ROBUST ECONOMY BRINGS SEARCH FOR MORE WORKERS

Cape Girardeau and Perry counties face an interesting dilemma. With unemployment rates consistently below 4 percent, both counties are economically healthy.

But a robust economy can't expand without new industry and the jobs it brings. Thus the second blade to the two-edged unemployment sword: New workers are tough to find.

Economic development officials in the area are taking steps to attract more workers into the area in an effort to help area businesses expand and to recruit new companies. The real shortage is in entry-level and unskilled positions, where it generally doesn't pay to move from one entry level position to another with a new company in town.

The labor shortage has become so serious in Perry County that industries there are recruiting workers in other areas, including Southern Illinois, where many counties are plagued by double-digit unemployment.

Local industrial recruitment and economic development officials are considering similar efforts here. One official suggested advertisements might be placed in high-unemployment communities, followed with job fairs to introduce potential workers to area businesses wanting to expand.

But analysis of unemployment rates can be tricky. Alexander County, Ill., has one of the highest unemployment rates in the region, but it has a meager pool of workers to begin with. The same is true in Pulaski County, Ill., where 10 percent unemployment translates into only about 300 unemployed workers.

In contrast, Jackson County, Ill., has a much lower unemployment rate but a much larger work force. More than 4,000 unemployed workers live there. Even in Cape Girardeau County, with only 3.7 percent unemployment, there are 1,300 out-of-work residents seeking unemployment benefits.

However they are found, workers need to be added to our local work force. After all, the more industry grows, the more there are opportunities for entry-level workers to advance to mid-level and skilled jobs. And the higher wages they take home translate into more cash for the local economy.