Part-time jobs tough to fill

Barbara Ayala of West Richland can't find seasonal help for her landscaping business. With close to 9,000 unemployed workers in the Tri-Cities, that may be hard to believe.

But Ayala's job postings for part-time workers with WorkSource since April have led to a few inquiries but no hires.

State employment experts aren't surprised by Ayala's situation as potential employees may be concerned about jeopardizing their unemployment benefits by accepting a low-paying part-time job. Employers also might need to consider more traditional job postings, they say.

"It's been particularly hard to find male workers," Ayala said. "They want full-time work."

Ayala, who has run her business from home for about 10 years and often has relied on her daughter to work for her, is open to hiring and training women. She said she is looking for three part-time employees and five on-call or as-needed employees. One of the part-timers eventually will assume a lead position to run the day-to-day operations, she said.

"If I can do it, other women can too," said the self-trained businesswoman. She said stay-at-home moms who need extra pocket money or women who need a second part-time job may find landscaping jobs flexible and interesting.

Dave Wallace, acting chief economist with the state Employment Security Department, said unemployed workers on insurance often don't want low-paying part-time jobs because getting a wage would reduce their weekly benefit amount.

There also is anecdotal evidence that despite a high unemployment rate in several parts of the nation, many unemployed workers have chosen to stay away from labor-intensive jobs, he said.

In July, 5,835 unemployed workers collected insurance benefits in Benton and Franklin counties. Unemployment benefits now stretch for 99 weeks, though 15,162 Washington workers had exhausted their benefits as of July 31, according to data from the state Employment Security Department.

Generally, it's hard to hire a foreman to supervise laborers, said Brent Gamache, owner of Gamache Landscaping in Richland. But finding laborers is not difficult, he said. "We don't have to advertise."

This year, he had more applicants for general labor jobs, he said. About 12, or 50 percent of his workers, are seasonal, he said.

Job hunters ideally look for full-time work, said Candice Bluechel, business services outreach manager at WorkSource Columbia Basin in Kennewick. WorkSource is a state-funded agency that helps businesses find workers and helps the unemployed get short-term training.

In the Tri-Cities, labor jobs related to agriculture are very popular, because they pay well, she said. This season, plenty of food processing jobs are available, she said. "Workers extend their employment by following the produce."

They also typically can work longer than an eight-hour shift to earn extra money, Bluechel said.

With new homes being built in the area, the local landscaping business has improved, said Kurt Price, owner of Price Landscaping & Design in Pasco. But the landscaping industry can't guarantee work year round, he said.

The industry sees a lot of transient labor, Price said. Many move to construction jobs or find another career, he said. His recent newspaper ads generated three to four calls. At the peak of the season, his company has about seven employees, he said.

The trick to hiring unskilled laborers is to find them, said Michael Atkinson, president of Hermiston-based Atkinson Staffing. They typically don't look at internet postings to find work, he said.

They generally are recruited through word-of-mouth advertising or with the help of old-style fliers with tear-off phone numbers, Atkinson said, who started his worker recruiting business in 1990 and opened a Pasco branch a few years ago.

This year, he's seen a lot of responses from farm laborers to his ads on Spanish radio. A lot of Washington workers are driving to Hermiston for work, he said. That's unusual, he said. "We were preparing for a potential shortage of workers."

The growth of agrarian economy in Eastern Washington and the Hermiston area is helping create many seasonal job opportunities for those looking to work, Atkinson said.

One needs to find creative ways to reach the unskilled labor force at a time when demand for them is higher, Atkinson said.

Ayala plans to meet potential applicants from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at WorkSouce Columbia Basin, 815 N. Kellogg St., Kennewick. She is offering $10 to $12 an hour. She can be reached at 948-8510.