Job market in Michiana slowly improving

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The monthly jobs report showed the US economy added more than 200,000 jobs in May. Many people at the Mishawaka job fair Friday say although it's great news, they fear it's too good to be true.



Rosalinda Acosta is looking for a job.



"I've never had trouble finding a job for so long, so I don't know how I'm feeling right now," said Acosta.

 

Local employers like Chassex say now is a great time to find a job.



Managers at the car plant's Bristol location say they plan on expanding within the next year and are looking to add 60 new positions to their staff.

 

"We have done nothing but schedule to expand in each of our locations from new contracts from the automotive industry, so we're just looking forward to the new growth and new faces," said Velda Habaj, HR manager at Chassex.

 

Some staffing agencies say they see applicants from all over the U.S. because Michiana's job market is booming.



"A lot of industrial jobs here, RV jobs. People are coming here from out of state. I've had someone come from Texas, Tennessee, Florida," said Casey Frays of Employment Plus in Elkhart.

 

Not all job seekers are completely convinced.



They say although the numbers sound great, the job market is too complex to define by job report numbers.

 

"You could find part-time jobs all over the place, you've got retail and you've got all of these jobs. They're not the kind of jobs that can really help the individual. We can look at the whole picture but there's an individual struggle, people are still struggling," said Shuntriece Hughes.



Although the national monthly jobs reports shows an increase in the number of jobs, the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 6.3 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.