LETTERS: CONSIDER HIRING DISABLED WORKERS

To the editor:

This letter is in response to the Jan. 10 article, "Low jobless rate spells difficulty for recruiters."

As a company serving people and employers with their employment needs, we would like to respond to the difficulties companies are having in recruiting good employees. The Cape Girardeau area is no different than much of the rest of the country with regard to labor shortages. Low unemployment rates have forced local employers to consider labor pools once ignored, particularly people with disabilities.

Did you know that 73 percent of top industries across the United States are currently hiring people with disabilities? Or that the leading industries hiring people with disabilities are technology and manufacturing?

As an organization serving people with disabilities, we would like to support these efforts. Applicants with disabilities can often provide an employer with qualified, dependable employees. Many of the employers we serve have found people with disabilities to have less turnover, better work attitudes and more loyalty to the company. People with disabilities undoubtedly contribute to a dynamic, productive work force. For people with disabilities, having a job means earning a much needed income, developing a positive identity, finding more independence and making new friends and connections. The benefits of hiring people with disabilities deserve close consideration by employers when considering recruitment efforts for potential employees.

REMONA JOHNSON

A/O Inc.

Cape Girardeau