CLEVELAND — The latest jobs report is a mixed bag. Initial unemployment claims for the week ending September 19 are up four percent to 870,000. But the good news is that the private sector added 749,000 jobs. The addition means there are opportunities available for people looking for work, no matter your age or experience.
Bonnie Chizek is one of the many people who lost their jobs because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I like being with people. I miss that interaction every day. I miss being productive,” sad Chizek, recalling the hardest adjust for her during the pandemic.
For the last three years, she was employed by a local synagogue where she did just about everything. Before that, she worked in a medical office for thirty years. After submitting countless resumes, interviewing and networking for four months, Bonnie lost hope and motivation.
"I'm trying to right now take a step back because I was frustrated myself, so much,” she explains.
But she doesn’t have to be. There are actually several industries that are hiring according to Team NEO's Aligning Opportunities report, a company that fosters business development and jobs growth.
Industries that are thriving include, driving vans and trucks, manufacturing, healthcare and marketing. Many of the available jobs are entry level and offer on-the-job training or tuition reimbursement.
“Even some of the Amazon related jobs and the distribution related jobs, while on the surface they might not be those that pay the family wage, they do offer secondary benefits," says Jacob Duritsky, Vice President of Strategy and Research at Team NEO. "So, things like tuition reimbursement, so you can start taking classes on the side to really think about upscaling and rescaling and things like that.”
And then, there are remote jobs. Many of which arose to meet needs during the pandemic. The people at FlexJobs, a site that specializes in work from home spots and part time gigs, are testament to the success of remote jobs .
“It seems like employers have pivoted really quickly and have just started hiring this way as a way to continue bringing people on, continue doing their work, but just not have to do it in the office,” says Brie Reynolds a Career Development Manager at FlexJobs.
She adds, the need for Customer Service agents is soaring, which doesn't require a lot of experience-- and the same goes for sales jobs.
"Sales can also be one of those areas where you started a lower level,” she explains. "But you can work your way up pretty quickly if you have those kinds of interpersonal skills and communication skills."
With the knowledge learned, 3News' Danielle shared with Bonnie a tip that may help her with her job search. Serino encouraged her to not only search for job titles, but to also search her skillset will looking for positions.
“I want to use the skills I have,” she says. “I want to get to work again. It's not just about the income, it's about production and going somewhere to help somebody out.”
3News Consumer Investigator, Danielle Serino, has several categorized lists of companies currently hiring.
Companies hiring in Cleveland:
Remote-friendly, Ohio-based companies that are hiring remote workers: