How secure is your job?

We asked how the economy is affecting area residents

Credit: Alan Rogers

Tommie Dickerson, of Hickory, fishes at Bud Geitner Park Saturday afternoon. Dickerson said although his hours as a machine operator have been cut, the economic downturn has been a time for him to focus on his faith and family instead of money.

By: Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record
Published: January 10, 2009

HICKORY --

Eleven million Americans are without jobs and many are calling this the worst job market since World War II. Unemployment rates reached a 25-year high in Catawba and surrounding counties and that has many local residents concerned about their job security.

Billy Cook, 52, of Hudson, works at Lenoir Mirror Company. Even though he's never been laid off, he's worried about his job and has been since work started to slow down about six months ago.

Others aren't worried about losing their jobs because they already have.

Edgar Kent has been out of work for about a year. He was an upholstery trimmer at Vanguard Furniture. He said he made a good living until he was laid off, along with about 100 co-workers.

Kent, 34, said one of the toughest things about being laid off has been staying focused and positive. "When you get laid off, you think it's going to be temporary and then it just drags on," he said.

This was his third layoff and he's not confident conditions will improve in Hickory's furniture industry, so he's decided to try another course of action. He's signed up for a business program at Bluefield State College in West Virginia, and when he graduates, he plans to open his own business and be his own boss.

Although times are tough for some, not everyone feels threatened by the current unemployment rate.

Government employees, in particular, feel confident despite the economic turbulence.

"I feel fine about my job security. I'm one of the fortunate ones," said Derek Chase, of Hickory.

Chase, 35, has been a biology teacher at Bunker Hill High School for five years and was named teacher of the year for the 2008 – 09 school year.

Greg Lewis agrees.

"Government jobs are the most secure. Government workers, state employees — those will be the last people to get laid off."

Lewis, 52, of Hickory, works at Highland Recreation Center as a senior recreation programmer for the city of Hickory. He thinks things will get even worse.

"We haven't seen the worst of this. I don't think the economy's hit bottom yet," said Lewis, who added that Hickory prides itself on not laying off employees. He said he's never seen anyone laid off in his 20 years with the city.

One big reason for Lewis' positive outlook is his confidence in City Manager Mick Berry. Lewis said Berry and his staff anticipated the economic crisis and took steps to mitigate its effect on city services.

Not everyone thinks the economic slump is necessarily a bad thing. Tommie Dickerson, of Hickory, believes good things are already coming from these bad times.

Dickerson, 43, is a machine operator for the Saint-Gobain Corp. Even though he hasn't been laid off, his company has cut production hours and is no longer running on the weekends.

"Jobs are hard to find. There's no one hiring," Dickerson said.

Faced with a similar situation, many might feel threatened but Dickerson is taking it all in stride. He's relying on his faith to see him through. "It really doesn't stress me out," he said. "The way I look at it, Christ has an unlimited supply of blessings."

Dickerson knows people are stressed about their economic security right now and that's bringing them back to church in droves for support and guidance. He thinks that's a good thing. "This is a blessing, not a depression," he said.