SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -
According to the most recent government jobs report, more than 160,000 jobs were added in July across the nation. This however, does not reflect the national unemployment rate which has risen to 8.3 percent in June. Local job seekers are still trying to stay hopeful in a challenging economy.
Shreveport resident Elaine Ruffins is a mother of five and has been unemployed for more than a year. "The job fair is like a dream killer because you go out there, you apply yourself, you hand out your resume and everything, but you don't get called," says Ruffins.
With no job leads inside of the state, Ruffins is beginning to look outside of the state for opportunities. "They're hiring better and they get more opportunities than Louisiana," says Ruffins.
The unemployment rates vary across the region. Louisiana's unemployment rate is at 8.6 percent, while unemployment in Arkansas is at 7.2 percent, and Texas is at 7.0 percent.
Local business closures like the Shreveport General Motors plant is bound to have an impact, and according to Jacques Lasseigne with the Louisiana Workforce Commission it will be a slow trickle-down effect. "All that money that was normally spent in the economy from Grocery Stores, to restaurants, to whatever, so there is less money in that realm so it affects other businesses," says Lasseigne.
Elaine Ruffins is not letting the down economy keep her spirits down. She has five good reasons to keep looking for a job. "I plan on showing my kids, no matter how hard things get you can always be that person to stand tall and say I worked hard for this," says Ruffins.
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