Yakima job fair draws smaller crowd

YAKIMA -- The record low attendance Tuesday at a Yakima job fair suggests that local residents are finding work, a state Employment Security official said.

But at the same time, employment specialists and workers are dealing with national economic uncertainty and local impacts like this month's closure of the Western RV manufacturing plant in Union Gap.

The plant's sudden closure left more than 200 workers --everyone from production workers to some with engineering backgrounds -- looking for another paycheck.

The job fair, started nine years ago, is sponsored by WorkSource Yakima, the South Central Workforce Council, Yakima County, the city of Yakima and the Yakima Chamber of Commerce.

An estimated 500 job-seekers attended the five-hour event at the Yakima Convention Center, said Larry Sanchez, regional director for Employment Security's WorkSource program.

Between 1,000 and 3,000 prospective applicants have attended in past years, Sanchez said. The number of employers stayed steady at around 85.

"My sense is people are working; that's why they are not coming," he said.

Sanchez said he had talked to eight former Western RV employees by early afternoon.

Carol Wilson, part of the work force education division at Yakima Valley Community College, said she had spoken to about two dozen.

They bring a variety of backgrounds to the job market. For example, those with engineering training may have learned on the job, so they are now interested in returning to school to obtain certification in their fields.

Wilson said the college and other local schools -- including the Perry Technical Institute and the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center -- would be part of the effort to relocate and retrain the Western RV workers. Employment Security is considering them as dislocated workers, which expands the benefits available to them.

In more general terms, Wilson said job-seekers seem interested in a mix of training and employment. They recognize that they need at least a high school degree or equivalent, and want to find some work that will fit in with their school schedule.

Jesus Pedroza of Prosser was busy filling out applications at a table outside the job fair.

He's hoping to use his experience in grounds maintenance to find a job closer to home in Benton County. All the work he's found recently through temporary staffing agencies has been in Yakima County, and travel has become more costly as gas prices rise.

"I'll take whatever, because you've got to pay bills. Hopefully, next year things will turn around," Pedroza said.

Brian Koenig, the human resources director for Shields Bag and Printing, said his company is still looking for employees, but he agreed that the general economic outlook is "kind of scary."

Shields hasn't had to lay off workers, Koenig said.

The company offers a range of benefits, including family medical and dental coverage, and wants to hire stable employees who are willing to stay around, he said.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.

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