The Year in Review Jobs and Jews

The dreary job prospects for recent college graduates was consistent for all the reports. The Federation Employment Service in Atlanta reported that Jewish graduates were having problems finding jobs in social services and teaching. Some were finding jobs in other fields and others “continue to look for suitable jobs.”

The Baltimore job agency reported that recent graduates had been hard hit by unemployment. Others affected are the “marginally employable–the aged and the recently widowed or divorced returning to the job market.” Describing the outlook for recent Jewish graduates, particularly in the liberal arts, as “not bright,” the agency reported many were taking menial jobs in other fields, such as clerical work, adding there was a clear trend away from the liberal arts in career planning into law and accounting.

Recent college graduates were reported by the Boston Jewish Vocational Service as among Jewish job-seekers hardest hit. Others listed were lawyers, architects, social workers, teachers and engineers. Business school graduates in Boston are finding jobs but few openings were reported for liberal arts, social science and education graduates.

The Buffalo Jewish Family Service reported that many Jewish college graduates “are having to accept temporary jobs, in some cases unrelated to their educational backgrounds” and that “many graduates decide to continue in graduate and professional programs.”

PROSPECTS POOR FOR SOME

Describing the current job outlook for recent graduates as “poor,” the Jewish Vocational Service of Chicago said other Jews particularly affected are those over 45 who lost their jobs and the unskilled. The Cincinnati Jewish Vocational Service reported that, other than recent liberal arts and education graduates, for whom jobs were hard to find. “no group in the Jewish community is particularly affected by the economic situation.” The JVS also reported that many of those graduates have had to settle for jobs “not normally considered by college graduates.”

Recent college graduates in Cleveland are “hard hit.” the JVS there reported, adding that humanities graduates take what is available, generally jobs not requiring college training. Other Cleveland Jews hit by the slump are mainly marginal workers, including older workers and refugees.

Reporting that unemployment among Dallas Jews had been “steady” in 1975 and 1976, the job agency there listed as particularly hurt–in addition to recent college graduates–Jews over 45, social service workers, construction-related workers, unskilled women and family men laid off after years of stable employment, a problem widely reported in many cities in the first survey.

The Los Angeles JVS called the job prospects for recent college graduates “discouraging.” particularly for the humanities and social service majors. The JVS also reported that “all job levels are affected by the recession excepting skilled employment.” In the 1975 survey Los Angeles was listed as one of the four cities in which Jews in the professional, managerial and technical fields had been victims of widespread layoffs. The others were New York City, Chicago and Miami.

The Milwaukee JVS found that recent college graduates are among the Jews most affected by lack of jobs. Others are high level managers and Soviet emigres during their first months of settlement. The JVS said that recent graduates had “limited opportunities” if they were “inflexible” about their “starting level” or about “realigning their career goals.”

JOB CATEGORIES MOST AFFECTED

Recent college graduates were included in the categories of New York City Jews most hurt by lack of jobs, as reported by Federation Employment and Guidance Service. Others were managers in various fields, over-aged salesmen and other older workers, and recent Russian newcomers. The FEGS said there were “few” openings for recent college graduates “except for accounting and computer science majors.”

Recent graduates were listed as among the categories most affected in Philadelphia. The Jewish Employment and Vocational Service also listed unskilled middle-aged women, technologically displaced men over 50 years, and the aged, those over 60. The job situation for recent graduates in liberal arts and education was called “disastrous” but “somewhat better” for graduates “who can channel educational experience” toward jobs in the health, computer science, accounting and engineering fields.

The short-range prospects for recent graduates in St. Paul was described by the JVS there as “poor” with many graduates deciding on advanced or alternate training. Also affected were St. Paul Jews over 50 and Russian emigres. The JVS said the overall job situation in St. Paul was improving.

The San Francisco Jewish Vocational and Career Counseling Service reported there were few job openings for recent college graduates except for those with Masters degrees in business administration “who have a slightly better chance” to get jobs in “a white collar community.” Also suffering unemployment in San Francisco are structural engineers, media professionals–writers, TV personnel, artists and photographers–persons over 55, teachers and social workers.

Most severely affected among Toronto Jews are recent high school and college graduates, older persons and immigrants, the JVS there reported. Government funding cutbacks and the poor economic situation “has severely limited opportunities” for recent college graduates, particularly in the social sciences, teaching and nursing professions, with little improvement seen in the immediate future.

EFFORTS TO AID JOBLESS

The agencies reported a variety of efforts to aid the Jewish jobless. The Baltimore job agency has created job banks, job marketing campaigns and uses newspaper advertising, mailings and bulletins in synagogues. The Boston JVS enlists the help of businessmen for job development and it sponsors self-help clinics for college graduates and professionals.

The Buffalo JFS said currently it offered job placement services only to Soviet newcomers but that a long-range planning committee is evaluating the JFS national service department and suggesting the extension of placement help to all jobless Buffalo Jews. The Chicago JVS said it was developing re-training programs and offering training in clerical skills and typewriter report. The agency said it was also working closely with the Mayor’s Office of Manpower is using on the job training for the jobless.

The Cleveland JVS said it was involving Jewish community leaders in job development efforts, has stepped up mailings to employers and said it was encouraging Jewish employers to centralize their employee recruiting through the JVS.

The Los Angeles JVS has added a special counselor to serve managerial, administrative and professional job-hunters. The FEGS in New York has undertaken large-scale advertising to attract Jews to office jobs, as well as intensive job solicitation. The FEGS also is providing intensive counseling for jobless professionals to bring about “reasonable goal changes.”

The Philadelphia agency reported it is offering training programs in a variety of non-professional skills. The San Francisco job agency is stressing interview and resume help. Much staff time is going into persuading liberal arts graduates to consider fields they have previously rejected. The Toronto JVS has started special programs for Russian newcomers, recent college graduates and the Jewish elderly. Most of the JVS agencies have intensified their job development efforts.