subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sun, Nov 22 2009 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Published June 25, 2008 06:33 pm - Finding a job in Ashtabula County can be tough; being 64 and finding a job is nearly impossible.

Older worker struggles with job scarcity


By CARL E. FEATHER - Lifestyle Editor - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

Finding a job in Ashtabula County can be tough; being 64 and finding a job is nearly impossible.

That’s the experience of John Finkbeiner, who returned to Ashtabula last year after years of working in Virginia and around the country as an industrial hygienist.

Finkbeiner has an impressive, versatile skills set that includes heavy-machinery operation, electrical work, management, human resources and carpentry. He has studied at Wright State and the universities of Cincinnati and Toledo, but has not completed a degree.

He has sent out nearly 200 resumes and responded to every ad in the newspaper that seemed a good match for his skills. He has also registered at Job Source and with temporary employment agencies.

Thus far, the best he’s been able to find is driving a taxi for 15 cents a mile.

“I’m making less than a quarter of what I used to make,” says Finkbeiner, who earned more than $65,000 annually while working in the Springfield/ Alexandria area of northern Virginia.

The congestion and fast pace in the Washington, D.C., suburbs didn’t suit Finkbeiner, who returned to his former hometown and struck up a relationship with a woman here. It’s that relationship, and the hope of being able to purchase property with some land on which to store his tractor collection and large accumulation of tools, that keeps him from moving on.

Thus far, he has encountered nothing but frustration in his effort to land a job here.

“I’ve been all over, asking for a job,” he says. “I followed every lead in the paper. At Job Source, they told me I just had to accept a job that pays minimum wage because that’s all there is here.”

He says Job Source tried to enroll him in seminars on preparing resumes and interviewing.

“They need a seminar down there on how to live on minimum wage,” he says.

Finkbeiner also tried finding work in the Columbus market. His son lives there, and Finkbeiner stayed with him while he looked for work. He discovered things are not much better there, especially for someone within two years of retirement.

Indeed, Finkbeiner says he’s finding incredible competition for jobs. People who hold master’s and doctoral degrees are getting jobs that really don’t require that kind of education. He responded to an ad for a job in Mentor, only to find out there were 212 applicants.

“There is no way I can compete for those kinds of jobs and win,” he says.

He took the taxi job just to have something to do and generate a little income, but the hours are grueling.



print this story    email this story   






autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

PREMIUM JOBS

MDS COORDINATOR
MDS Coordinator
Experienced long term care RN with supervisory skills to direct MDS and electronic documentation pr
...>MORE

Restaurant
PILOT TRAVEL
CENTERS SUBWAY 

Pilot Travel Centers in
Austinburg is Now Hiring!

We are
...>MORE

BARTENDER
5 years exp. required. Part time fill in for weekends. Send resume to 17 Wall St.,
Jefferson, Ohio 44047
...>MORE

APARTMENT MANAGERS

Mature Couple
Experienced. To live in nice newer Northeast Ohio Complex. Good personality for leasing. Free r
...>MORE

CLERICAL
Collections $12-15/hr
Customer Service $10-15/hr
Office Asst $10-1
...>MORE

Assembly & Press Operators
For Girard, PA.
Plastics Manufacturer
15 openings. (814)833-6722
...>MORE

Mechanic
Muscle Cars Light Mechanic,
detail, PT, Geneva (440)466-1011
...>MORE

DRIVERS
Opportunities for Ohio
Drivers! REGIONAL FLEET

3 Pay Raises in the 1st Yr.
Great Pay & Full Benefit
...>MORE

LABORER
[No. 991023]
Ashtabula Campus -
Ashtabula, OH

Opportunity for laborer to perform unskilled tasks re
...>MORE

Part time Medical Equipment Delivery/Service Technician nician
Cleveland to Erie area.
Customer service skills required, clean driving record a must.
Send resume to PO Box
...>MORE

See all ads

PREMIUM AUTOS

2005 Chevy Silverado ext. cab,
V6, auto, 42,000 miles $9000. (440)474-2390...>MORE

1997 DODGE STRATUS
Clean car, winter ready $1400 obo. 576-3438...>MORE

2005 Verucci Motor Scooter
VGC $600 obo. (440)576-1585...>MORE

1999 Chevrolet Conversion Van
106k, nice shape $4500 obo. (440)951-9705...>MORE

TIRES!!
Tires: 6 new 8 R 19.5 tires on GM Rims $75 ea. Also over 150 good used tires 13, 14, 15 & 16 $15 and up. 998-0462/ 319-0...>MORE

See all ads

PREMIUM HOMES

Kingsville Home for Sale
3-4BR/2ba Home for Sale;
2.25 ac., 2.5 car gar., 2bay carport,
shed, $85,000; Will consider land contract....>MORE

