Nationally the number of people filing for unemployment rose slightly last week to 870,000.
And the Labor Department says 12.6 million people are continuing to get unemployment.
Reporter Alicia Nieves shows us the help some have received to get back to work.
NATIONALLY..
THE NUMBER OFPEOPLE FILING FORUNEMPLOYMENT ROSE SLIGHTLY LASTWEEK TO 870-THOUSAND.AND -- THE LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS12-POINT-6 MILLION PEOPLEARE CONTINUING TO GETUNEMPLOYMENT.REPORTER ALICIA NIEVES SHOWS USTHE HELP SOME HAVE RECEIVEDTO GET BACK TO WORK.THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THEU.S. IS GOINGDOWN.[ON SCREEN TEXT/GRAPHIC:8.4%UNEMPLOYMENT RATE = 3X HIGHERTHAN BEFORE THEPANDEMIC]BUT.
IT IS STILL ALMOSTTRIPLE WHAT IT WAS PRE-PANDEMIC.
(@2:42)"I JUST NEVERANTICIPATED THISIS WHERE WE WOULD BE INSEPTEMBER."BRIDGET ALTENBURT ISTHE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONALABLE NETWORK.FOR 40YEARS IT'S BEEN HELPING PEOPLEFIND WORK.
BUT IN THE PAST SIXMONTHS IT HAS BEEN WORKINGOVERTIME.
(@2:47)"IT ISSCARY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARETALKING TO, IT'S SCARY FORTHEM BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULDBE A MONTH OR TWOMONTHS OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND HEREWE ARE BASICALLY SIXMONTHS LATER TRYING TO HELPPEOPLE NAVIGATE WHO'SHIRING."ALTENBURT SAYS EVERYONELOOKING FOR WORK SHOULDKNOW TWO THINGS.
ONE.(@8:19)"THERE ARE EMPLOYERTHAT ARE HIRING.
THERE AREEMPLOYERS THAT ARE DESPERATEFOR PEOPLE.
SO DON'T IMMEDIATELYASSUME THATTHERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE SO IMIGHT AS WELL NOT LOOK.
ANDTHE SECOND THING I WOULD SAY ISFIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANTTO DO (@8:44) AND THEN DON'TSELL YOURSELF SHORT IN TERMS OFWHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUELYQUALIFIED FOR THAT ROLE."FOREXAMPLE, YOU WOULDN'T THINK OF ARESTAURANT WORKER HAVING AUNIQUE SKILLSET TO BE A GOOD FITIN THE I.T.
FIELD, BUT THENATIONALABLE NETWORK HAS BEEN TRAININGTHEM TO SWITCH OVER ANDI.T.
EMPLOYERS ARE FLOCKING TORECRUIT THESE WORKERS.(@5:11)"PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEENSERVERS INTUITIVELY KNOWCUSTOMER SERVICE IN A WAY THAT ICOULD NEVER TEACHSOMEBODY THAT IS INIT."[GRAPHIC: RESOURCES FOR JOBSEEKERS]INADDITION TO THE NATIONAL ABLENETWORK, THERE ARE ALSO MORETHAN TWO THOUSAND (2,400)GOVERNMENT FUNDEDAMERICAN JOB CENTERS OFFERINGFREE CAREER AND JOBHUNT SERVICES.
MOST LOCAL/PUBLICLIBRARIES, EVENMANY COMMUNITY COLLEGES AREOFFERING FREE RESUME ANDSOME CAREER SERVICES AS WELL.(@1:05)"AT LYFT WHEN WETHINK OF THE WAY WE CAN MAKE ONCOMMUNITIES WE THINK ABOUT HOWWE CAN USE TRANSPORTATION TO DOSO."LYFT HAS EVEN JUMPEDIN TO HELP THE MILLIONS ON THEJOB HUNT, BY PROVIDING FREERIDES - IN 20 CITIES -- TOPEOPLE GOING TO AND FROM JOBINTERVIEWS, JOB TRAINING, ANDEVEN FREE RIDES TO WORK UNTILTHEY GET THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK.(@5:34) "WE HAVE A JOB ACCESSHUBON OUR LYFT WEBSITE (@5:42) THATWILL HELP YOU BE ABLE TOGO IN AND SIGN UP ON A FORM.WHERE YOU WILL SAY A LITTLE BITMORE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF HELP YOUNEED (@5:55) AND WHATCITY YOU LIVE IN AND BASED OFFOF THAT WE WILL CONNECT YOUWITH YOUR LOCAL UNITEDWAY ORYOUR LOCAL GOODWILL."THETWO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONSACTUALLY DISTRIBUTE LYFT'SFREE RIDES, AND THEY OFFERADDITIONAL FREE CAREER SERVICESHELP.
I'M ALICIA NIEVESREPORTINGZOOM IS MAKING ITS VIDEO MEETINGAPP MORE ACCESSIBLE