Unemployment Notches Up Slightly As Local Job Fair Approaches

While official numbers for Orland Park unemployment remain lower than the nationwide average, local job-seekers won’t have to travel far to find out about employment opportunities.

Orland Township will hold its third job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, when at least 29 businesses will have representatives on hand to talk about their companies’ needs. Meanwhile, as the township finalizes plans for the fair, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday that the national unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent in May from 9 percent in April.

About 400 people came in search of work opportunities at each of the two fairs held last year by the township, said Joe McNicholas, Orland Township’s fleet maintenance manager and job fair coordinator.

“Employers have been pleased with the turnout,” McNicholas said. “The No. 1 response we get from job seekers is that they don’t find too many job fairs that are local. They do appreciate that they don’t have to drive 40 minutes up north.”

Fields represented at the job fair will include business, health, civil service and education, McNicholas said.

The township’s job fair will also feature one-on-one resume critiquing with Casey Barczyk, a professor in Purdue University Calumet's marketing, human resources and management department. Barczyk, who recently was acknowledged as the township’s volunteer of the year, will be sitting in on 10- to 15-minute sessions to show people ways to clearly represent their work experience on paper.

“Job fairs usually don’t have that,” McNicholas said. “Dr. Barczyk volunteers his time, and the reception to that is great.”

According to a Reuters article, economists polled by Reuters expected payrolls to rise 150,000 and private hiring to increase 175,000. Nonfarm payrolls instead increased 54,000, according to the Labor Department's report, and private employment rose 83,000. Government payrolls saw a drop of 29,000, the report said.

Even so, Orland Park is fairing better this year than last with 7.2 percent unemployment in April 2011 compared to 9.5 percent in April 2010. However, unemployment rose slightly from 7.1 percent in March 2011 to 7.2 percent in April 2011.

Orland Park’s rate also is lower than Cook County’s overall rate of 9 percent in April, as well as that of several neighboring communities.

Unemployment rates for April 2011:

• Orland Park: 7.2
• Tinley Park: 7.4
• Oak Forest: 8.9
• Oak Lawn: 9.3
• Evergreen Park: 10.4
• Homer Glen: 7.6
• Joliet: 11.5
• Cook County: 9.0