By Brenda Showalter, The Republic
bshowalter@therepublic.com
Columbus resident Brock Weaver, who has been out of work for four months, stopped by the WorkOne office at the Columbus Learning Center Friday.
"My unemployment just ran out," said Weaver, who was hoping to get an extension on his benefits.
"I applied online, but it said I didn't qualify."
A construction worker, Weaver is used to being laid off during winter months, but was hoping work would pick up this spring.
So far, he's had no luck. "I have a kid to take care of," said Weaver, father of a 7-month-old son.
Weaver is one of almost 3,400 Columbus-area workers who were unemployed in February, according to the latest numbers from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Bartholomew County's 8.5 percent unemployment rate is at its highest level since the mid-1980s and more than double the rate from one year ago.
Recent Bartholomew County layoffs have included workers at some of the area's largest companies, including Cummins Inc. and NTN Driveshaft.
Other companies have shortened work weeks, reduced hours and cut temporary workers.
The latest cuts will come from Columbus Components Group which announced this week it would layoff about 135 workers in April.
Seasonal changes
Bartholomew County's nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.5 percent compares to the state rate of 10.1 percent.
Indiana's seasonally adjusted rate for February was 9.4 percent.
Marc Lotter, spokesman for the IDWD, said the state generally reports seasonally adjusted rates which account for shifts in such seasonal jobs as construction and holiday employment.
Seasonally adjusted rates, however, are not available for individual counties.
Indiana's 9.4 percent rate is only 0.1 percent higher than a month earlier.
"Indiana started to see an employment increase in heavy construction which partially offset a continue decrease in automobile manufacturing," stated IDWD Commissioner Teresa Voors, in a press release.
"We expect to see continued growth as outdoor construction resumes, but this may not completely negate extended furloughs and layoffs in the automobile industry in coming months."
Jennings County had the highest unemployment rate in the area with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 14.1 percent - the 11th highest of Indiana's 92 counties.
Economy worries
Construction worker Roger Wheeler has been out of work one month and doubts he will be back to work soon.
"We're in a ditch big time," Wheeler said about the economy. "I'm just concerned, very concerned."
Wheeler went to WorkOne Friday to file required paperwork to show he had paid dues to the International Union of Operating Engineers.
By being part of the union, he does not have to fulfill an unemployment benefits' requirement of applying for three jobs a week.
Instead, the union looks for jobs for its members and notifies members when a job is available.
Wheeler, who turns 65 in June, already has started paperwork for his retirement as a heavy equipment operator.
He is not optimistic work will turn up before his birthday three months from now.
The Nineveh resident feels fortunate, however, that his wife has a secure job she enjoys.
"But she'll probably have to work until she's 70," he said.