Ohio and Butler County unemployment rates have decreased slightly from August to September, but the most recent data available show increased poverty levels and disbursement of social services.
According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Ohio's unemployment rate fell by 0.7 percent to 10.1 percent from August to September, while Butler County's unemployment rate fell by 1 percent to 9.1 percent. With the number of jobs still falling, the decrease in unemployment rates is not an indication that more people are returning to work.
Frustrated by an increasingly sparse job market, more Ohio workers are giving up on the job search and returning to school or seeking training, according to ODJFS spokesperson Angela Terez.
"The unemployment rate measures people who are actively seeking work," Terez said. "It doesn't count people who have given up their job search for one reason or another. The actual number of jobs is still falling ... people are becoming frustrated and stopping the job search, re-enrolling in school."
Workforce One of Butler County is one of the places that people turn to seek training, but it has been out of training funds since mid-July, even after receiving $1 million for training from the federal stimulus package. Don Kell, manager of the Workforce One job center, said the center has seen a dramatic increase in traffic since January.
"We're extremely busy, with double, triple the amount of people we usually see," Kell said. "For the most part, conservatively, 90 percent of them were interested in getting some kind of occupational training."
Although the training money has dried up, the job center is putting people on waiting lists, but is still providing job counseling.
"We're encouraging people not to give up," Kell said. "We're still serving customers. People can come through and talk to counselors ... going through the process up to the point of getting into training is still advantageous."
Ohio and Butler County have both seen increases in demand for social services.
According to ODJFS, Ohio has been a 65.1 percent increase in food stamps issued since June 2008, while Butler County has seen a 67.4 percent increase.
Kim Weigel, spokesperson for Butler County social action group Supports to Encourage Low Income Families (SELF), said SELF has seen a recent uptick in inquiries from people seeking help finding work or paying for utilities.
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"There was a 13-year high last year of households seeking (utilities) assistance, and we expect to surpass that this year," Weigel said.
Weigel said SELF has used stimulus funds to create two new programs aimed at helping low income individuals escape poverty.
"The Bridges out of Poverty program is meant for ... those who work directly with low-income people," Weigel said. "The counterpart to Bridges is called Getting Ahead, which is a 15-session workshop for low-income individuals."
According to the most recent ODJFS and U.S. Census Bureau numbers, Ohio's poverty rate is 13.7 percent, and Butler County's is 11.9 percent. In 2006, Ohio's poverty rate was 12.8 percent, and Butler County's was 11.3 percent.
A poverty report released by the Ohio Department of Development in June indicates the current poverty rate for individuals is higher than it has been in more than 20 years.
Kell said searching for a job while short on resources can be a "scary experience."
"To be out of work and not have much in the way of opportunities is scary," Kell said. "You can see it on people's faces when they come through the door. People will believe that the recession is really over when the job market picks up - the employment piece is usually the last piece that comes into line after the national economy starts to improve."
Those seeking assistance with the job search, utilities, or other financial problems can contact SELF at (513) 868-9300 or Workforce One of Butler County at (513) 785-6500.
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