Officially in December, there were 25,600 folks without jobs in Snohomish County who were looking for work.
In our Sunday want ads, there were about 300 outfits looking for employees.
That isn’t quite enough jobs, is it?
I have one of those 25,600 out- of-work folks in my spare bedroom. My oldest son is back home, looking for work, eating buck-a-box frozen pizzas from my freezer.
Allen Reynolds is also a number in the unemployed crowd. I met Reynolds, 31, at his mother’s rented single-wide mobile home on the outskirts of Darrington. He has been unemployed for almost five months.
For those out of work, it isn’t so much about getting a job, it’s about scoring an interview. My son, 34, who has a long list of worthy skills, answered two ads for bartending positions but didn’t even score an elusive interview.
Imagine applying for a minimum-wage position and not even getting a chance to meet the boss.
Those looking for work search postings on the Internet, scan newspaper want ads and network with acquaintances. When their savings and unemployment is gone, they slip away to relatives’ houses, friends’ basements, cars or even under bridges.
Reynolds was working in Alaska three years ago when his mother, Billie, 68, needed heart surgery. He moved to Darrington to be with her, and she’s more than happy to have her only son in the house.
"He’s a hard worker," Billie Reynolds said. "It’s no hardship having him here. We need each other."
Hunting for work in Darrington is a chore. Library patrons are booted off busy computer terminals after 30 minutes. Allen Reynolds finds jobs that pay commission, but he needs a steady wage. He drove to Everett to apply for a job at Safeway. He has no ready skills for nearby lumber mills, but would give them a try.
He is not afraid of putting in a hard day. Reynolds has worked retail, construction, concrete, as a store stocker and a plumber. He will be able to get down the hill from Darrington, to Arlington or points south or north in his 1988 Ford Escort.
The Reynoldses are living on Billie’s Social Security check. They make do on macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and other cheap food on sale.
To make matters worse, Reynolds owes the state back unemployment money. He recently went to Nevada for a sure job that turned out to be a bust. He used unemployment money to buy a bus ticket there and has to pay back the dough.
The state will take back its $900 from any paychecks he eventually earns. He said that could be a month’s wages he’ll never see, yet he’ll need money for gas, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and maybe tools.
"They want it all," Reynolds said. "There is no fighting those guys."
The man has his application in for a groundskeeper position for the city of Arlington. His dream is to get a job and a nicer place where he can see his mother into her golden years. If they both had their druthers, they’d save up enough money to move back home, to Juneau, Alaska, where he is sure he could find work.
Thinking back 10 years, he might have stayed on at Fred Meyer, he said. He writes short stories and has an author’s urge to be published. Meanwhile, his mother crochets adorable Easter baskets to sell at a consignment shop. By evening, they play Scrabble and card games.
"It’s tough not having a job," Allen Reynolds said. "It’s real tough."
I know. I can see into my spare bedroom.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
