Unemployment in the Big Woods: Welcome to Cameron County PA
From 1950 to 2003, Pennsylvania lost more than 50% of its manufacturing jobs. That’s more than 1 million jobs—more than any other state in the country. The service and medical industries have replaced some of these jobs, but we still feel the impact. And we continue to lose more.
By Rachael Spotts and Mitch Troutman
EDITORS NOTE: Originally published at PA From Below. Read the beginning of the article after the more link or the full article at their site.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment has soared along with most of the country during the current recession. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both have long experience with high unemployment, but the highest rates are actually found in rural areas of the state. There, it doesn’t take many jobs to change a percentage point, and so in a way, these areas are microcosms – miniature examples of the larger world. With a small population, a few layoffs not only change the statistics: they affect the community as a whole.
Welcome to Cameron County
Unless you’re from the area, you’ve probably never heard of Cameron County. Many people who live in Cameron County also feel forgotten, mostly by Harrisburg. This isn’t too surprising, considering that it is the second most rural county in the state, with a population of around 5,300 people. Almost half of the county’s residents live in the county seat,, Emporium.
Cameron County is in north central PA, in the heart of what’s called the Pennsylvania Wilds—massive state forest lands. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, 97% of the land in the county is covered in forest.
To get to Cameron County, you take one of a few long, winding roads, Route 120 from Lock Haven which was once the Old Sinnemahoning Trail used by Native Americans. It is now called the Bucktail Trail Scenic Byway, an appropriate name as it passes through countless mountains while following the Sinnemahoning Creek and the railroad line. Emporium and Driftwood are the county’s only two towns. Outside of those, you’re likely to notice more signs for elk crossings than houses.?As you come through Emporium, empty storefronts dot Fourth Street, the town’s main drag, illustrating the dismal economic times. As lifelong resident John Teats puts it, Emporium boasts “five bars, three gas stations, and no jobs.” It was not always this way.
Cameron County has the highest unemployment rate in the state. In January 2010, the state’s unemployment rate was at 9.5%, while Cameron County’s was at 17.7%. Of course, official statistics only show a glimpse of what is going on with unemployment. Specifically, they exclude people who are no longer receiving unemployment benefits, or people who are underemployed with only part-time work.
The region around Cameron County has long been home to the powdered metals industry. Factories big and small make engine parts for many different industries, including Detroit’s auto industry. The area has three major employers: GKN Sintering Metals, Motor Coils Manufacturing Company and Emporium Hardwoods LLC. GKN makes parts for the auto industry as well as other industrial parts. It’s headquarters is in Detroit. The workers joke that they don’t know what the name stands for. With three plants, GKN is by far the largest employer in the county. It once peaked with 1,000 workers, but after massive layoffs only has about 400 workers.
Motor Coils, which is owned by General Electric, is the only big shop in the county to have a union. Motor Coils makes parts for train engines. It employed 280 workers in the mid 90’s, before transferring half of the work to a plant in Monterrey, Mexico. Today the company employs 60 workers.
Emporium Hardwoods cuts lumber and makes hardwood products, mostly flooring, and normally employs around 100 people. As of February 2010, they hadn’t cut a log in one year.
By luck or by the grace of God’: One Family’s Story
John Teats has lived in Emporium his whole life. He spent 30 years working for Motor Coils beginning in 1972. His final raise brought his paycheck to $20 an hour right before he lost his job in a big layoff. He was laid off initially in May 2009, called back in mid-September, and laid off again in October. Though unemployment payments have since run out, he got a 20-week extension. His insurance will last about another year. John was “used to making money to support [his] family,” and has had to reconsider his priorities. John’s wife, Bambi, needs surgery on both of her knees. She works at GKN, pounding cement floors on bad knees. After 23 years there, she makes $15 an hour. The Cash for Clunkers program boosted GKN’s business, but it is slowing down again. With John out of work, Bambi needs to continue working to support them. The likelihood of getting her knee operations is low.
Since being laid off John has put much of his energy into job hunting. He has submitted resumes to at least 35 employers, but the job market is saturated. The few available jobs mean major cuts in pay and benefits. For example, John applied to Atlantis Well Drilling in St. Mary’s, the closest town in Elk County, but even if they do call him back, they do not have insurance benefits. He is also looking into getting his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), but the training costs are high. Additionally, truck driving jobs would require John to be away from home most of the time. A self-proclaimed “hometown boy” who has lived there his whole life, John is facing the reality that he may need to leave Cameron County. He applied for jobs in the south and has considered moving to North Carolina. But after submitting an application to an employer there, he was promptly told “I don’t want to burst your bubble.” He was about the 600th applicant.
John also routinely faces limitations with his job qualifications. With industries increasingly relying on technology, many employers seek younger applicants with more computer experience. Bambi pointed out, “there’s nothing out there because in our day in age, there were no computers... we’re too old for that.” John finds this challenge frustrating. Holding out his hands he said, “I was taught and I was trained to earn and make a living with these.” Thirty years of experience means very little in this economy. Referring to his age, John said “it’s gonna be by luck or by the grace of God if I get a job.”
How is the rest of the community feeling the effects of unemployment? John shared that some houses for sale in the middle of town “have been on the market forever.” People are nervous to buy because they might get laid off at anytime. Other houses sit empty simply because there are not enough people to rent them. John looks at the ways the area has changed: “little town of Emporium used to be something, but what happened? It ain’t like it used to be. You’ve got to go to St. Mary’s to buy a pair of shoes. You’ve got to go to St. Mary’s to buy a pair of pants. Heck, you go up to Wal-mart and buy anything you want because that’s what’s convenient for Emporium.”
Read the rest and more at PA from Below.
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