At Monday night’s Leitchfield City Council meeting, Executive Director of the Leitchfield/Grayson County Industrial Development Corporation, Dudley Cooper, said hundreds of jobs in Grayson County remain unfilled.
“If you’re willing to work, you’ll get a job right now,” Cooper said.
Saying that Grayson County mirrors the state, Cooper said that, “Even people with spotty work histories will be given opportunities.”
Over the previous several years, Cooper has consistently stated that between 200 and 300 jobs remain open in the county, but those number has recently jumped to between 300 and 500. And although some companies aren’t “actively” hiring, if a qualified applicant applies, more often than not, that person will be hired.
Cooper said that a popular mantra among many citizens — that some potential workers cannot pass a drug screen, is part of the problem that has created so many openings, but it’s far from the entire issue, as Cooper said many people are not willing to “start at a lower, beginning wage.” But he noted that the starting wages at many Grayson County companies have been recently raised.
Cooper additionally stated reasons companies are short on employees are because human resource personnel are having a difficult time finding qualified candidates, and that “some people just won’t work.”
The jobless rate in Grayson County has dropped steadily throughout 2017, from a high of 8.3 percent in January to a low of 4.9 percent in October, the latest month unemployment rates are available.
Kentucky’s jobless rate was 4.3 percent in October, with the national unemployment rate at 4.1 percent.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
