The economic toll of COVID-19 has been felt by many people who are experiencing job loss or temporary layoffs during the pandemic.
In Warren, Montgomery and Lincoln counties, the task of assisting …
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The economic toll of COVID-19 has been felt by many people who are experiencing job loss or temporary layoffs during the pandemic.
In Warren, Montgomery and Lincoln counties, the task of assisting those people to find new jobs or find information about unemployment claims falls to the Missouri Job Center run by Boonslick Regional Planning Commission in Warrenton.
Despite Job Centers across Missouri being closed to the public, staff are still working hard in the office, said Boonslick Executive Director Chad Eggen. The Job Center is a hub for workforce development programs, but recently staff also have been fielding many calls about navigating the state unemployment system, Eggen said.
“Today the majority of our calls are for unemployment assistance. We’re happy to help, and we’re here,” Eggen said. “These are not people who are routinely unemployed. A lot of them are looking for guidance on ‘What are my first steps? What do I do?’ ”
Workforce Development Director Janet Hickey said her five-person staff at the Job Center has been fielding an average of 140 calls a day since the COVID-19 crisis began unfolding. She said important information for unemployed people is also posted on the “Missouri Job Center - Warrenton” Facebook page.
“We’re also providing information on jobs that are available right now. There are companies that are still hiring and they’re looking for people,” Hickey said. Those jobs including hiring for disaster recovery work, temporary jobs for employers like Amazon or grocery stores, and work in fields like landscaping and manufacturing.
When people call, they’re usually distressed about their situation, but glad to be talking to a real person, Hickey said.
“They are looking for someone to reassure them that they’re going to get their benefits. Some are extremely frustrated, because they don’t have a computer ... and they have no way to apply (online),” Hickey said. One worker in the office is authorized to input unemployment information on behalf of callers, she added.
Helping people get enrolled into workforce development programs has been a challenge working just over the phone, Hickey said. The process normally takes 2-3 hours in person.
The Job Center is normally able to place people into job skills classes and help pay for tuition, but their partner institutions have closed in-person training, Hickey said. However, online skill development courses are still available.
Boonslick Regional Planning Commission has also been providing daily updated information about COVID-19 relief programs for businesses and individuals, which is distributed online by county agencies in its three-county area.
For Warren County, the information can be found at warrencountymo.org/covid-19-updates.
“We’re hearing from a lot of businesses, (asking) what options are available to them as far as loans, or the paycheck protection program,” Eggen said.
He added that another source of information and resources is jobs.mo.gov. For unemployment information, people can go to labor.mo.gov and get basic information on how to register for benefits.
