'It's really tough out there' (video)

For Deb Marco, grocery shopping used to be a simple task.

The 54-year-old would throw items into her cart, not worrying too much about what she'd pay upon checking out.

But after nine months of unemployment, Marco contemplates every purchase, big or small.

"I have to stop, I have to think, do I really need these items?" Marco said. "You kind of pick and choose."

Marco spent 16 years working as transportation director for a school district in Worthington, Minn. She quit her job last March to move to Oklahoma City, where her husband started an upholstery business. They moved back to Sioux Falls in November to be closer to their four adult children and five grandchildren. They're raising their 8-year-old grandson.

Since moving to Sioux Falls three months ago, she applies for two or three jobs a day. She's had three interviews and no job offers.

On Tuesday, she attended a job fair for the east-side Kohl's store and also submitted three other applications. She said the competition is fierce and guesses that for every position she applies for, she's up against at least 100 people.

Larry Anderson, vice president and district manager for Kohl's, said several hundred people attended the four-day job fair held at the downtown Holiday Inn last week.

Anderson said Kohl's is planning to hire 140 primarily part-time employees for the store at Dawley Farm Village, set to open in March.

"There's a lot of people out there looking for work," Marco said. "It's really tough out there."

Still, she never guessed it would take this long to find something, anything at this point.

"I'm not picky. I need a job so I can finance my family," Marco said.

South Dakotans are lucky in the sense that the state's unemployment rate, at 4.6 percent, is far lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the December unemployment rate of 4.6 percent is up slightly from November's rate of 4.5 percent. In December 2009, it was 4.7 percent. That compares with December 2007, when South Dakota's unemployment rate was 2.8 percent.

Anderson was surprised at the number of walk-in interviews last week and said there was a crowd waiting for the job fair to begin at noon Tuesday.

"We're getting a good mix of people that already have jobs but are looking for part-time jobs, some people that are unemployed, and some people that maybe want to get back in the work force," Anderson said.

He added that, like unemployment numbers show, things could be much worse in Sioux Falls.

(In 3 months, 3 interviews, no job offers)

"The economy brings more people in, but the Sioux Falls economy has been pretty healthy. It's not like other parts of the country where you might have thousands and thousands of applicants that show up," he said.

Marco continues to hold out hope that soon, she'll get a job offer.

She said it's the fear that gets her out of bed every day and pushes her to apply for more jobs.

"The fear of not having money to pay for the things you need, the basic necessities, your food and your clothing, just paying the rent."

Reach reporter Sarah Reinecke at 605-331-2326.
sreinecke@argusleader.com