TOLEDO, Ohio — Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, some people are still finding it hard to find work.
Unemployment numbers in Lucas County peaked back in April at 23.6 percent, but they've been gradually decreasing. And it's back down around six percent in October.
The latest wave of the coronavirus is once again affecting the job market. Still, local officials say the market is doing ok, all things considered.
"We're starting to see a decline in the unemployment rate," said Michael Veh, Lucas County Department of Planning and Development deputy director. "We're seeing a lot of employers who have got jobs posted through us."
But the numbers don't paint the same picture for everyone. Nancy Hardy of Fremont lost her job in the hard-hit entertainment industry back on March 13.
"About a year and a half ago, everything came together for me to finally live my dream," said Hardy. "And then, COVID happened."
Hardy's dream job was working as a character with kids at Cedar Point's Adventure Island. She also worked as a seamstress making costumes for live plays and musicals. But with live shows shut down, she's struggling to find work in her field.
"We shouldn't be forced to go into these other careers because this virus has affected our field," said Hardy.
Shayna Krasula is a single mom in Toledo and has had a similar experience. She says she went from making $45,000 a year at her insurance job before being laid off in April. Unemployment was a struggle to receive because she was also in school but she did get it from May to September. She says she has found it hard to find work while balancing a child, school and mounting bills.
"I can't work every single weekend. I can't work nights," said Krasula. "It's just me and I need a nine to five job and then my son's school shut down so I can't even do anything with that."
Krasula has received some help from certain state and local programs like rental assistance, but she believes the government needs to pass a second stimulus bill, with direct payments to individuals.
"Extra $1700 in my bank account, the $1200 plus 500 for a dependent," she added, "that's survival for me I'm down to my last $500 in my savings account."
She hopes the pandemic shines a light on what she calls unlivable wages at most jobs.
"Maybe pay people more," she stressed. "I mean we are worth, if you want us to work during a pandemic, we're worth more than $9.50 an hour."
The U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs in November, as the unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists had predicted the economy would gain around 440,000 jobs.
Amid a fresh surge in coronavirus cases and a new round of shutdowns, Friday's figure represents the lowest monthly total since the economy started its halting recovery.