HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With new lower unemployment numbers out Friday, Debra Teufel with the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce notes that businesses are still looking to grow, but they have to find talent.
"It really is an employee's market right now," Teufel said. "There are many jobs to be had. We have companies that are continuing to grow. That indicator is something that we look at to see, are we at what we would call, basically, full employment? When you get down to the twos and threes, you really are, basically almost full employment. It's an employee market. People have choices and they are going to go to the place where they can get the best bang for their buck in their talents and skill sets."
A big part of keeping the economy strong is letting people who are growing up here know that they don't have to leave, no matter what it is they love to do.
"We're doing everything that we can to help young people see that there are careers here in the community, through the Career Quest program, we've really been making young people aware of great jobs," Teufel said. "That's going to be a long term change. Changing that mindset, I feel like, is so important, as a community."
The Chamber started with two sixth grade classes at Wiley and McCandless Elementary for the Career Quest program this past school year.
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