Making matters worse, the unemployment rate has been on a steady rise. In November, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Marion County reached its highest level since June 2003, at 8.2 percent. That figure was up from 7.5 percent in October, and higher than the statewide average of 8.1 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor, the national unemployment rate is 6.7 percent.

However, in the Woodburn area, job seekers have a system of support through Goodwill Job Connection. While many people are familiar with Goodwill as a thrift store, some don’t realize that its true mission as a nonprofit organization is to provide employment services to the people of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

When Goodwill Industries Columbia Willamette (GICW) opened its new Woodburn store in February 2008, Job Connection, which is a free 30-day program that helps job seekers find work, was added to benefit the local community.

At the Woodburn Job Connection, Sandra Rodriguez is the employment specialist who networks with businesses around the area and helps connect clients with potential employers. Rodriguez guides job seekers through the process of identifying employment goals, building a resume, filling out job applications and preparing for job interviews.

“I’m really strong on interview skills and just motivating individuals,” she said. “Some of the individuals that come in to see me, they’ve been around looking for jobs for six months or some of them up to a year … and my first instinct is just to pump them up and get them motivated again. When they leave my office, they have a smile again.”

Depending on how far people are willing to drive, or what type of work they are looking for, Rodriguez has contacts with employers all around Woodburn and even as far as Portland, in a variety of different sectors.

Additionally, Rodriguez has many clients that speak primarily Spanish, and with most employers requiring at least a minimum of English, she is working to put together a series of ESL (English as a second language) classes. She hopes to be able to start the classes in January, with two classes per week.

As the economy has taken a turn for the worse, Rodriguez said she has noticed the demand for Job Connection services increase. According to GICW Media Relations Manager Dale Emanuel, Job Connection has served about 3,000 more people this year than in 2007, helping approximately 14,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

In the past six months, Rodriguez has helped an average of 23-24 clients find employment each month.

“It’s really been a blessing to be in my job, and to be able to help those people,” she said. “It has definitely grown a lot, because of the economy.”

Minimum requirements for the Job Connection program are that clients must be at least 16 years old, and must have a phone number where they can be contacted.

The Job Connection office is located inside the Goodwill store, located at 948 N. Pacific Hwy., and Rodriguez’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. People can either stop by the office between those hours, or call 971-216-0044 to schedule an appointment

At the Woodburn Job Connection, Sandra Rodriguez is the employment specialist who networks with businesses around the area and helps connect clients with potential employers. Rodriguez guides job seekers through the process of identifying employment goals, building a resume, filling out job applications and preparing for job interviews.

“I’m really strong on interview skills and just motivating individuals,” she said. “Some of the individuals that come in to see me, they’ve been around looking for jobs for six months or some of them up to a year … and my first instinct is just to pump them up and get them motivated again. When they leave my office, they have a smile again.”

Depending on how far people are willing to drive, or what type of work they are looking for, Rodriguez has contacts with employers all around Woodburn and even as far as Portland, in a variety of different sectors.

Additionally, Rodriguez has many clients that speak primarily Spanish, and with most employers requiring at least a minimum of English, she is working to put together a series of ESL (English as a second language) classes. She hopes to be able to start the classes in January, with two classes per week.

As the economy has taken a turn for the worse, Rodriguez said she has noticed the demand for Job Connection services increase. According to GICW Media Relations Manager Dale Emanuel, Job Connection has served about 3,000 more people this year than in 2007, helping approximately 14,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

In the past six months, Rodriguez has helped an average of 23-24 clients per month find employment.

“It’s really been a blessing to be in my job, and to be able to help those people,” she said. “It has definitely grown a lot, because of the economy.”

Minimum requirements for the Job Connection program are that clients must be at least 16 years old, and must have a phone number where they can be contacted.

The Job Connection office is located inside the Goodwill store, located at 948 N. Pacific Hwy., and Rodriguez’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. People can either stop by the office between those hours, or call 971-216-0044 to schedule an appointment