Does anyone know where black people can actually get work in and around wilkes-barre? (Pittsburgh: job openings, college)

[muffinman5323]

I have been here for some time now...and i can honestly say i thought nyc was bad to get work..but this place takes the cake..its either under employed or unemployed here..not to mention the constant jerking you get when asking about work..if any other right minded black person knows or can point me in the right direction it will be much appreciated...the only thing i have learned in pa,well at least this region of pa..racism is like air..EVERY ****ING WHERE!!!

[SteelCityRising]

If it's any consolation I'm a college-educated WHITE male who has been underemployed for over a year now. This recession has been unkind to everyone, black or white, gay or straight, Catholic or Muslim, etc.

[muffinman5323]

its no consolation and to bad we wake up to very different realities..the black unemployment rate boasts no equality in being underemployed and unemployed

[nepaexpat]

That area has been depressed since WW2. Jobs are hard to find there period. The jobs that are available deginately do not go to African-Americans.

[muffinman5323]

This is why I can't wait to get the **** out of here

[Riverside4ever]

Originally Posted by muffinman5323

I have been here for some time now...and i can honestly say i thought nyc was bad to get work..but this place takes the cake..its either under employed or unemployed here..not to mention the constant jerking you get when asking about work..if any other right minded black person knows or can point me in the right direction it will be much appreciated...the only thing i have learned in pa,well at least this region of pa..racism is like air..EVERY ****ING WHERE!!!

If you would have done your research before you moved here you would have looked elsewhere . Because the area has been the same or worse for the last 20 yrs ... Nothing has changed Its always been like this . , Microsoft did not move into town .. And what does SKIN color have to do with it ? Dont play the RACE card because you cant find work.. There are a slew of white, yellow and red folks who are outta work too . I guess you get the same reaction here in people as a white person would walking through Harlem Or East New York... I actually dont know ANYPLACE that dont have racism.. Its just a part of life and you deal with it .. Of course some will be rude and shout out derogatory words and name calling .. But deep down WHY are they doing it .? people are not born to hate ,,, They are taught it ... I hope you find what your looking for brother .. Its out there . It prob just aint here ....

[fisheye]

I listed five companies that are hiring or just hired in my area (Monroe County): http://www.city-data.com/forum/northeastern-pennsylvania/1470302-some-signs-life-workers-monroe-county.html
I work part time for one of them and I am usually out numbered by the minorities. If anything; I feel that the one company goes out of it’s way to hire minorities.

At one time I had raised foster kids and I always told them to try to find work with new companies just opening up. New businesses are hungry for workers and they don’t have the bad practices of companies that have been in business for a long time - such as; nepotism and favoritism. Nepotism and favoritism are not exclusively white only practices.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by muffinman5323

I have been here for some time now...and i can honestly say i thought nyc was bad to get work..but this place takes the cake..its either under employed or unemployed here..not to mention the constant jerking you get when asking about work..if any other right minded black person knows or can point me in the right direction it will be much appreciated...the only thing i have learned in pa,well at least this region of pa..racism is like air..EVERY ****ING WHERE!!!

Its not racism....its just that very few decent job openings exist in this area. Its a struggle to find jobs in NEPA for people of all colors.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by muffinman5323

its no consolation and to bad we wake up to very different realities..the black unemployment rate boasts no equality in being underemployed and unemployed

No offense, and perhaps things are different in Wilkes-Barre (Mr. Yuk can correct me if I'm mistaken) but I know of more African-American males in Pittsburgh who are voluntarily unemployed and just loiter in various areas than Caucasian males. Both employers I've worked at since moving here have graciously hired people of all walks of life---black, white, Asian, straight, gay, Jewish, Atheist, Roman Catholic, etc. The VAST MAJORITY of employers will judge you, a prospective job applicant, based upon how badly you seem to want the job, how professionally (or not) you dress for an interview, the amount of questions (and types of questions) you ask, your resume and cover letter, etc.

"Jobs" are plentiful, even during the recession, so when a black male says "I can't get a job" I just have to assume they're lazy because my employer just hired an African-American (and is still looking for more of any race), my former employer had a 50/50 split of whites and blacks, and there are "NOW HIRING" signs everywhere. "Career opportunities", however, are VERY scarce now, so if you're complaining about the underemployment rate being sky-high then you're most certainly justified in doing so. If you can't get a "job" then it's because YOU are doing something wrong in interviews OR you think too many "jobs" are "beneath" you. I deliver food for a living with my degree and net about $1,800/month. My partner has been an office grunt/"temp" for three years now with his degrees and makes $11/hr. Most people I know in Pittsburgh are educated, and most are definitely UNDERemployed but none are UNemployed.

McDonald's won't even hire you? Isn't minimum wage still better than nothing at all? I wish I had a $50,000 salary and was working in my field. My partner would be earning a similar salary, and we'd be quite affluent for a 25-year-old couple. Nevertheless we're still working very hard and are paying our bills (on our own) WITHOUT accepting handouts.

[auntieannie68]

whoo!!--this area is very prejudiced----sure jobs are difficult to find here but be honest---most employers here will NOT hire a black person or a latino over a white person no matter how qualified they may be----stereotypical ideas of all races still persist here and nepotism/who u know is still the deciding factor in handing out a position----most positions here ARE held by those totally unqualified to do the job--hence all the poor management issues and mishandling of monies---i could go on but i digress