Frustration Grows Among Local Job Seekers

Dionne Hodge is upbeat most of the time. But ask the Desert Hot Springs resident about her job search, and you’ll meet a different side of her.

“Everyday all this month, I’ve been going out looking for work,” she said. “I haven’t heard from one person.”

Hodge was among a mob of job seekers on Thursday who came to Fullenwider Auditorium at the Riverside County Fairgrounds. They began lining up outside both entrances at least an hour before doors opened.

“I just go out there everyday and try to find something,” said Jose Benitez, of Indio. “But, not a lot of people are hiring, you know?”

Renee Sauve knows, indeed, how difficult it is to land a job. The Riverside County CalWORKS manager says there is more competition among applicants than ever.

“With the unemployment at over 15% [in Riverside County], there are a lot of people looking for work. It’s an employer’s pick,” she said.

This was the first valley wide job expo in two years. 60 companies showed up to meet prospective workers. But, some applicants said there was not enough variety of jobs. They said most of the employers were casinos and resorts.

“That may be true,” Sauve said. “But, the bottom line is: The Coachella Valley is a service industry area.”

Hodge, who has been looking for work for four months, was convinced most of the companies at Thursday’s expo were simply collecting resumes and not actively hiring.

“They just have us come out here to makes themselves look good, and that’s not right,” she said. “We want to look good just like them. We want to get paid just like them.”

Despite some job seeker’s frustration, the expo’s organizers are calling the event a success. They estimated between 4,000-5,000 people attended the event.

They are planning to have another expo next year.