Neighborhood Ministries

Bidens new rules defining who is a contractor and who is an employee will effect millions of workers. The rules are designed to tighten the rules about contracting and will hurt women and the elderly the most. Many small organizations cannot afford to hire someone full-time. They either don’t need that much work or they only need someone temporarily to handle a short-term project. It is necessary for those workers to contract with multiple companies to ensure adequate work.  The new rules will force many agencies and companies to go without vitally needed workers because many workers have families to support and cannot commit to an undependable income. In addition. many women have families or are caregivers for family members and cannot work full time.  Many elderly either cannot work full-time due to health or choose not to work full time so they can enjoy their retirement. Many companies and agencies want more hours than they can put in, but cannot find sufficient workers to work full-time. As a result, they must  contract with multiple workers. The new rules will force many workers to give up working because they will no longer be able to do the work on a contract basis.  Working arrangements should be worked out between workers and employers dictated by a free market in stead of forced by bureaucrats who have no understanding on the market. The new rules are being pushed by politicians who get large donations from labor unions who are seeking to extend their control over more of the market. Unions have achieved great power over companies and government agencies by organizing their workers, however manufacturing, which has formed the backbone of union control is declining as more manufacturing becomes automated or moves overseas where it is out of the union’s control. As a result, they are seeking to expand into new areas. While unions can force contracts where all workers must join the union, contract workers are outside the union’s control since they are not actually employees of the company.

One of my major concerns is that large numbers of people go long periods of time seeking jobs with little success while there are large numbers of jobs that go unfilled due to a lack of applicants. The job market has changed drastically in the past few years but most people seeking jobs still seek a job the old way which no longer works well. Many job openings are never publicized but are circulated among a small number of people because of the number of people looking for jobs. I meet many church people who are looking for work and sit in church with other church members who know about job openings but don’t know that the person next to them is looking for work. Churches need to find ways to bring those seeking jobs together with job openings. Many job opportunities I hear of go unfilled for a long time. I publish some of the job opportunities on my website that are widespread needs for those looking for work. Churches could do something similar or have a member who works with those who are unemployed and puts out regular requests for job opportunities that the congregation may be aware of. See my video on You Tube on ministering to the unemployed. The link is on our website at neighborhoodministries.net

Many schools are desperately in need of school bus drivers. Some need them so bad they are calling out the National Guard to transport kids. The school will often provide the training to enable you to get certified to drive. The  job is only nine months with summers free and is good for someone who is retired and doesn’t require a full-time job. It could also be a good entry into full-time bus driving in city transit companies or for tour buses. Another opportunity that is out there is companies that transport rail crews to and from their trains or to other railyards. Some work in the railyard itself and don’t go out of town, while others may switch between the two. If you like to travel, over the road trips may be as much as 200-300 miles each way and go to a wide variety of destinations. I drove for a company for a while when I was between jobs and the crews usually slept on the way out and I came back empty so they were usually no bother. I drove minivans or twelve passenger vans so I didn’t need a trucker’s license and they were easy to drive. That was a while ago and the rules may be somewhat different today but you can check with the company. Contact the trainmaster at the nearest railyard and they can tell you who to contact.

The YMCA of Greater Toledo (Ohio) reported they need 20-25 new teachers and aides for their 18 child-care centers in the Toledo area. With many parents going back to work and many child-care centers shut down, the need is critical for those child-care centers all across the country that are open. It is a good opportunity for those who like to work with kids. You could start out as an aide and get the training needed to become a teacher. I am getting frequent requests from companies and agencies that desperately need help. Many places are providing the training or paying workers to get the training needed for entry level positions and to help workers move up to higher level positions.

Now is also a good time to get full-time work, even if you don’t have much training or experience. Many places are taking people as long as they are still breathing. Restaurants and fast-food places need large numbers of workers. Many have cut hours, or their workers are working long hours due to a worker shortage. Several waitresses I have talked to lately have stated they are working 12 hour shifts due to the shortage. Many places are paying $11.00-$15.00 an hour and providing large bonuses for workers to attract workers since many people make more on unemployment and don’t want to return to work. Just about any job that used to be low-paying is having to raise their pay scales. By getting a job now, you can lock in a job before people begin flowing back to work and you can get job experience that will make getting other jobs easier in the future. Many employers, desperate for workers, will also provide training.

Now is a good time for people looking for seasonal work. Schools are required to have paraprofessionals to work with students that are having problems with learning, due to physical or mental limitations. A community near here which is a small rural city has about 40 paraprofessionals and says they need about 40 more. Larger cities need them even more with the larger number of kids needing help. It doesn’t require teaching or a teaching certificate. You work in the classroom under the teacher’s supervision. The nearby community requires just a high school diploma, and they provide the training you need. Requirements vary from school district to school district but are probably similar. Your local school district can tell you more about their local situation.