Unemployed and searching

Amanda Cuff, a single mother of two, received her foreclosure papers in late December, right before Christmas. Borrowed money from her sister kept her from homelessness until Cuff could receive tax returns to make house payments.

Until last year, she commuted to Indiana to work for Rittal Electromate, making electric boxes for oil rigs and robots. The factory laid her off in December and closed in January.

"The work was so minimal anyways, 20 to 25 hours a week," Cuff said. "For a month I didn't have to get any money and had to go to food banks, and that's just embarrassing."

If she doesn't get a job before her unemployment checks run out in two weeks, she'll request an extension and pray, she said. She doesn't want to accept welfare money, since other people need it more, she said.

Cuff exemplifies a trend of unprecedented mass unemployment in Hillsdale County - particularly in the manufacturing industry.

In January, the county's unemployment rate reached 17.3 percent, surpassing the record of 16.9 percent that it set in November 1982.

Leonidas Murembya, labor market analyst for southwest Michigan, said unemployment spikes commonly occur in January.

"It's a combination of seasonal layoffs and layoffs due to economic downturn," he said.

He said January usually sees layoffs in seasonal trade, education, temporary workers, hospitality and construction, and manufacturing, especially in auto suppliers.

Jim Dunten, another Hillsdale County resident, lost his manufacturing job in January. He worked at Bronson Precision Product in Bronson, Mich., until Jan. 28 when the company laid him off. Since then he has looked for a new job to cover his house payments and put his two daughters through college at Western Michigan University - but with no success so far.

"It's automotive, so, you know, that's the way it is," he said. "It's going to have to be a manner of spanning my education, maybe to go into a new field."

Hillsdale City Manager Michael Mitchell said he applied for funds from the federal stimulus package to help boost the city's economy, but even if Hillsdale receives the money, he doesn't expect it to lead to many new jobs.

"I did put an application in for State Street and asked for assistance for funding so we could build our Dial-a-Ride bus faculty," Mitchell said. "I haven't heard anything on either one of those."

The city needs money to patch up State Street, which he said is in "horrid condition," Mayor Michael Sessions said.

The South Central Michigan Works! service center provides resources to residents seeking new jobs, including computers with which they can browse employment Web sites. Sarah Hartlzer, the center's communications director, said it often sees 80-100 people on Mondays and 20-60 on the other weekdays.

Cuff said she visits the center about three times per week and sees people from many different economic backgrounds there.

Dunten uses the center as well, but his search results so far discourage him.

"There's nothing to find here in Michigan," he said of the auto industry. "It's just ridiculous."

Cuff agreed.

"If you get a job, jump on it," she said.