Workforce Solutions Borderplex offers tips for job seekers during the pandemic

EL PASO, Texas -- The unemployment rate has surged nationwide to 14.7 percent.

In the two-week period between April 26 and May 9, Workforce Solutions Borderplex reports 11,605 people filed for unemployment benefits in the Borderplex region. Those claims came primarily from El Paso County, but the region's data also includes numbers from Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio and Brewster Counties.

"I think the biggest challenge right now is the uncertainty," said Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex. "There's a goal for us to resume our normal lives and resume our normal work environment, our normal schedules, and there's just no certainty in what that will look like or when that will look like."

Melendez says the job application process is changing and moving primarily online. She says it is a change that both job seekers and employers will have to get used to.

For employers, Melendez recommends posting jobs online and ensuring those postings stay current.

For employees, Melendez suggests using this time to become more comfortable with the internet. If you remain unemployed for a long period of time, Melendez also says there are ways to be productive and set yourself up for success in your search. She recommends learning a new skill or educating yourself by achieving new certifications in areas you might be interested in.

"Do as much as you can to stay productive and build up as many skills as you can. Fill up your backpack with all of those things," Melendez said. "You don't need to pigeonhole yourself in one occupation or industry."

One of the challenges is for those without access to computers and internet. Many of those services are available through community resource centers, like the Workforce Solutions Borderplex offices and public libraries, which remain closed through the pandemic.

For those with internet access, you can apply for jobs throughout Texas on WorkInTexas.com. The website currently has nearly 500,000 job openings statewide.

Workforce Solutions Borderplex also offers tips for job seekers during the application process. You can access those tips here and here.