With the recession digging more deeply into south central Idaho’s economy, the Department of Labor is extending the hours of its Magic Valley office in Twin Falls to handle rising demand for services.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 21, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The normal closing time is 5 p.m.
Just since April, the unemployment rate in Twin Falls and Jerome counties has jumped nearly two full percentage points, from 4.9 percent to 6.8 percent. Construction, manufacturing and the hospitality sectors have shed 1,000 jobs combined in just the last year, and the region was hit hard again a week ago when Dell Computers announced it was closing its call center where 500 people worked in Twin Falls.
“The number of workers without jobs in these counties has jumped over 50 percent to more than 2,000 in the last year,” Magic Valley Office Manager Chris Orders said. “The department has a wide array of programs and services to help these workers collect the benefit checks they’re eligible for and find new jobs that will get them back to work. With the number of people needing help rising rapidly, the normal workday just isn’t long enough.”
The local office provides job seekers with access to computers, fax machines, copiers and assistance in putting together résumés and sharpening interview skills as well as searching the database of job listings for the region, the state and the nation.
The extended hours will be reviewed in several weeks to determine whether they should be extended further into the fall.
Workers can also access many programs and services through the Idaho Department of Labor Web site at http://labor.idaho.gov.