TAMPA, Fla — It can be stressful to search for a job in a normal scenario and we all know the past year and a half has been anything but normal.
“You throw this pandemic on top of it where literally the rug was pulled out financially, emotionally, all the way around for so many individuals and families within our community,” said Mayor Jane Castor.
She said many folks have to start back up again in unfamiliar territory. Maybe that’s going into a new industry or figuring out child care and transportation.
“You think about the stressors that can be involved in looking for employment and making sure that you’re the right fit for that particular employment,” Castor said.
It’s why Castor and the City of Tampa launched a website called TPA-WRX. Castor said it brings businesses that are struggling to find employees together with job seekers.
“It’s got a mapping feature on it so that you can locate childcare or get training opportunities that may be close geographically to you,” Castor said. “There’s links to job sites, job boards, links to apprenticeship opportunities.”
It also connects you to organizations that can help with financial and housing assistance which allows you to get back on your feet.
In July, Tampa’s unemployment rate was 4.7%which was slightly lower than the state percentage, but not quite what it was before the pandemic at 3.0%. Castor does believe the economy continues to grow.
“We’re seeing a very large influx of individuals and organizations, businesses coming to the Tampa Bay Area, and one of the reasons businesses want to move here is because they see that deep well of skilled workers and employees that they can fit into those jobs,” she said.
The city also plans to hold more signing day events as it did in June to help connect people to a new career.
