Jackson – Unemployment rates remain high across the United States, including here in Amador County, where Mother Lode Job Training agency in Jackson sees the face of these statistics everyday. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Amador County’s unemployment rate is 12.3 percent as of August 21, 2009, not seasonally adjusted. Karen Glaze, Manager of Mother Lode Job Training, said that accounts for 2,240 people out of a labor force of approximately 18,000. Glaze said the majority of those who visit her office seeking employment are former construction workers, with another large portion seeking clerical or customer service jobs. In contrast, she said “there hasn’t been a commensurate amount of jobs.” Her office has seen 57 visitors so far in September compared to 12 in the same month last year. “We are definitely stressed because of the volume of people seeking work and the plight they face,” she said. Former bastions of employment like the Jackson Rancheria have also been affected by the economy and have in turn reduced the number of new job openings they offer. She said recent construction at the Rancheria also greatly reduced the number of jobs offered at what she called “a good place for entry-level employment.” Other major business closures and a sharp decrease in the number of new housing and business construction has also played a role. Glaze praised the Obama administration for committing stimulus funds to programs like MLJT through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). As a consortium, employment and job training agencies received $1.2 million from the ARRA, including additional funding to address business retention and expansion. “We were hanging by a thread during the previous administration…but we actually have training money now,” she said. She also commended the U.S. House of Representatives for voting to further extend unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks in states with the highest levels of unemployed. This latest extension would be available to residents in the 25 states that have had an average jobless rate of at least 8.5% for three months, or over 70 percent of the population, according to U.S. House Democrats. The House voted 331-83 in favor of the measure, with a strong majority of lawmakers of both parties approving it. With the national unemployment rate rising to 9.7 percent in August, the worst of the economic recession may still be far from over. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.