LINCOLN, R.I. -
Even though new federal statistics released Monday show Rhode
Island tied with California with a national-worst 9.8 percent unemployment rate
in January, turnout was low at a job fair held at Twin River to fill more than
50 positions available across more than a dozen Dunkin' Donuts locations.
Within the first few hours, only 25 applicants came through.
"We're looking for folks that have a great attitude, willing
to work hard, have good customer service skills because they're going to be
dealing with the public," said John Malatesta who was hiring for
positions.
But Malatesta said it's not always easy to fill jobs, despite them
being out there.
"There doesn't seem to be a lot of motivation out there for
people to work. It's too easy for them to collect unemployment, just from our
experience as an employer in the state. It's very difficult from the employers'
side to win on unemployment. It seems almost like it's a rite of passage and
it's very disheartening sometimes from the employers side," he said.
Tom Wharton works to get people employed, to help them find new
careers and to improve how employees and organizations perform.
"I think it's warming up old coffee," he said.
Wharton's not a big fan of job fairs, which he said
offer more jobs that
pay on the lower side.
"If we had job fairs that consisted of quality
management-level jobs that were paying decent wages, $40-, $50-, $60,000, that
would be thing. But $8 or $10? Save your time," he said.
Wharton said some of his clients have had to move out of Rhode
Island to find better jobs because, he says, the state isn't doing enough to
really fight unemployment.
"One of my clients moved to Dallas. His wife got a job there.
He got a job there, couldn't wait to get out of Rhode Island," he said.
Gary Berdugo, who attended the job fair, wasn't looking to collect
on unemployment. He said he's been looking for work for two years. He can't
move away, and says the search has been hard.
When asked how important it is for him to find a job, Berdugo
said, "It will help me become independent and also to provide for my
family."
