Thursday, February 26, 2009
{The Blue Banner}
Page 6
Unemployment plagues Asheville
Rhode Island
California
South Carolina -
Oregon
Washington, D.C.
Nevada
By Dylan Schepps
Arts & Features Editor
DCSCHEPP@UNCA.EDU
With the U.S. government’s
passage of a nearly $900 bil
lion economic stimulus package,
Asheville residents question how
and when the local economy will
benefit from the proposed plan.
“Businesses and people are
planning on weathering the up-
and-down fluctuations of our cur
rent market,” said Eileen Buech-
er, director of UNC Asheville’s
Career Center and career coun
selor of 20 years. “They’re get
ting creative because everyone is
just kind of waiting around to see
what happens.”
The Rankin Vault, a local bar
and restaurant, features a buy-
one-get-one-free on food “reces
sion special” seven days a week,
according to owner and manager
Joel Hartzler.
The special runs between 3
and 7 p.m. and enables custom
ers to buy one menu food item
and receive a second of equal or
lesser value for free.
Hartzler moved to Asheville
in 2007 after owning and running
two bars in Portland, Ore.
He and childhood friend Chad
Smoker opened the bar in July
and agree downtown businesses
need to get creative in order to
be successful in the current eco
nomic climate.
“It’s hard to make money on food, whether you’re running a
special or not,” Hartzler said. “We’re hoping that offering people
a great deal on a late lunch or early dinner will generate a boost
in all of our sales.”
Hartzler, along with many downtown restaurant owners, make
up the third largest economic sector in Asheville.
Health services and private education, government (federal,
state and local) and leisure and hospitality make up the three
largest industry sectors for Asheville’s economy, according to
the Asheville Chamber of Commerce.
The Economic Development Coalition, as part of the Asheville
Chamber, recently completed their second-quarter staff report for
2008-09, including a comprehensive local economy overview.
The mission of EDC is to help businesses succeed in Asheville,
according to Senior Vice President Ben Teague.
“I am optimistic about Asheville’s (economy),” Teague said.
“Our current economic trend follows the rest of the nation, but
1 remain optimistic about the future, given our diverse econom
ic position. Our economy has wide-ranging contributors, from
manufacturing to health care to retail and tourism to professional
Unemployment rates
across the U.S.
Highest unemployment rates
Michigan 9.6 percent
9.3 percent
8.4 percent
8.4 percent
8.1 percent
8 percent
8 percent
Lowest unemployment rates
Wyoming 3.2 percent
North Dakota
South Dakota
Utah
Nebraska
services.
Teague remains optimis
tic, but statistics show local
unemployment rates follow
ing current national trends.
National unemployment
increased by 125 percent
from 2007 to 2008, accord
ing to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
In the city of Asheville,
unemployment rates in
creased by more than 175
percent from 2007 to 2008.
Similarly, Buncombe
County and N.C. unemploy
ment spiked 175 percent
from 2007 to 2008.
“The job market typically
changes every three to five
years,” Buecher said. “The
dips in employment were in
1983, 1992 and then now.
A lot of what we are seeing
is just the natural ebbs and
flows of the market.”
Of the 15 N.C. metro
politan statistical areas, the
Asheville unemployment
rate is the third lowest at
6.2 percent, behind Raleigh-
Cary (6.1 percent) and Dur
ham (5.8 percent), according
to the EDC report.
However, the December
job losses equaled 1,400, and
the decline is the largest sin
gle-month drop on record.
The sector hit hardest is the professional and business ser
vices, according to Buecher.
“Typically, in a tough economy, the things that are cut first are
marketing, consulting, telecommuter and things of that nature,”
Buecher said.
Buecher said the consistent influx of retirees to the Asheville
community makes it difficult for recent graduates and young pro
fessionals to find employment in Asheville.
“Asheville is competitive, and it always has been competi
tive,” Buecher said. “We have a very strong retiree community,
and a lot of them are now looking for part-time work.”
Buecher said there is no shortage of diverse individuals mov
ing to Asheville on a yearly basis, and Teague says this can only
benefit the local economy.
“Outside of our economic make-up, the core assets that
brought us this far haven’t changed,” Teague said. “We still have
the mountains, an innovative workforce and an entrepreneurial
spirit. The chamber and the EDC are strategically poising our
selves to capitalize on opportunities now and in the future.”
See UNEMPLOYMENTPage7 I
3.3 percent
3.4 percent
3.7 percent
3.7 percent
GIFT
Continued from Page 2
the GIFT program. She said her excellent
experience last year taught her about man
aging kids and the issue of childhood obesi
ty. Himelein made the program worthwhile,
according to Kelly.
“She knows how to relate to people. She
is really good at getting down to your level
and making exercise seem fun and some
thing you want to do,” Kelly said.
James Gathers, 40, senior psychology
student, says the GIFT class ranks high on
his list of best classes.
“If you haven’t gotten grass stains on
your pant legs in a while, it feels so good to
just play,” he said. “And Dr. Himelein obvi
ously loves doing this. You can just kind of
see how she approaches the GIFT program
itself “
Challenges arise with any program, and
for Himelein, her most difficult moments,
so far, include not enough time.
“It’s really time consuming. I sometimes"
get worried that I am going to get too old,”
she said.
Himelein said her dream is working for
a non-profit organization, training students
while the organization deals with the com
plicated logistics.
As GIFT approaches its third anniversary
from March 17 to May 5, Himelein assures
herself every year gets better and better.
“It has been a really valuable teaching
experience. Where else are you all wearing
T-shirts together, screaming with your pro
fessor?” she asks, laughing. “It is wonderful
for me as community service as well as for
the course that I teach.”
Chartwells
Continued from Page 5
the barrier between the university and the
dining services staff.
“We feel like the staff should be pro
tected by university values just as students
and faculty are protected by these values,”
he said.
Most visitors to the boycott table knew
McMillan and were upset she was not
working at the cafe any longer, according
to Rhyne.
“The students want to trust Bernice as
a person they have grown to love over the
years,” Ladd said. “There is more trust for.
Bernice than the administration from which
students have often felt disconnected.”