Lagging job market has residents flocking to fill low-end positions

Downtown Las Vegas resident Don Muir spent the last eight years in retirement, never imagining he would have to return to work.

In December, the former upper-level Macy's employee joined the cattle call of more than 300 people at the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow, a nonprofit that prepares unemployed and underemployed Nevadans to return to the workforce, for a job fair put on by Dollar General.

"I never thought I'd be in this position," Muir said.

The job fair was the third in as many weeks for Muir, who said he was growing frustrated.

"I often hear I have too much experience," the 66-year-old said. "I don't know how that's a bad thing. I just need work."

Nevada's unemployment rate dropped to 10.8 percent in November but still ranks as the highest in the nation, according to a study released in December by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow partnered with Dollar General, a national low-end retail chain, to host the job fair. The company, which recently opened three downtown Las Vegas locations, hired 50 employees as a result.

"This is the best thing for a community," Dollar General district manager Paul Mathews said. "We're glad to be a part of this community. They're helping us as much as we're helping them."

Janet Frasier Blumen, founder and CEO of the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow, said her charity is about motivation rather than handouts.

"It is denigrating to lose your job, and a lot of these people are broken down by the time they come to us," she said. "But every client has to work hard. We're not going to just give you a job."

And it is very difficult to get an interview, let alone a job, in this market, Frasier Blumen said.

"Many people have the skills and the desire," she said. "Often times, it's something silly that prevents them from getting the job, like a typo in their résumé."

Since 1997, the charity has helped prepare thousands of Nevadans to return to the workforce.

Clients of the charity average $15,000 more a year in income and $7,500 less a year in assistance.

For Muir, the search for work will continue.

"I thought it went well," he said with a sigh. "There's lots of opportunity out there."

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.