeks ago, Loncarvisited the R3 Center inKannapolis for new clientand resumé clinics.

“I’m really committed tofinding a job,” she said.“I’m hoping this gives methe path to follow and helpsme keep a focus.”

The R3 Center, a careerdevelopment center creat-ed by Rowan-CabarrusCommunity College, hasthree main objectives: re-focus, retrain and re-em-ploy. The center assessesskills, training and academ-ic credentials and helpsclients develop a plan forcareer growth.

“When someone comesin, we have a conversationwith them on their focus,”said Keri Allman-Young, di-rector of the R3 Center.“We build an awarenesswith our clients that thearea is changing into a glob-al workforce. The work-force as we have known itdoesn’t exist anymore.

“In order to be competi-tive in a global workforce,you need to be introducedto the concept of lifelonglearning. That’s key.”

Although the R3 Centerdoes not post job openingsor place people in jobs, em-ployers come to the centerfor potential employees.

“Employers want R3clients because it’s all freewill,” Allman-Young said.“Our clients consist of theabove-average job seekerand are very proactive.

“If an employer comesto me and says they needR3 clients, my staff willpull clients.”

Loncar said she is one ofthose committed job seek-ers.

“The more I come tothese clinics and work-shops, the more armed I amto make my job searchmore successful,” she said.“You have to have the com-mitment. You have to real-

ly get into the middle of thecircle for people to really no-tice you.”

Allman-Young said eachclient is taught to be as proac-tive as possible when lookingfor jobs.

“We stress to them that jobsecurity comes from them,and if you commit to lifelonglearning, transitioning em-ployers will be easier,” shesaid.

Clinics and workshops of-fered at the center vary, butinclude “Job vs. Staying Un-employed,” “Layoff SurvivalTips,” “Looking for Workwith a Criminal Record” and“Online Job Hunting.” Work-shops change every month,and a calendar is available on-line.

Allman-Young said one ofthe hottest topics for clientsis the N.C. Research Campus.More than 80 attended theworkshop “Research CampusCareers 101.”

“We had people in thatworkshop that are still deal-ing with personal strugglesand personal loss losing Pil-lowtex,” she said. “Our objec-tive with that group is to al-ways show an appreciation tothe heritage and provide theskills to head toward the fu-ture.

“The campus is going tohave 35,000 employees by2030, and it is likely that a bio-manufacturer or other com-pany will emerge in this areain the future,” she said.“When that will happen, Idon’t know, but I do believethe research that’s going onup there is going to changethe world, and how can em-ployers not want to come andbe a part of that?”

Along with workshops andresources available, the cen-ter also works very closelywith JobLink and the RowanCounty Employment Securi-ty Commission.

“Our partnerships are phe-nomenal,” Allman-Youngsaid. “They allow the jobseeker to navigate throughunemployment.

“We try to make sure thatwe will never go stale. We’reproactive and our workshopcalendar reflects that.”

Resources are not limitedto the R3 Center, and can befound in Salisbury at theJobLink Career Center.

Debbie Davis, manager ofJobLink and the Rowan Coun-ty Employment SecurityCommission, said thousandsof people enter the center’sdoors every month.

“We may see 150 to 160people per day just for unem-ployment,” she said. “A lot ofweeks, we see around 1,000.”

JobLink is made up of dif-ferent partners, includingRowan County Senior Ser-vices, Rowan-Cabarrus Com-munity College, Rowan-Salis-bury School System and N.C.Vocational Rehabilitation.The Employment SecurityCommission and RowanCounty Department of SocialServices are at the center fulltime, and other agencies haveset schedules there. For ex-ample, RCCC comes into thecenter four times a week.

“All of these partners worktogether as part of theJobLink Career Center,”Davis said. “The point is tomake the community re-sources more easily availablefor our customers and makethem aware of what assis-tance there is in addition tothe Employment SecurityCommission.”

Davis said having all agen-cies under one roof helps alot.

“If we see someone whotells us they need financialneeds because their unem-ployment is running out, theymay ask us about applying forFood Nutrition or Medicaid,”she said. “With a person herefrom social services, they cantalk to them about the crite-ria. And it’s always better get-ting first-hand information.”

Other helpful tools jobseekers can utilize at the ca-reer center are computers,fax machines, printers, re-sume writing software, tele-phones and career choicevideos and books. There isalso a job posting board, jobinformation pamphlets andmaterials for those who arevision and hearing impaired.

“JobLink’s managementteam, made up of our part-ners, discusses projects andideas of what’s needed forRowan County,” Davis said.

JobLink sees people on afirst come, first serve basis.Services at both the R3 Cen-ter and JobLink are free.

‘Above-average job seeker’finds benefits at R3 Center

SHELLEY SMITH/SALISBURY POST

Participants in a R3 Center’s clinic go over their resumé ‘prescriptions’ at the end of class.

The R3 Center is located in Kannapolis at200 West Ave. and offers the following:

• Self assessment, career exploration andjob search

• Daily workshops • Labor market informationContact the R3 Center by phone, 704-216-

7201, e-mail, r3center@rowancabarrus.edu,or visit its website, www.rowancabarrus.edu/r3center.

JobLink Career Center is located in Sal-isbury at 1904 S. Main St., and offers the fol-lowing:

• On-site representative from variousRowan County agencies, including the De-partment of Social Services, Salisbury-

Rowan Community Action Agency, RowanCounty Senior Services and Goodwill CareerConnections.

• Resource room including computers,printers, resume software, fax machines andphones

Contact JobLink by phone at 704-639-7529,or visit www.rowanjoblink.com.

The Rowan County Employment Securi-ty Commission is located in the JobLink Ca-reer Center, and can provide assistance toanyone filing for unemployment, receivingunemployment, and help find training andother resources that are available to thosewho are unemployed. Visit www.ncesc.comfor more information.

Various agencies offer workshops, information

Tina Davis uses all the re-sources available at theJobLink Career Center.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The economy is being boost-ed by higher retail sales,stronger factory output and arise in companies’ stockpiles.

That picture emergedfrom reports this past weekpointing to an economy that’simproving modestly butsteadily after the worst reces-sion in decades. Yet the re-covery needs stronger jobcreation, and it remains un-der pressure from fears thatEurope’s debt crisis could

slow the U.S. economy.“The decent gains in pay-

roll employment in recentmonths have improved theoutlook for spending,” saidPaul Dales, an economist atCapital Economics. But Dalessaid he expects a sub-par re-covery because of high unem-ployment, tight credit andstill-high debt loads.

Consumers drove retailsales up 0.4 percent lastmonth. The gain was less thanthe 2.1 percent growth in

March. But that surge wasboosted by an early Easterholiday and auto incentives.

Shoppers are closelywatched because their spend-ing accounts for 70 percent ofeconomic activity.

But consumers and busi-nesses appear less confidentthan in previous recoveries.

Retailers including Macy’sInc., Nordstrom Inc., J.C. Pen-ney Co. and Kohl’s Corp, re-ported strong first-quarterearnings this past week.

Signs of improvement in economy mostly modest