As Jobless Rate Rises Nationally, Local Resources See Consistent Usage

The numbers for the jobless in the U.S. rose to 9.1 percent in May, the weakest reading since September, according to a Reuters report on HuffingtonPost.com.

The Labor Department reported private employment rose 83,000, the lowest increase since June, according to the article. Government payrolls dropped 29,000.

Following the release of the report, Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam said wishing for a turnaround is not a way to fix the rising jobless rate. 

"Simply hope for a change is not an economic policy," said Roskam during a press conference on Friday.

The congressman added that since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act there have been 27 jobs reports, all of which Roskam says are "underwhelming."

"When will the White House realize that their underperformance and planning and failure is a real obstacle to job creation?"

Kim Perez, executive director of the People's Resource Center (PRC), which serves all of DuPage County, said PRC has seen "consistently growing numbers every month for the past several years." This year, she said, growth rates have begun to slow a bit compared to previous years, but they continue to see growth month to month. 

Particularly, Perez said she has seen more significant growth out of the Westmont location, 649 Blackhawk Drive, Westmont. assists DuPage County residents in need with its food pantry, literacy assistance, computer access and job search assistance.

"This group on the edge (the working poor) will continue to struggle to make ends meet because a lot of the systems of support they rely on are going to continue to diminish," she said.

As supportive services diminish because of federal and state budget cuts, Perez said, "I believe we'll continue to see growth for a relatively indefinite period until every part of our system can stabilize ... It's not just the job situation ... other factors continue to put stress on the issue."

Carolyn DeAre, assistant director and head of the reference department at the Wheaton Public Library said people are always working on resumes at the library, using resume and cover letter books for guidance.

DeAre couldn't say whether there has been in increase in job seekers at the library. However, "We constantly have a steady stream of people working on resumes and using our books and searching online ... it certainly hasn't declined," she said.