OPEN HOUSE
Sundays 11/22 & 11/29
2pm-5pm, 2114 E. 42nd St. 2BR/1ba Ranch, full bsmt,
2 car det. gar. $79,300. (440)812-
...>MORE

Mobile Home for Sale
1967 Globemaster 14x70
decent condition $1,000, new furnace
440-466-7885
...>MORE

Ashtabula House for Sale
3BR home “as is” $25,000 obo
Call M-F 9-5, Ash. 440-992-9582
...>MORE

OWNER FINANCING
Ashtabula 2BR, 1BA, C/A, vinyl siding, new roof, carpet, plumbing & paint $30,000. 10% down & $324.05/mo. 5312 Madison A...>MORE

RENT TO OWN
Geneva very nice, very large
3BR, new carpets & much more $250/mo. Credit problems ok. 440-673-1955
...>MORE

2008 Mobile Home for Sale
2BR 2BA Like New,
Owner Financing Avail. No Dogs. Driftwood Acres 440-466-7777
...>MORE

MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE
Oakwood MHP East Side Ash. Buckeye Schools. Starting $350/mo. Rent to Own Available.
Call Stacy 440-812-2404
...>MORE

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
Clerical Specialist
[No. 991023]
Ashtabula Campus -
Ashtabula, OH

Opportunity for laborer to p
...>MORE


1979 14x70, 2BR/2 Full BA, new carpet & vinyl flooring. Asking $6000. Call (440)992-9524...>MORE

See all ads

PREMIUM EXTRAS

BUYING JUNK VEHICLES
WE PAY SCRAP OR BETTER
Budget Auto Parts,
6015 Woodman Ave. 992-1111
...>MORE

Tools
Top & Bottom box full of mechanics tools, impacts, air ratchets, grinder, sander, board file etc. If interested bring 4 ...>MORE

CARPET & MATTRESS SALE
Carpet with pad installation $12.77 yd. FACTORY DIRECT
Mattress sets $100 & up.
BARTER HOUSE (440)964-7770
...>MORE

SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE
Mixed Hardwoods. Cut & split approx 16” $225.00 cord (+) or Slab wood, cut $150.00 cord(+). Delivered within 15 miles of...>MORE

MACHINERY & TOOLS
SAFES- Large & small, Forklifts, extra forks, Pallet Jacks, air compressors, (1-20HP), complete torch sets, welding gass...>MORE

Cemetery Lots
2-lots Garden of Christus, Greenlawn.
$400/both. 440-391-3795
...>MORE

LAWN & GARDEN
9hp Craftsman 2 stage snow blower 29” path elec. start $650; Torro 5hp 2 stage snowblower elec. start $300; John Deer tr...>MORE

Cemetery Lots
Greenlawn 3 spaces SOM section 2 $500 each. 1 burial vault $700 each. 1 - 28x16 granite base installed $280. Please cal...>MORE

WANTED TO BUY
Immediate Cash for unwanted items.
Call for details 440-319-4274
...>MORE

Hayward pump (1-1/2 hp) & D.E.
Filter for swimming pool, misc. pool access. $300 obo. 576-1585...>MORE

See all ads

PREMIUM RENTALS

House for Rent - Ashtabula
Rent (Rent to Own) 1136 E. 16th,
3BR, lg yrd $800/mo. 228-2969
...>MORE

Houses for Rent
Ash.nice 3 & 4BR houses, nice area. Sec. 8 ok (440)474-4414...>MORE

GENEVA ON THE LAKE - ALL NEW! HOUSE FOR RENT
2BR - GOTL ALL NEW!
Some appl. inc. w/d hkup,
440-813-7292
...>MORE

House for Rent Conneaut
3-4BR Conn. $650/mo, all appl incl. C/A. Call (330)273-1622...>MORE

Conn. Apt
Conn; 3BR, $475+sec & utils
Call (440)265-1371
...>MORE

Remodeled Apartment in Ashtabula
Ash. Remodeled 2BR/1.5bath laundry $350 +dep. Some utils.pd. OPEN: 1-4 Fri./Sat. 519 W. 38th or call for an appt. (440)...>MORE

2BR Apartment - Hope Ave.
2BR, 5110 Hope Ave, sewer/ trash pd.
$450+dep 440-415-3005
...>MORE

Jefferson Apts. for Rent
Jefferson: 1 & 2BR apts. with W/D hookups. VERY CLEAN, new Schools K-12. Starting at $475+sec. No pets. (440)812-2020...>MORE

GENEVA APARTMENT FOR RENT
2BR, 208 N. Broadway $500 + utils. 440-428-9082, Mon-Thur....>MORE

Saybrook Ranch for Rent
Saybrook 2-3BR Ranch near lake
$675+dep & utils. (440)964-3461
...>MORE

See all ads



 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index