Mayor Ness acknowledges Duluth's job problem, but change will take time
By CLAIRE CHOCK
DCN Reporter
Duluth has been in a job slump for around 20 years now, new Mayor Don Ness said in a personal interview. The city has a 5.4 percent unemployment rate, according to September statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, the effect of which has definitely been felt in the city and Central Hillside itself.
“I think it makes employers less lenient,� said Casey Ulland, a barista at Jitters coffee shop. “If you have a medical problem, your employer can tell you to leave because there's 10 more to take your place. There's always people looking for jobs.�
Duluth residents are not sure of what caused the job shortage, but they do have ideas on how to change things for the better. One suggestion was making microloans available for local entrepreneurs.
“Trying to take out 200 grand when you only need 20 ($20,000) just doesn't make sense,� said Connor Sowada, a bartender in the Fitgers complex. “You can take out a loan for 100 grand but not 10 ($10,000).�
Other suggestions from local business workers and customers for changing the job situation involved supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs by creating funding sources for local businesses, lowering payroll taxes and increasing income tax for the wealthy to balance out the money flow.
“Maybe we could set up some business loans, get tax breaks for companies that import,� said Ulland.
Ness said there are programs in place to help entrepreneurs but resources are limited by the city's budget.
“We're not in a position to start new endeavors,� he said.
However, Ness does have a plan to bring more jobs to Duluth and work with local businesses.
“First, we want to work with the locals and encourage growth of local businesses,� he said. “Second is workplace development, and our strategy for that is to look at what talents the employers are looking for, and then reach out to job seekers and match those people to jobs.�
How long might it take to fix the job situation? Some people said at least five years, some said it depends on how fast the government works to bring more jobs.
“It depends on how quickly they implement things. If they started implementing things right now or within the year I'd say they'd have things changed by 2012,� said Ulland.
Ness said it is not completely up to the city government to handle the job issue.
“It's not the role of the city government to create jobs … we can provide good assistance at City Hall … be supportive of people who come there, but it's not our job to create jobs. We're not in a position to do that,� he said.