SWFL job seekers and employers feeling strain post hurricanes

It’s no secret that the cost of everything is rising for people in Southwest Florida; the job hunt is even harder following the devastation the area saw from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Patti Teal worked for the SWFL Agency on Aging as a hurricane coordinator during Hurricane Ian. She saw firsthand the help people needed and was happy to be able to help. Now, she’s looking for a job herself.

“I think more people have moved here, and that didn’t have to do with the storms, but then they’ve had to deal with the storms. And it seems to me, I’m seeing on local forums and things that there are a lot of people that are having a hard time finding jobs, and a lot of it, I think, is due to the recurring expenses from hurricanes,” Teal said.

On Tuesday, the JobLink 2024 job fair was held in Lee County with the aim of helping both employers and job seekers recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Stephanie Sims, the director of JobLink, said the damage left behind by the storms has even impacted the number of employers they had show up to this fair.

“Some employers, unfortunately, were so devastated that they couldn’t didn’t have a reason anymore to come today because maybe their facilities had taken on water or otherwise been damaged,” Sims said.

The hurricanes didn’t just impact people in Southwest Florida on the job hunt, but also across the country.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a total of 10,574 initial unemployment claims were filed for the week of Oct. 19, marking the highest weekly total since the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Sims said that JobLink plans to host another job fair in December due to the impact that the recent storms had on this one.