At Operation New Hope (ONH), we understand that people returning from incarceration face a multitude of barriers, with employment, transportation, and housing being three of the most reported obstacles. Without these necessities, people often feel less connected to their environments, creating communities that experience higher rates of crime, unemployment, and recidivism.
employment
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Construction worker families on public assistance costing taxpayers $28B to subsidize worker abuse
Thetimesweekly.com A report just released by the University of California Berkeley Labor Center reveals that 39 percent of construction worker families nationwide are forced to enroll in one or more safety net programs to make ends meet. That is higher than the 31 percent of all workers enrolled in such programs. The yearly cost to state and federal governments is a staggering $28 billion. Additionally, 31 percent of construction workers lack health insurance coverage, compared to 10 percent of all workers. Researchers attribute their findings to low pay, wage theft and illegal employment practices in the construction industry.
Posted in#NNPA BlackPress, Commentary, Community, Economy, Education, Featured, National, News, Oakland Post, Politics, Post News Group
Teachers’ Union President Opposes County/FCMAT Takeover of Oakland Schools
OAKLAND POST — “We’re not going to accept $90 million in budget reductions from the county,” Oakland Education Association (OEA) President Keith Brown told the Oakland Post this week. “The county has a responsibility to support our district. For the county to say we need more cuts under their watch shows they are not providing proper support for the needs of Oakland Unified.”
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Barriers faced by area job seekers continue
From retail sales jobs that pay an average hourly wage of nearly $14 to supervisors of production and operating workers positions with hourly average wages of more than $30, employment positions totaling 22,111 were available throughout the region in September, according to statistics from the Workforce Investment Board of Will County.
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Mobile Workforce Center October schedule released
The Will County Mobile Workforce Center is a state-of-the-art vehicle that travels across the county to offer residents assistance with their career searches. The mobile workforce center is equipped with 11 computer station and Internet access. Resume and career search assistance using online listings, including jobs4people.org and Illinois workNet, are also available on the mobile unit.
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Black, brown people may be hardest hit as Pandemic Unemployment ends
Federal unemployment programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, came to an end on Sept. 4. All those on unemployment will now receive $300 less in weekly benefits and experts said it will likely hurt Black and brown workers the hardest.
Enhanced UI benefits disproportionately support Black and brown workers who have historically been left behind in recoveries. According to Lindsay Owens, executive director for Groundwork Collaborative, “the historic inequities in the labor market will be laid even more bare” after Monday’s benefits cutoff.
After Labor Day, roughly 7.5 million people lost key pandemic-era unemployment benefits established by the March 2020 CARES Act. Dr. Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at Groundwork, reacted to the impending unemployment cliff with the following statement:
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Federal unemployment benefits end
Federal unemployment programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, came to an end on Sept. 4. All those on unemployment will now receive $300 less in weekly benefits and experts said it will likely hurt Blacks and brown workers the hardest.
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Workforce Center of Will County releases September workshops schedule
The Workforce Center of Will County (WCWC) offers a wide variety of services to assist both job seekers and employers with employment needs. These services include classes on resume writing, practicing interview skills, and updating computer proficiency.
Posted inTimes Weekly News
Boys & Girls Club, Joliet receives new WiFi-Connected “Lift Zone” from Comcast
TTW Pressroom Comcast launched this week a new WiFi-connected “Lift Zone” at the G.W. Buck Boys & Girls Club of Joliet (GWBBGC) located at 226 E. Clinton St. Lift Zones are safe spaces where children can get online to do schoolwork and adults can get online to learn new digital skills, search for employment and access an array of services. The COVID-19 crisis put many low-income students and families at risk of being left behind and accelerated the need for comprehensive digital equity and Internet adoption programs to support them. The Lift Zones are part of a larger multiyear plan by Comcast to support community-organization-based WiFi at more than 1,000 Lift Zones throughout the country – including in the Chicago area.
Posted in#NNPA BlackPress, Business, Community, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Economy, Featured, National, News, NNPA, NNPA Newswire, Politics, Travel
67% Of Business Travelers to Reduce Trips Amid Rising Covid-19 Cases
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The lack of business travel and events has major repercussions for employment both directly on hotel properties, and in the broader community. Hotels are expected to end 2021 down nearly 500,000 jobs compared to 2019. For every 10 people directly employed on a hotel property, hotels support an additional 26 jobs in the community, from restaurants and retail to hotel supply companies—meaning an additional nearly 1.3 million hotel-supported jobs are also at risk.
