Comments (0) | |

Sunday, Oct. 05, 2008

Tight times in the midstate: Family cutting corners after mother loses job

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories about how the economic downturn is affecting Middle Georgians.

At a Goodwill job fair last week, soothing background music and a sunshine-bright meeting space did their best to take the edge off unemployment.

As calming and inviting as it was, however, the place had the feel of a medical-office waiting room where the doctor might never be in.

Dozens of prospective workers clutched paperwork and scrounged for any leads they could find.

In recent months, Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia reports about a 10 percent increase in the number of people its career developers have seen. That translates to about 500 more job seekers than there were at this time last year.

Diana Casas, who in July lost the account-executive position she'd held at a Macon countertop-making company for more than a decade, knew business was way down.

"We used to cut nearly 600 countertops a day and we were down to about 30," she said.

Her company began trimming its staff. She had seniority. She didn't think she'd be one of the ones to go when it came to layoffs. But she was.

Casas, 36, who lives near Byron, was making about $13 an hour. Unemployment pays her half that.

Her husband, a truck driver, still has his job, but their two teenage sons don't always understand the hardship.

Casas said they don't like it when they can't go to the movies or skating or bowling. It makes her sad hearing them say they're hungry and you can't just go get them something to eat.

Casas hopes to find clerical work.

"But," she said, "I'll do whatever I have to do to provide for my family."

For now, she is cutting corners on everything that costs.

"It is a very hard road," Casas said. "You have to do all of your errands in a big circle because of the price of gas. You go to the bank, the grocery store and you do it all in one big loop. You don't got back out. You can't afford to. You have no money to go anywhere to spend."

COMMENT ON THIS STORY AT MACON.COM.

To contact Joe Kovac Jr., call 744-4397.