Tagged: Unemployment

A report released Wednesday shows staggering numbers of jobs lost in Ohio. According to the "Jobs and Earning Trends in Ohio Counties" report, Montgomery county and the Dayton/Springfield area were hit harder than other urban area in the state.

The report shows that Montgomery County has lost 41.5% of manufactuing jobs over the past seven years. Diane Shannon is an economist for the city of Dayton, and she says this isn't exactly new news.

In the southwest Ohio town of Wilmington, residents there are feeling the country's struggling economy more than most. International shipping company DHL is reducing its domestic operations and laying off over 8000 jobs at the Wilmington Hub. But it's not all doom and gloom for the community, where another vision for the future is beginning to gain traction. Two recent college graduates have formed an initiative to redevelop Wilmington into the nation's first "green enterprise zone", creating a new industry and more jobs .

Few places are feeling the grim economy as directly as the southwest Ohio town of Wilmington. Last week, international shipping company DHL announced that it will be reducing its domestic operations and laying off over 8000 jobs at ABX Air and Astar, two companies serving DHL at the Wilmington hub. While not entirely unexpected, the news confirms the fears of the soon to be displaced workers, and the potentially devastating effect on the town itself. As the reality of the situation sets in, community members grapple with what's in store for the future of Wilmington.

Dana Davidson helped build SUVs at a General Motors plant near Dayton, Ohio for 11 years. Today she's unemployed and the automaker is closing the factory for good in December.

"You know, the people in the plant we look at as family. You build a network with people, you're close to them, you know about their children, their family, you've been to their homes. It's been a rocky road," says Davidson.