Another 1,000 residents seek unemployment County job fair brings out nearly 60 looking for work

Aundra Garrison spent four years interviewing potential employees at local job fairs across Anne Arundel County as a health care recruiter for Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Garrison strolled down a row of card tables beckoning job seekers with pamphlets, snacks and company swag at another job fair hosted by Anne Arundel County Workforce Development Corporation on Tuesday. But this time, Garrison was on the other side of the interview process, having been laid off by the hospital in mid-September.

As the county and state enter the seventh month since the economy temporarily came to a standstill, nearly 1,000 new jobless claims were filed the week ending Sept. 26. More than 15,000 residents filed for benefits across Maryland. Hundreds of Anne Arundel County residents are filing a new claim for unemployment insurance benefits each week, a sign that some businesses struggling since spring are now folding while other companies are permanently cutting jobs.

Nearly 60 people arrived at Anne Arundel Workforce Development's outdoor job fair in Linthicum on a cloudy Tuesday morning to learn more about businesses looking for workers, mostly in transportation, health care and sanitization services.

Tiffany Clark eyed one booth that stood out for its elegant white canopy tent and floral arrangements.

The 39-year-old saw her hours at Dollar Tree evaporate when the coronavirus pandemic barreled through the state this spring. She went months without unemployment benefits or scheduled time at work.

Despite having health conditions, Clark purchased a sanitizing machine to clean elderly and nursing homes. Now, she hopes to land a job at Party Plus Tents and Events, a company located off Ordnance Road in Glen Burnie.

Hiring enough staff to fill empty positions is an arduous task for businesses as well.

Companies with staffing shortages are seeing the problem compounded by the pandemic as many able workers are saddled with teaching their children at home with online materials or concerned about getting sick on the job from the highly contagious coronavirus.

"If you were operating at 60% of staff before COVID and lost 10% of staff since now it's a massive crisis," said Bekki Leonard, communications and grant development manager for Workforce Development.

Mary Minnix, a recruiter for Party Plus Tents and Events, detailed how the company was severely understaffed before the pandemic hit. Graduations, birthdays and weddings have largely moved outside, increasing the demand for their services while escalating the challenge to meet the need. The business is looking for tent builders and warehouse workers who can tie drapes and other specialty folds.

Across Anne Arundel County, a record 274 people applied for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits last week. Under the federal CARES Act signed in March, the program extends payments for an additional 13 weeks for unemployed workers impacted by the pandemic.

The Maryland Department of Labor launched a new portal on Sept. 20 called BEACON 2.0 to streamline the often grisly process of trying to reach a labor representative. The new website allows residents to request benefits, upload documents and file appeals. The portal was briefly offline on Sept. 16 for updates, which could contribute to a dip in claimants the week ending Sept. 20 and the following jump in claims the week ending Sept. 26.

Edgewater resident Pete Marshman lost his marketing job of 24 years at an automobile dealership in Silver Spring. The 57-year-old applied for unemployment insurance benefits in March. In Maryland, like most states, residents can receive unemployment payments for a maximum of 26 weeks.

Marshman's benefits expired Tuesday.

"For me, it hasn't been a horror story," Marshman said. "I hope to get extended benefits."

Caption: LaToya Weathers with Dream Management, left, speaks with Aundra Garrison at the Multi-Company Outdoor Hiring Event in the parking lot of the Anne Arundel County Career Center on Tuesday in Linthicum.

Tajai Gary, of Linthicum Heights, left, speaks with Rikki Schneider, Servpro, at the Multi-Company Outdoor Hiring Event on Tuesday in the parking lot of the Anne Arundel County Career Center.

Faith Borucke, talent acquisition specialist with MTC Logistics, left, speaks with Pamela Johnson, a job placement specialist with Catholic Charities, at Tuesday's job fair.

Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun Media photos

Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun Media photos