DETROIT – More Detroit residents are getting a paycheck than we’ve seen in the past two decades.
According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, Detroit’s unemployment rate is now 7%. That’s a 20-year low.
“If you listen to what people are saying across the country, many say the U.S. is on the brink of a recession. If you look at what’s happening here in Detroit, that is simply not the case,” said Mayor Mike Duggan in a news release. “Here in Detroit, we create opportunity for our residents by removing barriers to employment. While there is still work to be done, we are thrilled to see this level of unemployment among our residents.”
City leaders say programs like Detroit At Work are helping drive unemployment numbers down.
The program meets residents where they are and prepares them for the workforce. They also connect people with potential employers.
“We’ve had hundreds of Detroiters hired by local companies in the past 90 days, and we have more than 10,000 jobs available through Detroit at Work,” said Group Executive of Jobs, Economy, and Detroit at Work Nicole Sherard-Freeman. “There is no shortage of opportunity in Detroit. Now is the time to call Detroit at Work. If economic winds do start to shift, you want to be sure you didn’t wait so long to get back into the job market that you’ve missed your chance.”
At 53 years old, Gerard Colson went through the program to get a more hands-on demolition job with the city.
“They showed me different skills, teaching me about how to put up (and) board up houses, how to clear the board and all that kind of stuff,” Colson said.
Because of the program, he now does work he thoroughly enjoys.
“I enjoy it because I’m making my neighborhood better. This is where I grew up at,” he said.
Karen Banks was headed to the unemployment line when she connected with Detroit At Work. She had just been let go of her job of 35 years at Detroit Medical Center.
“I didn’t know where I was going to go and what I was going to do at that point, being newly unemployed, so they saved me,” Banks said.
Within 30 days, the program helped land her a new job in a new field. Banks said they gave her assistance with her resume and connected her with employment opportunities.
Banks is enjoying her new job as a content mediator for Majorel, a Fortune 500 company that recently announced the opening of a Detroit office.
“There are so many opportunities out here, you just have to take advantage of those opportunities and I’m very thankful for Detroit at work,” Banks said.
City of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is also thankful for the program and its success.
Duggan encourages residents to utilize the program to help fill the 10,000 available jobs in the city.
“Whatever you want to do,” Duggan said. “If you want a tech job, we’ll pay you for it, pay you for the training, and get started. You want to work in a hospital, we’ll train you in nurse assistance and other jobs to get you started.”