14—The Daily Collegian Tuesday, April 19, 1983
Unemployment:
Continued from Page 1
The University provides almost
'one-third of county jobs, and because
of its stable employment, serves as a
buffer for the county-wide jobless
figure. But even the University is not
completely insulated. On Feb. 22, a 4-
month hiring freeze went into effect
as part of a plan to save $1.5 million in
increased costs the University did not
anticipate. •
"Even though the University has
limited hiring now, they have limited
layoffs too," said Frank Clemson,
manager of the State College branch
of the Bureau of Employment Securi
ty.
And although the county's double
digit jobless rate has alarmed some
residents, particularly those out of a
job, the county has fared better than
many areas, labor officials said.
"Even though the unemployment
rate is not what I would consider
great, it's still much better than our
surrounding neighbors and much bet
ter than the state as an average,"
Clemson said..
Similarly, Glenn Lynn, regional
labor market analyst for the Bureau
of Employment Security, said: "The
county, as well as the rest of the state,
has been somewhat higher in recent
years. But Centre County isn't nearly
as high as some other places in the
state."
"There's been considerable reces
sion damage. Relative to other met
ropolitan areas, it hasn't been as
bad," said Norma Pappas, editor of
the Pennsylvania Business Survey.
"And even relative to the national
average, the county has fared better,
and that's because of the Universi
ty," she said. "The University is such
a stable employer and it accounts for
such a large percentage of the total
employment in the area."
And a substantial number of non-
University employees hold their jobs
by virtue of University and student
spending, or as a result of other
indirect• relationships.
High technology companies, such
as HRB Singer in State College, are
an increasingly important result of
the University. -
"HRB Singer is a swing -off of Uni
versity people, and in turn, Locus is a
swing -off of HRB," Clemson said.
"So there's an indirect, indirect
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Wed., April 20th, 7:30 p.m. in Min,. ScL Bldg.
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Recession hits hard in county areas
relationship. And a lot of the small,
research-type firms we have are an
indirect effect."
High technology companies are be
ing hailed by many as the future of
American industry. Gov: Dick Thorn
burgh has made such development
one of his top priorities. And Centre
County might be the site for a high
technology park.
"I look on that as I would any kind
of expanding or new industry it can
only help," Clemson said. "To what
extent, I don't know."
The county needs new jobs to hold
down the jobless rate, he said, be
cause more people are looking for
work. During the recession, the total
number of jobs has remained about
the same.
"Therefore, we've got high unem
ployment," Clemson said. "There
weren't enough new jobs to absorb it.
But the state's in much worse shape."
For February, the seasonally ad
justed county rate was 11.5 percent,
which was better than the state's 13.2
percent, but higher than the nation's
10.4 percen'.
Of Pennsylvania's 14 Standard Met
ropolitan Statistical Areas, Centre
County had the fifth lowest rate. The
adjusted rates range from 7.6 percent
in Harrisburg, which is heavy- in
stable, government employment, to
24.2 percent in Johnstown, which de-.
pends on a depressed steel industry.
So the figures back up the assertion
that Centre County's employment
situation is comparatively good, but
the recession has left its mark.
The county jobless figure has been
somewhat insulated from the reces
sion by the University's steady em
ployment, Nit manufacturing has
been hurt.
"The thing that is unique is the
awfully high ratio of non-manufactur
ing to manufacturing which tends
to hold the unemployment rate
down," Lynn said. "Non-manufactur
ing, whether it be, in Centre County or
elsewhere, is the last to be hit and
hit the least. But you can find pockets
of that in other places as well."
Lynn cited Harrisburg, with its 7.6
percent February jobless rate, as a
prime example.
But that provides little consolation
to people in manufacturing. Fifteen
percent of the county's manufactur
ing, jobs have been lost since July.
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238-5521
SALON HOURS
MON-FRi 9-7
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1981, which most analysts consider
the start of the recession, Pappas
said.
About 200 job slots have been lost at
Erie Technological Products in State
College. Julian Pinkos, personnel
manager, said the market for ceram
ic chips, components and capacitors
has been weak.
"We got hit later than most of our
competition, but it caught us any
way," Pinkos said. He added that
most of the company's competition is
out of state.
"We've been running around 400 to
950 employees in most recent years,"
he said, "but in the last two years
we've seen that erode down to the low
point in February, which was right
around 250."
However, things are improving,
Pinkos said. •
"I've started to call back some of
our employees within the last four
weeks," he said. "Not a whole lot, but
it's a turning point we can see. We're
encouraged."
But certainly not all manufacturers
have been so deeply hurt by the
recession. •
Locus, a Boalsburg company that
produces amplifiers, microwave
components and other electronic
componerits, is an example of a com
pany not significantly affected.
"We indirectly have been affected
somewhat, but with no great impact
at all," said John Masteller, the per
sonnel director. "We halt about 100
employees and that's been fairly sta-'
ble. We've had no layoffs at all, and
no major hiring sprees either."
' That situation will probably not
change for at least the next few
months, Masteller said. "Certainly,
we don't look for a downturn," he
said.
Now, with Labor Department sta
tistics pointing to a slow recovery, for
the national economy, the situation
might also be improving for more
Centre County companies. For the
first time since June, the county
jobless rate dropped in February.
Because the sample size is so
small, one month's decline may be a
statistical error, Pappas said.
So I wouldn't go out and say, 'Hey,
Centre County has turned around,
unemployment is declining.' No one
should be surprised if it goes up again
in March," she said.
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I
I I
Personal contacts bring
best
Continued from Page 1.
Group members identify their skills and how the
skills are related to what they want to do. They must be
able to support the skills they claim with information
and data not just vague assertions for example, by
relating contents of courses.
Next •the students identify where they • want to work
geographically and determine whether that is realistic.
An example of this would be a student from Johns
town where unemployment is now approaching 25
percent who wants to return there to work after
graduation, Wortham said.
"I'm not saying there aren't any jobs, but you're
going to have to. work a lot harder and longer to get
one," he said. "The days of being able to get a degree in
your hometown and be employed there are far and few
between."
"If you're mobile, you're more marketable," he said.
Students must also choose from a variety of occupa
tions they can go into with any given majo'r, Wortham
said. For example, someone with a bachelor's degree
in psychology could work , at a residential treatment
center for emotionally disturbed children, a disabled
adult center or as acommunity aide. Another option for
the psychology major is to work in the personnel
department of a company.
The key, he said, is identifying more than one place
to work
After students have an idea of what skills they have
and where they want to work, the next step, Wortham
said, is finding out more about the job. Students are
encouraged to contact a company in their field and ask
only for information about the aspects of the job. •
During the interview, the person should ask what the
employee's day is like, would the employee enter the
same field again anything that will give the student
an idea of what the job is like. The student should have
two or three of these informational interviews so he can
obtain a better perspective, Wortham said.
However, he said students probably should not have
an informational interview with a firm for which they
may be interested in working.
Wortham stressed that students should not ask for a
job during an informational interview. The idea behind
an informational interview is to help the student.know
himself better when he sits down with a potential
employer in a real interview.
"I think that's important -L to know what's happen-
CONSERVE ENERGY
jobs, study shows
ATTENTION
4th-9th Term '
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION STUDENTS
Pre-Professional Internship
Program
Informational Meeting
for
1983-1984 Academic Year
Tuesday, April 19, 1983
7:oopm
102 Forum Building
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ing in.the real work world," Wortham said.
After the student has completed his informational
interviews, he is ready to start _ searching for potential
employers
One valuable step is to identify job contacts and
sources which may include professors, professional
people, old family friends or anyone who could refer
the student to someone, Wortham said.
Students should also learn how to use newspapers
and trade journals to find jobs in which they are
interested. Job searchers should read religiously the
Sunday want ads in the New York Times and try to
decipher what positions are available because as in
the psychology major example, jobs 'are not always
traditionally listed, Wortham said.
Students should also explore trade or professional
groups; most have conventions and many times com
panies have recruiting tables at conventions. Although
some conventions are held in distant places, others are
much closer, such as Washington, D.C., and may be
worth attending.
Students should also join the local chapter of the
professional group and attend meetings, thereby devel
oping contacts, Wortham said.
Students in majors from liberal arts to engineering
and business could use the assertive job search both
now and for future employment.,
Changing Times magazine suggested some other
places to look for a job in addition to the college
placement office, including:
• Depaitment heads and professors in the field.
They may get leads from consulting work,they_do or
may be contacted by employers fOr names of prom
ising graduates.
• Trade or professional associations. Some main
tain referral services or lists of job openings within
their profession.
• Want ads. Although some counselors say good jobs
are never advertised, one survey found that 80 percent
of companies used newspaper ads to recruit profession
al, technical and managerial employees especially
smaller companies that do not recruit on'campus.
• Private employment agencies. The quality of jobs
available varies greatly, and some may charge appli
cants fees, but they list jobs.
• Federal job information centers and state and
local civil services agencies. Although most govern
ment agencies have greatly restricted their hiring,
some jobs are always available.
• Job fairs, such as Philadelphia's Operation Native
Talent.
Wortham characterizes the attitude of most graduat
ing students he has met in groups as "hungry, a good
hungry."
"They feel that there's something out there, but they
have to get at it. They're in here and they're trying;
they haven't given up hope."
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