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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2021)
A3 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021 For many workers, the right job has to be the right fi t Challenges during a labor shortage By SUZANNE ROIG The Bulletin SISTERS — Donna Lee Bolt will work for hay. Seven bales of hay a year to feed “C.K.,” “Lightning,” “Charmarie” and “Tote” — Bolt’s four horses. The 74-year-old retired educational assistant said she doesn’t need much for herself. But her four-legged “babies” need food and sup- plements to the tune of more than $2,100 a year. Retirement always included part-time work, Social Security checks and selling real estate, which is why Bolt took a job a week ago, working six hours a week at a retail store in Sisters. But it took several weeks and several job interviews to fi nd the right employer. She didn’t want to travel outside of Sisters. She wasn’t will- ing to work for less than $12 an hour and she didn’t want to work in food service. “I’ve always had it in my mind that I’d move to Sisters and retire here,” Bolt said. “I live off my Social Security and I struggle to make ends meet, at the moment. The horses are a big factor in my being poor right now.” At a time when Ore- gon employers are in a cri- sis fi nding workers to fi ll vacant positions, job candi- dates, too, are struggling to fi nd the right job. Job seek- ers like Bolt say even with incentives, such as sign- ing bonuses and benefi ts, the job, the location and the work environment have to be a good fi t. Seeking a perfect match Companies such as New- port Market off er benefi ts and increased wages and tout that candidates don’t need a college degree, but still can Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin A small sign at a checkout stand advertises jobs at Newport Market in Bend. make a career out of the job. As an employee-owned company, the m arket off ers employees a stake in the business’ success through the profi t sharing. “We hire the best per- son for the job,” said Lauren Johnson, Newport Market’s CEO and president. “With younger workers, we’re lim- ited with the hours they can work. When it comes to hir- ing adults, we look for the best person for the job. We want people with a great attitude who want to be there and work at building community.” The c entral Oregon unemployment rate now hovers around 5%, near the state and federal levels and far lower than at the start of the coronavirus pandemic . Oregon has added more than 80,000 new jobs over the past eight months, accord- ing to the state employment data. With people living lon- ger, some have to fi nd a sec- ond career to not only keep them engaged in the com- munity, but also to fl esh out retirement benefi ts. People over 65 make up 22% in the Bend-Prineville metro area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s esti- mates. And people 18 to 64 years of age make up 58% of the population . David Shirley, a Red- mond resident, had his web design business helping fi nance him in post-retire- ment. But the pandemic put Get to The Point. the kibosh on future busi- ness, said Shirley, 71. “The last paying gig I had was about a year ago,” Shirley said. “I haven’t got- ten any bites since then. The business was helping quite a bit, but now I don’t have much income from there. We’re getting by. It was nice to have the extra income.” While older workers have years of life experience as well as time on the job, young people often have fresh ideas and perspec- tives. The age distribution of the workforce in c entral Oregon in 2020 for those 55 and older was 23.6% and for those 25 to 54 it was 63.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those 55 and older are projected to grow their workplace partic- ipation to 25% by 2030 . Shirley said the compe- tition for web business has heated up over the years. When he fi rst arrived in Redmond in 2004 there were few web designers. Making connections early Working from home and developing a freelance busi- ness is the fallback position for student Daphne Lara Luna, who’s working toward a master’s in business. While she’s obtaining her degree at the Oregon State Universi- ty-Cascades, Lara Luna is working at CoLab, advising businesses and making con- tacts in the community. When Lara Luna, 23, 3 bedroom, 5 bath, 4,568 Sq. Ft. graduates in June, she wants to get into a corporate man- agement job, but she knows that she could always fall back on her knowledge and contacts and freelance in town. “I love the opportunity to take an idea and come up with solutions,” Lara Luna said. “I love talking to peo- ple on the phone or in per- son. I’m an ambivert.” Lara Luna said it took some retooling on her part to fi t into the corporate world. She had to learn how to answer the phone without knowing who’s on the other end and act professional. “I’ve enjoyed all the jobs I’ve worked at,” Lara Luna said. “I’m starting to look for work now. I’d like to stay close, something in the West Coast, but I’m willing to travel.” During Bolt’s job search, she thought she’d done well during a job interview and had a tour of the busi- ness, only to be told that the company decided to “go in another direction,” Bolt said. In another interview, she was told that the com- pany had others they wanted to interview. “I don’t know what hap- pened, or if it was because of my age, or the company wanted someone younger who would stick around and move up,” Bolt said. “It would help me to know what it means when a com- pany says they’re going in another direction so I could improve. ” $ 1,150,000 Expert Service. Guaranteed. Trust your vehicle safety to the professionals at DEL’S O.K. 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