Job seekers face tough market

Nikki Middleton got ready to leave her house Wednesday morning after her two children got on the bus for school. She hoped to find a new job that day, one that could support her family.

Middleton was one of about 150 employees laid off in December at Carson City's biggest manufacturer, Chromalloy Nevada. A month later, idled workers are struggling to find a job amid Carson City's 8.1 percent unemployment rate. At least one found part-time work, and another is taking a break before launching a job search.

Middleton, 26, said she feels hopeless. Severance pay and unemployment insurance have helped her "float by," but aren't enough, she said.

"You know, going around Christmas trying to explain why Santa couldn't bring everything was kind of hard," she said.

Middleton, who lives in Douglas County with her 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, said the only openings she's seen are for minimum-wage work or jobs that require the college degree she doesn't have.

Her father will have to move in with her soon if she can't find a good-paying job.

"I can't go be a sous chef for $6 an hour," she said. "It's just not going to pay my bills."

Dean Henderson, 57, of Carson City is "hanging in there" after losing his job as a kiln operator at Chromalloy.

The only thing he can do is be optimistic, he said, but he hasn't heard from any of the businesses where he's applied.

"It's been tight," he said. "I'm not going to kid you on that."

No one with a house payment can live on minimum wage, the only thing offered by the businesses that seem to be hiring, he said.

"That's for someone out of high school," he said.

Michael Roach, 60, of Carson City got a job with a former employer as a design engineer after he was laid off as a tool designer at Chromalloy.

The part-time job means he's "taking a hit," but he hopes to start working full-time soon.

Dave Woods, a former repairman at Chromalloy, said he's happy to have a break after working for 30 years. He's filed for unemployment insurance and plans to relax before hunting for a job.

Melissa Cavenagh, however, said she doesn't know what to do since he's been laid off. She worked for eight years as a planner.

"No one wants to lose a job after that long," she said.

Cavenagh would like to start over in a new career and work her way up to a good job. But finding work has been difficult, she said, despite going to every interview she can find.

"I'm scared, to be honest with you," she said.

Chromalloy's parent company, New York-based Sequa Corp., said at the time of the layoffs that the engine manufacturing and repair plant might rehire some workers this month if things turned around.

On Wednesday, Sequa representative Andrew Farrant said the company will have to watch business for a few more weeks before deciding if it will rehire.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.