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Jobs going begging in Willits and Ukiah Valley

(Excerpt from Ukiah Daily Journal)

With unemployment still over 9 percent in Mendocino County, some employers are saying they are still having trouble filling the jobs they have available.

"What's coming into the work force is (an attitude that) we should feel privileged that they show up," said General Manager Kristine McKee of Microphor, a manufacturer in Willits that offers a variety of jobs, from assembly line work to welding to engineering and customer service, among others.

"We can't hire fast enough," she said.

She currently has six jobs she's trying to fill in assembly, customer service and welding, according to McKee. The company does most of its hiring through a Santa Rosa temporary agency, mostly because Mendocino County, she said, "is not an employer-friendly location."

McKee is not alone among local employers who think that is mostly because of the lack of willingness among the available work force to show up and commit.

"We have a work force that doesn't want to work Monday through Friday," McKee said.