Kohl’s is looking to fill approximately 1,000 remaining seasonal positions at its distribution center. Employees at the center work to prepare and ship Kohl’s website orders.
Arthur Jones and Andrew Hammack, both of Hamilton, were recently hired to work at Kohl’s e-commerce fulfillment center in Monroe. The two men were happy they got hired for the temporary positions, but said they really are looking for full-time work with benefits.
“I’m not going to lie I think the economy sucks right now,” said Hammack, 23. “Not many jobs out there, and taxes are incredibly high.”
Jones, 21, said he was in between jobs and that good jobs are hard to find. However, he was a little more optimistic about the economy.
“It’s getting a little better; could’ve been worse,” Jones said.
The U.S. Labor Department reports that job openings rose to 4.84 million in August, the most since January 2001. At the same time, Butler County’s unemployment rate dropped below a healthy 5 percent for the first time in six years, according to state labor statistics.
Those numbers are providing some confidence for those still looking for work.
“I’m confident I may find something here right now,” said Randy Lake, of Kettering, who attended the veterans-only hour of the job fair at Towne Mall Galleria.
Lake spent 20 years in the Air Force and most recently worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He’s been unemployed for nearly two years. Forty-one employers were on hand Thursday at the mall, and Lake was hoping to land a position in information technology.
“I’m nine days away from having my car repossessed,” Lake said. “I’ve been blessed with a lot of people helping us … Our church has helped us out, and that’s the only way we’ve been getting by.”
“Lot of good people standing around here waiting to find a job,” he said. “Hopefully, this is our day.”
Wilson Lindsey, of Middletown, said he too thinks the economy is improving and that “jobs are out there.” Lindsey served in the Army from 1984 to 1992 and was a crew chief responsible for operating a nuclear weapons missile systems. He’s currently a part-time spinning instructor and is looking for a part-time position in the sports field, preferably as a trainer.
“I’m very optimistic I’ll find a job,” Lindsey said. “The younger generation has lost that drive to work.”
Brian Baker, of Fairfield, has been unemployed for five weeks and thinks the job market is “in the middle.”
“I’m getting a lot of response to my resume, but there’s a lot of competition out there as well,” he said. “I’d say we have a long way to go (with the economy) but with the amount of companies hiring it looks good.”
A year ago in September, the county’s unemployment rate was at 6.7 percent compared to 4.5 percent this September. Now 8,500 residents are out of a job and seeking work, according to Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. And job growth numbers show an additional 4,100 Butler County people were working in September of this year than there were in September 2013.
Whitney Read, a business services liaison with OhioMeansJobs-Butler County, said the economy is headed in the right direction. She helped organize the job fair at the Towne Mall, which she estimated was attended by more than 100 people.
“I think the unemployment numbers are showing the economy is taking a turn in the right direction. Numbers are going down, it’s a good sign,” Read said. “Turnaround time from when people became unemployed to the time they find a job is actually decreasing. We are seeing a lot of people finding jobs a lot easier in this economy.”
Jennifer Patterson, assistant to the city manager of Monroe and an economic development specialist, said the city has a great relationship with Kohl’s. The company, she said, has helped recruit other businesses to the city.
“Great for our residents to have that opportunity so close,” she said. “Great for income tax that we then turn and use for city services.”
Patterson called the local economy “strong,” adding that Monroe has had one of its busiest years in a while from an economic development perspective. UGN, an automotive parts manufacturer will be locating in Monroe, and Patterson said she expects the company to hire a couple of hundred workers.
“It’s under construction now and starts hiring in the near future,” she said. “ We are really excited to bring them here.”
The Wisconsin-based retailer said seasonal workers will receive a $50 sign-on bonus, an immediate associate discount, flexible hours, overtime opportunities and free transportation from selected areas. Applicants had to be at least 18 years old and able to lift 30 pounds. The company said earlier this year it planned to hire more than 2,000 workers for the company’s distribution center in Butler County.
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